Fiberglass-Body Repair
You may wish to have damage to your Corvette's body repaired by professionals. However, in this segment, Mark Lambert demonstrates some of the basics of fiberglass repair. Fiberglass can be easily damaged, and it also fatigues over time, leading to cracks (figure A). Mark uses a small section of fiberglass removed from another car-body to demonstrate how fiberglass can be patched and repaired. Once serious damage has been repaired, the fiberglass can be resurfaced and repainted.
Note: This is a summary of steps included in the automotive restoration procedures shown in this episode of Classic Car Restoration. These are general guidelines for restoration procedures on this particular make and model of vehicle, and for the level of restoration selected for this project. There may be variations in procedures depending on model, condition of vehicle, level of restoration undertaken and the types of replacement parts or upgraded kits selected. Always follow proper safety precautions, and read and follow manufacturer's guidelines, diagrams and safety notices that come with any replacement parts or kit that you select.
Safety Alert: When sanding and working with fiberglass, wear full eye-protection, ear-protection and a respirator or mask to protect you from airborne fiberglass particles. Safety Alert: Always wear eye protection when working with power tools or pneumatic tools. Safety Alert: Always wear protective gloves, and ensure adequate ventilation, when working with chemical adhesives, solvents and other toxic solutions.
Materials:
Air-powered dual-action disc-sander
Fiberglass patch material
Fiberglass resin and hardener
Stirring stick
Paintbrushes
Scissors
Steps:
- Sand the damaged are down using a pneumatic rotary-sander and medium-grit sanding disc (figure B). Sand the painted area all around the damaged fiberglass. Roughing the surface in this way will help the patch bond.
- Mix up the fiberglass-repair solution (resin and hardener) in a container lined with aluminum foil. Follow the instructions that come with the solution when mixing the components together. Ours recommended adding 12 drops of hardener per ounce of resin. Apply just a thin layer of hardener over the top of the resin (figure C) and mix well using a stirring stick. Work in a well-ventilated area, as the fiberglass mixture has a strong odor.
- Brush the mixture over the damaged area using a paintbrush (figure D). Depending on the extent of the damage, you may need to build the mixture in layers. For this repair, we applied only a single layer to the front-side and the back-side of the damaged piece.
- Cut a mat of fiberglass patch (figure E) to match the area you'll need to cover, leaving an ample amount of overlay. The mat will be sanded smooth later.
- Apply the mixture over the mat piece using a paintbrush (figure F). As the mixture saturates and bonds with the mat, the patch will begin to disappear against the fiberglass surface. We repeated this step for the back-side of the piece.
- The fiberglass mixture gels hardens slowly (although this will vary in accordance with the amount of hardener used in the mixture), so you should have time to adjust and shift the patch if necessary before the mixture hardens.
- After the mixture has hardened (figure G), the new bond is quite strong. The patched area can now be sanded smooth and flat.
- Set the dual-action sander to the "rotary" setting to remove the bulk of excess material (figure H).
- Then set the sander to the "orbital" setting to finish up with finer work.
In the segment that follows, Mark Lambert demonstrates several methods for stripping and sanding the painted surfaces of the Corvette body.
RESOURCES :
Corvette Black Book : 1953-2001
Model: 0933534477
Author: Michael Antonick
Corvette: The American Legend
Model: 0785343741
Author: Consumer Guide Editors
Classic Car Restorer's Handbook: Restoration Tips and Techniques for Owners ...
Model: 1557881944
Author: Jim Richardson
Order this book from Amazon.com
H.P. Books
Classic Car Restoration Guide: The Complete Illustrated Step-By-Step Manual
Model: 1850108900
Author: Lindsay Porter
Order this book from Amazon.com
Haynes Publishing
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