Black gloop

[jonbarrett]

Where can I get some of the black non-setting gloop that is used between the headlign cowling and body?

[TT Tim]

That'll be Sikaflex

Try here: http://www.fluke-motorsport.co.uk/product_info.php...

or a ship's chandlers.

Tim

[Mars]

Look up your nearest windscreen place in the yellow pages. I buy mine from my local for 7 quid a mastic-tube.

[julian64]

I just used black bathroom sealant from B&Q. God knows what sort of bathroom if would fit with.

[jonbarrett]

I think I'm talking about something different. The Silkaflex looks like the black silicone that's used all over the car (I need some of this as well). What I'm after is different. If you take the headlight cover off there are four large holes in the body for the cover's Bighead fasteners to pass through. Each of these holes is surrounded by a thick ring of a soft black, non-setting mastic. It's almost like underseal. I'm guessing it's non setting because it would be impossible to get the cowling off if it did set.

[morebeanz]

Jon

I think you'll find that is Sikaflex too. It does seem to have been the weapon of choice to hold the whole car together!

[jonbarrett]

Definitely not. Silkaflex has been used to seal around the headlight lens where it meets the body and cover, but the seal around the cover fasteners is definitelt different. The Silkafelx is like a bathroom silicone and sticks like glue, very difficult to get off. The sealer around the bolt holes is like black butter. I simply scrapped it off and wiped the surface clean with WD40.

[JensenA]

The difference between Sikaflex and normal B&Q type Silione sealant, is that Sikaflex is an Adhesive Sealant, and the B&Q Silicone sealant is a Sealant that has some adhesive qualities.
Sikaflex is designed to do things like bond in Windscreens and bond Bodykits to cars, in other words for sticking things together that are designed to be permanently fixed. Most local Car Paint suppliers will sell an equivalent of Sikaflex eg Tiger Seal.
For the front light cowlings, normal B&Q type Silicone sealant would be fine, it's the bolts that hold the cowling in place, the 'donut' of sealant is there to prevent water getting in behind the hadlights.

[jonbarrett]

From what everybody is saying, I think my headlight covers might have been bodged. I'm sure the sealant is some form of thick non-setting underseal. Being quite oily, it seems to have weakened the epoxy used to bond the the Bighead fasteners as three came away in my hand with virtually no force.

[Far Eastender]

Although I didn't make the repair myself, when I had the lenses refitted recently it was mentioned that who ever did the job before didn't use Sikaflex.

[jonbarrett]

Doing a bit of looking around I think it is Dum Dum Sealing Compound.