spider webbing

[don champa]

I have a 1956 corvett with a very bad body. There is very fine to large cracks all over the qtr. Pnls. And some every where. If i gell coat the body will this take care of the problem??? What do you suggest?? Thanks don

 

[Tom Bryant]

Welcome Don,

Is the paint stripped and the cracking in the surface of the fiberglass?

Tom

 

[don champa]

Spider webbing

The car is stripped down to bare fiberglass,you can feel some of the cracks with your finger nail. Thanks for the responce

welcome don,

is the paint stripped and the cracking in the surface of the fiberglass?

Tom

 

[XLR8]

Sorry I can't help with your question but I see Tom's on the ball! I just wanted to take a moment to say welcome to the Corvette Action Center! Don't be a stranger!
Jane Ann

 

[don champa]

spider web cracks every where

Welcome Don,

Is the paint stripped and the cracking in the surface of the fiberglass?

Tom

yes the paint is stripped, these cracks are every where on the body, around the trunk area, and on the top surdace of the qtr. pnls. mostly. thanks don

 

[Tom Bryant]

I have seen that in the past in areas where the resin is thicker, like around the trunk opening and hood ledge. The thing with these cracks is that they have to be eliminated or they will show back through any paint job in time. I don't believe that covering over them with gel coat or resin will eliminate the problem. I have never purchased a gel coat product for this type of repair but it may work well. I believe that any thick coating of resin or resin type product without any glass strands for reinforcement will eventually crack again in a stress location like a hood or trunk corner.

This works well in the tight corners with crows feet cracks or along hood and trunk edges. First you need to sand the area down through the cracked resin to where the underlying glass starts to show. Then cut up some glass mat to almost a fine granular material and mix it in with resin to form a paste. Use this to build up the area again. On large areas it is going to take a lot of work. Again you will need to sand the body to remove the cracked resin. If this body has sat outside in the sun for years the whole surface may need to be removed and re-coated. What you do next depends on how much you have to remove. You may be able to repair some of the deeper areas as I described above and gel coat the rest to seal in the fiberglass or you may have to lay a layer of new mat over severely deteriorated areas.

I believe that the gel coat products were developed to repair bad surfaces but still, a crack not repaired will come back. It sounds like you have a lot of work ahead of you. I hope you post pictures as you proceed with the project.

Tom

 

[don champa]

spidwe webbing

i have seen that in the past in areas where the resin is thicker, like around the trunk opening and hood ledge. The thing with these cracks is that they have to be eliminated or they will show back through any paint job in time. I don't believe that covering over them with gel coat or resin will eliminate the problem. I have never purchased a gel coat product for this type of repair but it may work well. I believe that any thick coating of resin or resin type product without any glass strands for reinforcement will eventually crack again in a stress location like a hood or truck corner.

This works well in the tight corners with crows feet cracks or along hood and trunk edges. First you need to sand the area down through the cracked resin to where the underlying glass starts to show. Then cut up some glass mat to almost a fine granular material and mix it in with resin to form a paste. Use this to build up the area again. On large areas it is going to take a lot of work. Again you will need to sand the body to remove the cracked resin. If this body has sat outside in the sun for years the whole surface may need to be removed and re-coated. What you do next depends on how much you have to remove. You may be able to repair some of the deeper areas as i described above and gel coat the rest to seal in the fiberglass or you may have to lay a layer of new mat over severely deteriorated areas.

I believe that the gel coat products were developed to repair bad surfaces but still, a crack not repaired will come back. It sounds like you have a lot of work ahead of you. I hope yo post pictures as you proceed with the project.

Tom

thanks tom, you just confermed what i thought,( not a good thing) it will take me a while but i want the car to be wright. Thanks again don