Expert: Gary - 4/6/2008

Question
I have a 2001 1-ton, dual rear wheel, 2-wheel drive Chevy Silverado with a diesel engine.  I recently damabed the right rear fender and wish to repair it but I'm having great difficulty finding out what kind of plastic the fender is made from.  Even the dealer body repair people are not sure.  Answers range from SMC, to PUR, SRIM and RRIM.  I would like to know the type of plastic involved so I can get the proper materials for repair.  Hope you can help.  Thanks Gary.

Answer
Hi Doug,

If I gave you an answer it would be a total guess. However, 3M makes 2 different universal plastic repair adhesives for plastic repair. 3M 5883 Semi-Rigid and 3M 5895 Flexible repair adhesives are Epoxy based which allow them to stick to many plastic types. They may require a coat of 3M 5907 Polyolefin Adhesion Promoter. I would go ahead and use the 5907 if you're not sure what type of plastic you're working with. This product should do a good job for you. If you need a place to get the product you can try this website: http://www.repaintsupply.com/

I hope this helps you.

Gary