Hidden Headlight Grille Repair

[Mr onetwo]

The grille I found finally arrived yesterday and sadly was damaged quite badly in transit.I believe I can repair most of the breaks, but this one is different. It is in the passenger side bezel and it is not only cracked, but spread. Any ideas on how to repair this sort of damage on cast pot metal? Failing a repair...does anyone have a spare bezel? It can be separated easily by drilling out the rivets.

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

First, sorry that your "finally" find grille was damaged like that. I'm sure we all feel for ya.

Second, as to pot metal: Epoxy, definitely one with metal in the mix such as Lab Metal Lab-Metal 24 oz Or Loctite Metal. There's a Youtube test of epoxies where Loctite Metal wins in an application not too different than yours.

Probably not JB Weld, but it's pretty good for most stuff.

You'll be roughing up the back surfaces of the grill and using strips of reinforcing metal back there (think "splints") along with the epoxy. I envision something like 1/8" round or square bars from a hardware store, not sheetmetal. Too flexible.

Will it work? I hope so. Might as well give it a try.

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

Here's the Lab Metal website. Meaning you can use it as a patch behind the parts, and will hold the reinforcing metal in place.
https://www.alvinproducts.com/Product-Line/aT/View/ProductID/3/Lab-metal

From their FAQs.
Can Lab-metal be used to join two items?
No. Lab-metal is not intended to be used as an adhesive. Because it hardens by exposure to air, it will not dry when "sandwiched" between two parts.

(Meaning you can use it as a patch behind the grille parts, and will hold the reinforcing metal in place.)