evilryu530

Look at this mess!


How can i fix this? Can anyone give me a crash course in body work?
This is all I know:
supplies needed

mask
120 and 320 grit sand paper
a paint stripping wheel
primer
bondo
bondo spatula
spot putty maybe
latex gloves have already
goggles

steps
sand the surface to get off a layer of clear coat.
clean surface with water
put down like 3 layers of bondo after mixing it.
sand down with 120 grit sand paper or paint stripping wheel
sand down with 320 grit.
Primer with Primer.
Paint!


can anyone add more to this? or give some advice? thanks!!!!!!

belmor

Looks like you have some kind of body kit there, can't tell what though, surely does not look like any C4 ive seen before. if you do not have experience in this type of repair i would have it professionally done, looks like a good bit of fibreglass work to do, bondo will not repair that kind of damage and for all the hassle you can probably have it repaired or replace the panel.
~B~

mn_vette

looks like the rear bumper on a C5 to me. I would say replace the piece, that fiberglass looks pretty well slashed. Every time your body shakes, that patch is going to get weaker and weaker until it cracks there and breaks again.

evilryu530

why wont bondo work?

evilryu530

damn so i cant fix it? no way at all besides replacing it? that sucks! anyone else have advice?

USAsOnlyWay

If this is part of a C5 you would probably have more luck in C5 tech, this is C4 tech.

bogus

I am going to guess this is a converted C4. The body kit is an aftermarket piece made of fibreglass. Oh, final clue? These parts on a C5 are polyeurathane... not a hard plastic.

You see, modern Vettes are made of SMC - Sheet Molded Compound. SMC isn't so much fibreglass as it is a doughy goo that gets mushed into place.

As for repairing SMC, you need special adhesives.

As for repairing this body kit, you would at the very least need epoxy resin and some form of fibreglass fabric.

From what I am seeing here, you don't have enough knowledge to start this fix. It would be best to replace the body panel.

randy814u

That busted up, I would replace it. No matter what it came off of, you will be money ahead.

olman

How can i fix this? Can anyone give me a crash course in body work?

Looks like you already had a crash course.

mn_vette

you can get some fiberglass patch from an autoparts store, acutally I think Walmart has the stuff you need, but I can't remember the exact name for it. But how long it will hold is anybody's guess. Then you've got to paint it and I garentee that it still will not look like new. Better maybe, but still noticeable. But give it a shot, if the alternative is replacing the whole thing spending $50 to try it might not hurt.

mstock

If your going to do the repair yourself, your going to need some Tigerhair. It is different than bondo. Has fiberglass in it. It might not be as bad as your multi view picture. Bear in mind, once you start layering the tiger hair, you still need to do the finish coat with bondo. Someone else suggested using a fiberglass patch, which might not hurt. It is safe to say it will never look the same. You will have to build up around the break and then sand it down so it look ok. I did some work on my C4 and it turned out pretty good. Make sure you don't touch the repaired spot with your hands, as the paint will flake off :-0

You may want to consider doing the bulk of the repair on the back side for support, then as little as possible on the front for looks. Just a thought...