Re: Fiberglass repair
Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 12:07 pm
obviously the car has been repainted at some point, at least once. Whether there were some damage to fix and their extent is to be assessed by close scrutiny of the body, inside out (not always easy to photograph).
An other common defect on figerblass cars is osmosis, which produces small bubbles on the paint.
If your car is free of both (poor) repair and osmosis, you're one of the lucky few elligible for an easy paint job - still requiring tens of hours in preparation though... some localized sanding may help you decide if the surface structure (middle photo) results just from a poor priming/paint application (or poor paint quality etc) of from a deeper cause (e.g. underlying fiberglass showing through, that is no gelcoat there - which could be the result of a hasty mechanical sanding off of the gelcoat for a cheap repaint job, and subsequent need at least to reseal properly after checking that indeed the fiberglass has retained its integrity).
As for gelcoat cracks (stress induced like the one near the boot hinges), the issue is not only that the gelcoat no longer protects the fiberglass body (esp. against capillary water absorption) but also that the crack extends into it and weakens it : if not repaired to the proper extent in width and depth, the crak will come back rather quickly. It may be a good idea to reinforce the stressed area - but this must be done in a way that does not just push the stress somewhere else where a new crack will develop... the flexible nature of the body must be maintained for a durable repair (feathering the patches etc).
Again, one difficulty is to set your goal (partial repair vs. complete restauration), as you'll know when you start but not when you'll end...
good luck !
An other common defect on figerblass cars is osmosis, which produces small bubbles on the paint.
If your car is free of both (poor) repair and osmosis, you're one of the lucky few elligible for an easy paint job - still requiring tens of hours in preparation though... some localized sanding may help you decide if the surface structure (middle photo) results just from a poor priming/paint application (or poor paint quality etc) of from a deeper cause (e.g. underlying fiberglass showing through, that is no gelcoat there - which could be the result of a hasty mechanical sanding off of the gelcoat for a cheap repaint job, and subsequent need at least to reseal properly after checking that indeed the fiberglass has retained its integrity).
As for gelcoat cracks (stress induced like the one near the boot hinges), the issue is not only that the gelcoat no longer protects the fiberglass body (esp. against capillary water absorption) but also that the crack extends into it and weakens it : if not repaired to the proper extent in width and depth, the crak will come back rather quickly. It may be a good idea to reinforce the stressed area - but this must be done in a way that does not just push the stress somewhere else where a new crack will develop... the flexible nature of the body must be maintained for a durable repair (feathering the patches etc).
Again, one difficulty is to set your goal (partial repair vs. complete restauration), as you'll know when you start but not when you'll end...
good luck !