neon2dracr

:nopity So last summer i was pulling into my best friends driveway and didn't realize there was a big patch of gravel. So i slid into his fence and now i've got a hole in my passenger fender just right of the bumper to the wheel. theres also a gouge in the driver side fender and i cracked the windshield. :cry

Anyway i've gathered some money and i'm thinking about ordering a front end door to door. I've never worked on fiberglass let alone a vette so i need all the help i can get. I have a budget of 3800 and the whole car will need paint. Anyone have any advice?

GTR1999

I started fiberglass repairs last summer and once you get used to the process it's not too bad. First you have to protect yourselfagainst the fibers and resin. Wear good clothing,like a disposable jumpsuit and a mask. I had to glass in a battery box and the drivers side floorboard-both were gone.They came out pretty good and very strong. The Ecklers video is good for a start it will show a fender repair and quarter panel replacement.
Read up on it and give it a shot. I'm now doing the same on painting.
Good luck,
Gary

CF6873

I would not replace the entire front end because of the damage you describe. If it is just a gouge and a hole I would repair them. It will be much cheaper and faster. To replace a front end is a major undertaking and you could end up with bad door gaps, a bad fitting hood etc. If the hole in the right fender is large you can buy a front fender section and splice it in, and you would not affect any seams or gaps. I would also reccomend buying a book on fiberglass repair and feel free to ask questions here. There are a lot of us who have done a lot of glass work and are still itchy to prove it. Craig :cheers:

CF6873

I just noticed you are new to the shark tank. Welcome and feel free to ask many questions. There is a wealth of info here. Craig :chevy

NHvette

:iagree:
Craig and Gary said everything I would have. The whole front end is
a grand - and you'll need most of that $3800 to get a decent paint job.
While you're shopping for a paint shop, you may want to consider having
the shop do the repairs, too. This assumes you want the vette to come out
looking awesome. If you're chasing a cheap paint job ($1000) then go for it
and do the body repairs yourself. I'm suggesting to get a price from a shop,
only because they will likely need to do some work after your done - to make
it perfect. Personally, I would do it myself, chaulk my mistakes and
imperfections up to learning - and live with what I did. That's just me - all DIY.

My front clip is out right now, and it is LOTS of work to remove/assemble it.
Let alone - doing it right !! Murphy's Law applies to vette repair quite often.
Also, when the front clip is out, EVERYTHING is exposed, and the project will
turn into a front end rebuild - all new brake lines - steering rebuild - new
radiator support - and the list goes on forever. Save lots of $ and tons of
time by simply repairing the damage. Buy a book or video and try to learn
as much as possible before deciding which way to go. I like Craig's idea to
buy a fender panel and use a section of that to replace where the gouge/hole is.

There are a few people that post pics of 'glassing the body. Search for posts
by 'Rolling Thunder'. Dave posted lots of glassing pics from his fender flaring
project. Well documented with lots o' pics. Well - the archived posts don't
have pics. WTF. He has a nice website: http://davesrollingthunder.com/rt/ro.../rtproject.htm
:seeya
OH YEAH -- Welcome to the tank. What year do you have ?


[Modified by NHvette, 10:39 PM 4/3/2003]


[Modified by NHvette, 10:40 PM 4/3/2003]