Step by Step - Restoring a fan shroud on a 1971 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser

When restoring older cars, it is often too expensive to replace broken plastic parts. And, that is assuming a new part is available. In cases where new parts are too expensive, difficult to find, or, impossible to find, you will need to restore what is already there. This 1971 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser is a perfect example. The fan shroud on this Vista Cruiser had a hole in it from contact with the fan.

Step 1

The fan shroud was damaged when the fan made contact with the shroud. The shroud was removed and it was determined that the shroud was made out of polypropylene.

Step 2

We used a hot air welder to apply polypropylene strips to span and cover the hole.

Step 3

The weld was smoothed out using the Airless Plastic Welder with the flat tip.

Step 4

The weld was sanded and countoured to match the original profile.

Step 5

It almost looks as good as new now but to make it look even better, we are going to paint it.

Step 6

Using our Bumper and Cladding Color Coat, the fan shroud was painted with black Bumper and Cladding Color coat. We used a spray gun for this, but Bumper and Cladding Color Coat is also available in aerosol cans.

Step 7

As you can see, the fan shroud looks great. Now, for the rest of the car.

FINISHED!