Should I Gelcoat?

[BLACK MOON]

The stripping of my 63 is progressing and I'm sanding down to the original panels. My question is should I gelcoat the entire car and use it to level the waviness or should I use a high build primer. Paintdaddy, you've run me through the process but we've nrver discussed gelcoat. What is the popular opinion on regelcoating midyears?
Thanks everyone.

 

[1KULC7]

Getting ready to do the same. Since I am not going to go full NCRS, I have decided to make it look like what GM should have rather then what they did. So I want a nice even shine with no waves....Nothing like that Sebring Silver the just glows....

Also I am going with clear coat..so that immediately eliminates me for NCRS standards. I just think Clear protects better is for more durable and has a very hight wet factor...

So my vote would be make it the best you can

 

[67HEAVEN]

The stripping of my 63 is progressing and I'm sanding down to the original panels. My question is should I gelcoat the entire car and use it to level the waviness or should I use a high build primer. Paintdaddy, you've run me through the process but we've nrver discussed gelcoat. What is the popular opinion on regelcoating midyears?
Thanks everyone.

We used the following on my '67:
1. hi-build primer
2. ground coat sealer
3. base coat
4. clear coat

Me ---->

P.S. They were never gel-coated by Chevrolet.

 

[Ol Blue]

ebvette and blackmoon

I was over at the body shop reading one of their professional magazines and noticed that Mercedes is using a special new clear coat that is 40% more resistant to scratches than what's been used in the past. It has very small ceramic chips in the clear according to the article. No mention of the cost, or even the name, but it sure sounded interesting.

Paintdaddy, have you any info about that?
Ol Blue

 

[studiog]

I am very interested in your question about gelcoating as I am in the same position and hope to paint my car this summer and I want to do it right and do it once. This gelcoating seems to be a touchy subject, some say don't dare paint without gelcoating and others say the original cars were never gelcoated to start with. Some people tell me to be careful not to sand through the existing gelcoat. It is very confusing. I tend to listen to paintdaddy as he seems to have allot of first hand experience with this. It would be great to get his recommendations on the entire procedure if he is willing to share it.

 

[studiog]

67HEAVEN didn't see your recommendations till just now. What is ground coat sealer. Would any of these procedures be different for a 61 as opposd to a mid-year?

 

[67HEAVEN]

67HEAVEN didn't see your recommendations till just now. What is ground coat sealer. Would any of these procedures be different for a 61 as opposd to a mid-year?

Have a look at this entire PAGE.

I don't believe the procedures need be different between C1 and C2 cars. NOTE: I am not speaking from the perspective of a NCRS restoration. I'm building to improve on the past.

Also, here is evidence that gelcoating was definitely not used at the factory.
http://www.corvetteimage.com/products.htm
http://www.corvetteimage.com/history.htm

And, for me, from no finer source than JohnZ.......
"No Corvette ever used gelcoat (except the hand-laid panels on 53's, many of which carried over into '54); the last gel-coated hand-laid Corvette body panel to be converted to non-gel-coated press-molded RTM parts was the underbody, about 3/4 of the way through '54 production. From that point on, all Corvette body panels were press-molded RTM (and, later, SMC) which were smooth on both sides and were polyester resin all the way through, surface to surface, with no gel-coat."

 

[magicv8]

I had mine gelcoated when last painted 15 years ago. looked great.

The 66 is in the body shop for another paint job this winter. I will have it gelcoted again, 20 mils if I can get it layed on that thick. If you have all original fiberglass, you can get away with no gel coat. IMO if you have replacement panels or bodywork, seal the (*&)%$#^ out of it. IMO it's a safety measure to insure the paint will hold up. It would be a pita to strip it and repaint.

 

[paintdaddy]

Hey moon,I never mentioned gelcoat cause corvettes didnt have it on when new so I usually dont use gelcoat.I use a poly fill primer surfacer to do major leveling and then a urethane primer surfacer .Gelcoat seems to be good to use only if the body has been stripped numerous times and the fiberglass seems to be thin in areas.

 

[BLACK MOON]

Hey moon,I never mentioned gelcoat cause corvettes didnt have it on when new so I usually dont use gelcoat.I use a poly fill primer surfacer to do major leveling and then a urethane primer surfacer .Gelcoat seems to be good to use only if the body has been stripped numerous times and the fiberglass seems to be thin in areas.

I know you never mentioned it and I also know they never used it at the factory. I'm just asking if there is an advantage to gelcoating the car. I find it easy to work with and wondered if it would help to seal previous repairs and the repairs that I have to make. This car had flares and was hit and repaired in 2 places. I know of a few people gelcoating entire cars and wondered what the pros and cons are.

 

[paintdaddy]

I dont think there are any cons to it .I think its just overkill,but thats just my opinion.I dont see anything wrong with it as an extra insurance to seal down repairs.In my opinion I dont think it would seal down the repairs anymore that a polyester primer surfacer would.The way I look at it is that they both have the same basic chemical make up but one(polyester surfacer )is made to be sanded and to fill in low areas where as gelcoat is nothing more than a thin layer of pigmented polyester resin.Gel coat is to thin to fill any low areas.Its only advantage is to seal down repairs,but polyester primer surfacer does both.Just my 2 cents.

 

[BLACK MOON]

With your experience I'd say your advice is worth more than $.02. Do you suggest PPG?

 

[paintdaddy]

I use PPG for the urethane surfacer and up but PPG doesnt make a polyester surfacer.Polyester surfacers are still considered part of the bodywork so they are mainly produced by the same people that make body fillers and fiberglass.Evercoat and Bondo-Marhyde are the main manufacturers.You can find them at just about any automotive paint store.

 

[67HEAVEN]

I know you never mentioned it and I also know they never used it at the factory. I'm just asking if there is an advantage to gelcoating the car. I find it easy to work with and wondered if it would help to seal previous repairs and the repairs that I have to make. This car had flares and was hit and repaired in 2 places. I know of a few people gelcoating entire cars and wondered what the pros and cons are.

If you visit the Technical Discussion Archives at www.NCRS.org and do a search on GELCOAT you will find almost unanimous negative feedback on gelcoating -- NOT because it isn't original, but because of the problems inherent in working with it compared to other choices.

 

[BLACK MOON]

What product did you use. I checked your site and didn't see it.

 

[JohnZ]

I'm not a painter, but the (perfectionist, like me) guy who paints my fiberglass cars uses PPG epoxy primer as the base, then sealer/surfacer, Deltron base coat, then Concept clearcoat (all PPG system products). He's done five of my cars over the last ten years, show quality, no problems.

 

[BLACK MOON]

John, Do you know what surfacer / sealer he uses?
Thanks

 

[67HEAVEN]

What product did you use. I checked your site and didn't see it.

R-M products. The ground coat was R-M Express Sealer with some tint.

 

[BLACK MOON]

Gracias senior!

 

[magicv8]

I agree with paintdaddy - it's overkill but..............

Gelcoat wasn't needed when the fenders were new and the paint facility in StLouis had more than twice the capacity of the assembly line - so that some cars could get repainted a couple of times when bubbles and other problems arose. IMO gelcoat is cheap insurance against having to strip and repaint a car made of old abused (previously stripped and repainted) fiberglass. The factory could afford to paint them 2, 3, or 4 times over. Can you?