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Around the bottom of the front seat of my Clipper is a somewhat flimsy plastic apron (for want of better description. Last year I used a plastic weld to repair cracks on the apron and repainted it. That seemed to work out pretty well until recently when a piece of plastic broke off above the power seat control switch.

This piece had rested atop a steel brace, which I think puts too much pressure on the plastic. I think it is a rather bad design because the steel piece is not curved to accommodate the plastic apron, so I am tempted to write to Packard management to complain.

I would appreciate any suggestions about what you folks think are the best repair techniques and plastic repair products. I would like to fix this so it doesn't break again next year (if possible).

"plastic" is like "wood" or "metal" - describes a wide range of not always similar materials. So the right fix depends on the type and condition. I'm not familiar with the piece - is it supposed to be rigid or flexible?

An interesting question. I can't remember the exact shape of the panel but do know one car I owned had cracks in a few spots in the rear -- I think they were around some screw holes. I used epoxy and a sheet metal plate on those cracks. This was a long time ago and don't know how that fared long term as I traded the car not long after.

With a piece completely broken off I would think the entire cover could stand some kind of reinforcement. Wonder about using one of the paint adhesion promotors available for plastics to prepare the inside surface and then a layer or two of epoxy resin and fiberglass cloth. As bkazmer pointed out you would need to use the right adhesion promotor so it would maybe soften and stick but not dissolve what ever that plastic is. I know epoxy won't hurt the material but not sure how well it sticks after time either.

If the broken area is in a place where thicker or stronger reinforcement could be done without running into clearance issues with the mounting structure maybe bend a piece of thin sheetmetal and lay that between the epoxy or fiberglass. If it is a well hidden spot maybe even a pop rivet or two could be added.

bkazmer:

The apron is made of a rigid plastic similar to plastic molding in modern cars. I am not sure exactly what the exact type of plastic, but I was able to repair cracks, sand the fix, spray it with a primer, and finish it with a "flexible" auto paint. I hope that helps.

HH56:

The best solution to my problem would be to have the apron replicated in modern plastic, but I don't see that happening any time soon. I am stuck with 60-year-old pieces of plastic which at least maintain some semblance of rigidity.

In order to fix the cracks, I cut out pieces of rigid plastic, formed them to the area needing repair, and used a plastic weld to bond the supports to the underside of the apron. I used some of the weld to fill the cracks in the visible side of apron. Once those dried, I sanded and painted the apron.

I will try to brace the spots under pressure as best I can.

I wonder if a 3D printer could produce it, or some kind of a fix.

OK, rigid.
It is very unlikely that it is polypropylene, the predominant rigid in modern cars, as that was not in common use. This is good news, as PP has low surface energy and is hard to adhere to. I suspect ABS by the 50's or something similar. Easy to stick to, but probably badly degraded and embrittled by now. So the tip about gluing a back side support and using the existing part as a skin is good. Epoxy is a good choice. Cyanoacrylate would be second choice (Superglue type). ABS is a relatively easy plantic to paint - avoid paints with powerful solvents like lacquer. Enamel or Epoxy should work.

for the backing piece, do not use polyethylene or polypropylene! Acrylic, ABS, polycarbonate, vinyl

Thank you all very much ... that is excellent advice.

I had the same problem with the side shields on my 55 Clipper Super Sedan. I believe the problem is created by the seat cushion pushing down on the shields and after a few years of this the bracket punches through. I was able to locate a NOS set. Saved the originals and they conveyed with the car when I sold it. Maybe the second new owner has them. They were repairable.

(o{}o)