Anyone know the type od plastic that the gauge bezel is made from?

[First opel 1981]

I am looking at repairing the gauge bezel, both for the large crack in it and to rebuild a stereo support and I was wondering if the plastic of the bezel is ABS or some other type of plastic.
If it's ABS (as I hope) I will be using a chemical weld but if its a different kind, I will probably use a temperature weld.

Thanks.

[pecje]

Originally Posted by First opel 1981 II was wondering if the plastic of the bezel is ABS or some other type of plastic.

In normal cases the type of plastic is stamped on the back of the object.

It is a number in a triangle with arrows.
1= PET
2= HDPE
3= PVC
4= LDPE
5= PP
6= PS
7= ABS

However I don't know if they used these codes back in the late sixties - early seventies. Especially the recycling triangle.

[First opel 1981]

Originally Posted by pecje In normal cases the type of plastic is stamped on the back of the object. It is a number in a triangle with arrows. 1= PET 2= HDPE 3= PVC 4= LDPE 5= PP 6= PS 7= ABS However I don't know if they used these codes back in the late sixties - early seventies. Especially the recycling triangle.

I am thinking that in the early 70s they weren't marking them yet. I looked it over a few times and all I saw for markings was VDO and the Opel bug.

[markandson]

Try some of the chemical bonding agent on the back and see if it melts the plastic, if it does then I am sure you could use it to "weld" the crack.

[opelbits]

Odds are it is ABS.

[AZManta]

Originally Posted by First opel 1981 I am looking at repairing the gauge bezel, both for the large crack in it and to rebuild a stereo support and I was wondering if the plastic of the bezel is ABS or some other type of plastic. If it's ABS (as I hope) I will be using a chemical weld but if its a different kind, I will probably use a temperature weld. Thanks.

Matco Tools sells an airless plastic welder which comes with a variety of plastic rods. It's essentially an adjustable soldering iron with a hole in it to feed the plastic rod. I normally sell them to body shops.

[First opel 1981]

Thanks for the idea. I don't know that I want to spend that kind of cash for the convenience of a plastic rod feed welder. I have been doing it with a heat gun for 25 years and can do a decent enough job. I would rather use a chemical weld on the crack though.
I have been working with plastic in the hobby world since about 1977.

a small anectdote...
Last Summer I replaced the heater core in my 94 Mustang and didn't feel like hassling with the AC hoses so I just cut the heater box open with a rotozip and then welded it back together after puttin in the new heater core.
I figure I saved about 3 hours of labor and the cost of an AC charge.

[jtb]

Hi,

I repaired mine with chemical (Glue made for ABS drain pipe):
http://www.opelgt.com/forums/2b-seat...ck-repair.html

HTH,

jtb

[First opel 1981]

Originally Posted by jtb Hi, I repaired mine with chemical (Glue made for ABS drain pipe): http://www.opelgt.com/forums/2b-seat...ck-repair.html HTH, jtb

Thanks for the link.

I was going to use the ABS glue also but the black stuff, not the yellow. I don't know about backing it up with styrene though. I was going to go to a Plastics store (TAP Plastics) and get a small patch sheet of plastic to back it up. The GT bezels all seem to crack in the same spot so shoring it up should prevent it from cracking in the future.

[jtb]

In Canada, the glue that I got was yellow, but I think there is also black that is low VOC's.
I got the advice from a plastics place that had plastic welders and all that fancy stuff, but the plumbing cement is what they suggested, and it worked great.

jtb