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^Saw that you're located in the bay area... Which shop is going to be doing your fenders..?
I'm not sure to be honest. Some times I think about molding them to the car, and other times I think about just using a 3M adhesive to mount them.
If I go the latter route, the only shop work I'll need is paint. I plan on doing the cutting, spot welding, mounting, etc. myself.
I really **** about fitment and I know no shop will spend the time needed to make sure things are perfect. On my last car (E46 M3), I spent roughly 14 hours adjusting a CSL trunk to make it perfect. Ill fitting and ill painted pieces drive me nuts lol
A big NO on the 3M adhesive. You should only use "Automotive" grade permanent glue/adhesive only. Fitment should be great. I know 95% of aero parts used by C63 owners are rebranded copies, eBay special, fancy relabeled brands and etc. Since these are hand-made, they should line up perfectly without any trimming for pre-fitment. Good luck on the build!
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2012+ W204/C63 AMG Coupe fenders are now ready to order. Pricing stays the same and will take a few weeks for production. I will have some photos and updates soon as the majority of the HMS staff is at a exhibition.
A big NO on the 3M adhesive. You should only use "Automotive" grade permanent glue/adhesive only. Fitment should be great. I know 95% of aero parts used by C63 owners are rebranded copies, eBay special, fancy relabeled brands and etc. Since these are hand-made, they should line up perfectly without any trimming for pre-fitment. Good luck on the build!
Ernst - this is the 3M adhesive I was referring to.
EDIT: Also, for those that are DIY'ing - this is the sealant you'll want to use in between the body and the fenders. SikaFlex Poly (either 221 or 227 will work). This is the stuff RWB uses to build their Porsches.
I've used the Sikaflex 221 stuff and it works great. I recently saw a video of Nakai doing some installs for RWB-Thailand using the exact same adhesive.
So for all the guys doing D.I.Y. installs or shop installs, buy a couple of those and tell the body shop to use them. It also doesn't hurt to prep and primer the fenders yourself over a free weekend. It's extremely easy to do and will help cut down the labor costs for those having a body shop install them.So really the only left for them to do is (paint match, cutting aka sawzall, and pasting the fenders on).
I've used the Sikaflex 221 stuff and it works great. I recently saw a video of Nakai doing some installs for RWB-Thailand using the exact same adhesive.
So for all the guys doing D.I.Y. installs or shop installs, buy a couple of those and tell the body shop to use them. It also doesn't hurt to prep and primer the fenders yourself over a free weekend. It's extremely easy to do and will help cut down the labor costs for those having a body shop install them.So really the only left for them to do is (paint match, cutting aka sawzall, and pasting the fenders on).
Nakai is literally an artist. He's unbelievable.
For some of us that are DIY'ing, it would be nice to have a set of go to products we can all agree on. AKA Sikaflex, etc.
So I'm really considering moulding mine into the body. I'm concerned with the paint cracking at the seam. You guys have any insight on this? I would rather avoid the "stick-on" look if at all possible but I think cracks in the seam will look even worse.
[QUOTE=AMG3.2;6697042]Nakai is literally an artist. He's unbelievable.
For some of us that are DIY'ing, it would be nice to have a set of go to products we can all agree on. AKA Sikaflex, etc.
1) Sikaflex 221 Seant
2) 3M Panel Bonding Adhesive part number is 08115
I spoke with my paint rep and there are a couple options but the 3M 08115 panel bond will work perfectly due to the fact that it works for multiple surfaces so if DIY'ing use the part number provided there are other ones that look the same but are for metal to metal only.
If unable to get this bonder then hit me up and I can give other brand examples, I'm just not putting them up so it doesn't cause confusion.
So I'm really considering moulding mine into the body. I'm concerned with the paint cracking at the seam. You guys have any insight on this? I would rather avoid the "stick-on" look if at all possible but I think cracks in the seam will look even worse.
I thought about doing this for a split second too - but apparently cracks are just about inevitable.
Originally Posted by AMG3.2
Nakai is literally an artist. He's unbelievable.
For some of us that are DIY'ing, it would be nice to have a set of go to products we can all agree on. AKA Sikaflex, etc.
1) Sikaflex 221 Sealant
2) 3M Panel Bonding Adhesive part number is 08115
I spoke with my paint rep and there are a couple options but the 3M 08115 panel bond will work perfectly due to the fact that it works for multiple surfaces so if DIY'ing use the part number provided there are other ones that look the same but are for metal to metal only.
If unable to get this bonder then hit me up and I can give other brand examples, I'm just not putting them up so it doesn't cause confusion.
I've always used General Electric Window and Door Silicone II Caulk for attaching things like this. Pretty much the same thing and it's 100% silicone.
I was messing around with this last night with my front bumper carbon vents, but couldn't get it to be as smooth as how Nakai does it in his RWB videos.
After digging through and watching a bunch of RWB videos, I stumbled upon what he uses - Sikaflax 221/227 which is actually not silicone. It's a poly sealant. Maybe this is why his looks so neat?
Everytime I lift the tape up (frog tape) it looked a bit scattered.
Cracking will always happen with "molding" that's why I personally would not go that route. HMS Tuning actually tracks their cars so the fenders are installed in more of a race car fashion. Meaning, the overall install is clean but there is not one bit of welding and everything is done with sealant and silicone adhesive so they can remove the fenders or fix damaged fenders etc.
Cracking will always happen with "molding" that's why I personally would not go that route. HMS Tuning actually tracks their cars so the fenders are installed in more of a race car fashion. Meaning, the overall install is clean but there is not one bit of welding and everything is done with sealant and silicone adhesive so they can remove the fenders or fix damaged fenders etc.
I wonder if there's a white or clear silicone that I can use to fill the seam and make it less apparent. While Nakai uses black to draw attention by contrast, I'd like to do the opposite.
After the cutting make sure everything is completely dry. There will be 2 parts of the rear quarter panel. This is for the deep inside portion or the "cavity" of the 2 panels. You can use this stuff known as cavity wax.
Then you can use 3M panel bonding adhesive and clamp the panels together for a tight seal. Now its ready for the fenders. Use the Sikaflex 221 to adhere the fenders onto the body. Using the painters tape method to get the cleanest line for the top portion where fenders meet the body.
I wonder if there's a white or clear silicone that I can use to fill the seam and make it less apparent. While Nakai uses black to draw attention by contrast, I'd like to do the opposite.
I'm seriously thinking about molding now that you mentioned it. I think it would look a tad cleaner and would totally finish off the project in the right way.
Since people often advise against molding frp to metal, I wonder if a shop could Sikaflex the fenders to seal the gap between the fender and metal and then paint over that?
How is this done for example? If you look close enough, you can see it was somehow molded.
[/QUOTE]
Not sure if this is the HMS kit, but definitely looks molded.
The black sedan is the HMS RS700 (FL) with the full HMS kit with only black colored adhesive bonding.
The silver estate is the HMS RS700 with 1/2 of the HMS kit and the OEM Black Series rear bumper and sides. It looks like they have mastered the technique of skim layering the adhesive to give it a seamless look. But from what they've told me, HMS has never "molded" fenders in with bondo.
It's really hard to tell but you can see the seam line. I also think it's actual Magno Selenite type paint not vinyl.
I would use white or clear. I would go with white since it has less of a tendency to yellowing. Here's the RS Domanig C63 with extra widened HMS kit and molded with bondo/filler.
It's really hard to tell but you can see the seam line. I also think it's actual Magno Selenite type paint not vinyl.
I would use white or clear. I would go with white since it has less of a tendency to yellowing. Here's the RS Domanig C63 with extra widened HMS kit and molded with bondo/filler.
Thanks for the info. I actually called up a very good body shop about an hour away from my place here in California and they said painted and installed for $800 after I showed them the HMS install video. I told them it was a deal so will be taking it in two weeks.
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