PUNISHER VETTE

I'm grafting rear scripts onto my '69. I have the backside bonded already...it was easy as the scripts were just exposed fibers on the back side.


BUT.

The front side was coated at the factory with gelcoat. I don't want to mess with the letter area so was planning to just graft 1in around the edge. But as I ground down I realized that the new fiberglass will need to bond to the gelcoat in the transition zone where they meet.

Will this work or cause issues?

DUB

It will work and knowing you have a good grip on bonding and laminating...it should go down without any problems.

I would be watchful at the edge of the panels where they meet so you can make sure that this 'square' does not surface due to not going down and back far enough to cover it well.

DUB

PUNISHER VETTE

Thanks.

Yeah. I ground down almost double what I was at in this picture. Should be plenty deep with no sharp edges that won't get filled by anything but resin.

So when I go to primer the car just scuff the remainder of the gelcoat within the letters or tape them up at that stage too and just sand to 600g before base color?

DUB

???????? Strictly RESIN. I know I would not do it that way. Thick resin can crack. I would laminate it if there was not a sufficient bonding strip behind the seams...then cover with the VPA. But it is
your car and your choice.

Do not be paranoid about these letters. I know that IF ANYTHING...they would HAVE TO be prepped so my sealer will cover them so my paint would stick.....BECAUSE there is no way in hell I would just paint over the sanded gelcoat.

if you are not wanting to mess with the rear letters....I know I would NOT tape them off. I would prep them and IF I was applying a primer...I would adjust my gun so I could control the primer and apply it CORRECTLY so when I sanded the primer and checked it...there would not be a tape line....or a super raised edge EVEN IF you sanded back the primer where you back-taped it.

DUB

PUNISHER VETTE

No. I sanded the hard edges down smooth so that there are NOT any areas that only get filled by resin. Usually that happens on sharp edges where the strands don't bend well enough to make such steep turns and end up just bridging the hole/gap.

I'll just do what feels right with the letters as the time comes.

DUB

This is why I commented the way I did.

I can only read this one way.

DUB

DUB

YES...I understand...and these issues have everything to do with prep and the 'tricks' on laminating fiberglass. You can make fiberglass do whatever you want. Which makes some lamination's take quite a while due to the process in laying the fibers down.

DUB

PUNISHER VETTE

Thanks for the guidance DUB!!!
Well here it is rough sanded in.

The gelcoat felt no different than fiberglass bonding wise so that was a relief.

I was worried the fibers/resin wouldn't stick to the gelcoat at all and compromise the transition area.

Dt86

Nice job. Looks good to me!

PUNISHER VETTE

I wanted to illuminate the letters like another C3 guy but he said Custom Images did it for him and basically it wasn't easy. lol.

As much as I wanted to I just don't have the time or energy to do it at this point. Risk/time vs. reward so I decided it'll just have to be good enough how it is.

Dt86

That sounds pretty wild but I can see how making it work and look right would be difficult and time consuming. Enjoying your thread here keep up the good work!

DUB

YES...if you were planning on cutting out the letters and using lights behind it...that all needed to be done before it was bonded in place.

DUB

PUNISHER VETTE

yeah but the C3 guy who had it done said it wasn't very easy.

basically CNC'ed the letters out with a machine, poured a liquid plastic that hardened so there were no holes there. Had custom stickers that matched the letters exactly for when painting as to not get paint on the plastic.

I'm not sure if the piece had to be painted before the plastic was poured so that no area got trapped with white gelcoat behind the plastic after it hardened.

Just seemed like it was going to take me a LOT more work and risk to get that all completed and since I'm moving end of March I just decided to not deal with it. Not my usual style but the fact that there aren't many with these scripts at all at least mine is a little unique in that aspect.

DUB

AS you know...anything CUSTOM is usually NOT EASY. YES...this process would required a CNC for precision.

DUB

waljr

here you go (I don't think Brent would mind)


there's another vid where he's put a relay in to make it double as a reverse light as well.

Dt86

That looks phenomenal! Awesome job, and car!

brent319

Not at all. :-)
Doing it the way I did it was a fair amount of work. I did not have to deal with gelcoat though since I made a fiberglass blank at home and had it milled out by a guy I know. The real time soak was the painting, which Josh did after I came back to Iowa.
I like yours a lot. You will find a few who don't think it is right, and that is fine. To each his own.

DUB

I PERSONALLY can APPRECIATE what you did. You took it to the NEXT LEVEL....and it shows. I KNOW for a fact that this 'idea' just did not come out of a box and was bolted on.

DUB

PUNISHER VETTE

Yeah. I really wish I would get mine to light up like Brents but I'm still not sure it's worth me trying to figure it out and look nearly as good.


Plus I already grafted mine on so the chances I can still do it without cutting it back out are slim to none I'm guessing.

DUB

YES...it would have needed to be cut out and designed BEFORE it was laminated in place.

DUB