BobG74

Just called Evercoat (513) 489 7600 to confirm my Vette Panel Adhesive / Filler date code. The code is located on the bottom of can, mine is 407334 according to Evercoat customer service the number is coded as the first digit = year 4 for 2014 and second 2 digits are month 07 = July. Evercoat says product is good for one year so mines good thru Jul 2015. Didn't get decoding on the last 3 digits. The cream hardener can be checked the same way it has similar coding on the bottom of edge tube.

Thanks to DUB for identifying this as a potential issue.



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540 vette

So you mean August 1st 2015 it automatically goes bad.

DUB

I doubt it...but there are a lot of variables...and many members who want body work advice. I recommend a product that I use exclusively in my shop. I do not want a person to go out to the local country store and buy it because it is on the shelf....the one that has sun shining on it half the day...and the can has been there for years. SO...I always recommend people who go and buy it KNOW the date coding that EVERCOAT uses. BECAUSE...there is NO REASON for any of you new at doing this....try to repair a problem...and have a product that is not 'fresh'. THEN...once a person has used it and KNOWS what to expect....then if a can that is over year old, should not be an issue....but this also depends if it is allowed to freeze...or the lid is left off of it all the time, etc.

And if you have used the VPA...and the can is almost empty...and you seal it up and come back to it a year or so later...throw it away and buy some fresh...no reason to be cheap. AND in most cases ...for me...I go through a gallon can fairly quickly on an all-over job....so I do not even worry about the expiration date....because it is used up so quickly.

DUB

BobG74

No I think Evercoat allows for plenty of cushion. On the eastern shore of Md. VPA is not stock item. I purchased this 11 month old can June 2014. My work should be complete in a couple months I hope...

It comes under the cat of better to know than not.

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13611

WOW!!! I've got an old can! I ordered my can about 6 months ago from a local jobber because it's not something they normally stock. I just assumed it would be ok? After reading this thread I went into the garage and checked the date code, 301030. So I'm guessing January 2013. So mines 2 1/2 years old and was already 2 years old when I got it! But it's got great consistency? All of the places I've used it thus far are other than exterior body areas. DUB, I'm real close to starting going at the actual body area, should I get a new can?

DUB

OBVIOUSLY I DO NOT have a crystal ball.

DO I ever have any left over VPA in a can that is out-dated....YES...on occasion I do. IS it thicker than normal due to being a small amount in a large can...YES IT IS. IS IT BAD.....NO Will I use it ....YES...will I use it on the exterior of a Corvette...NO!!!! Will I use it on the underside of a panel where it can not come back and haunt me....YES.

SO...if the consistency is good...and you have not allowed it to freeze. I would mix up a small amount and see if it rock up really good.

If it works out well..I would use it....but I would be hyper-critical of the consistency of it. So I would have to make sure it is creamy and that NO rust has begun developing inside the can...and that you can run your mixing stick ALL THE WAY down in the can to the bottom and it is ALL mixed up..and creamy. THEN...I would make sure that your cream hardener has not begun to crystallize. If it has...get new cream hardener.

VPA is NOT like milk. BUT a lot has to do with what it has been subjected to. So...it being in a cool warehouse for 2 years....or being in the trunk of a person car for 2 years and they live in Arizona.....or being in an un-insulated garage in Alaska for 2 years. I just don't know... And if you are worried...then I guess you know what you need to do. And it is creamy and runny but it is also a bit thick...just to let you know. And when it is cured...it is HARD!

DUB

13611

I'm with you DUB!!! Glad I've only used it in fender wells etc. New can for the exterior it is!!! No way I'm cheaping out after all this. I just chimed in because I was that "person" who assumed it was fresh since I recently ordered it. I'll make sure and communicate with the place I buy from about the date. Thanks for your wisdom?

DUB

Sometimes it is not worth taking chances. Because if something went catastrophic...and a person was standing there looking at a problem...I KNOW they would love to turn back time and do it over again and buy fresh product. Many times I get fresh stuff...even though I know it would work...I do not have time to do it twice...and give 'Murphy's Law' come into effect. I have already experienced that many times ...many years ago.

DUB

My1st

It's not that it goes bad after one year Evercoat only warranties the product for one year. Here's what they sent me on the date codes.

BATCH CODE AND WARRANTY.pdf

DUB

And with all what had been commented on in this post dealing with out-of-date VPA....AND knowing that they warranty their products for ONE year. I guess if I used some 2 year old stuff and it failed Evercoat would cover it ....right???? DOUBTFUL.....and when body work is being performed....and in most cases it is being done by DIY'ers trying to learn of save some $$$$$. And LOGIC would command that if your are NEW at doing this or even SEASONED (like myself) at doing this. WHY TAKE CHANCES????? You are saving a lot of money doing it yourself....so why use old product that has no guarantee. Because if I even considered using out of date product on customers car...I need to be taken out back and 'taught a lesson or two'.

You DIY'ers out there can do as you wish....but for me ....the responsibility I have in making sure I am doing the work correctly and using good products is part of my job. And I feel that 95+% of Corvette owners want repairs done correctly. And those Corvette owners who are looking for a 'BOZO' job....take it somewhere else....I do not have time for people like that. Becasue 'they' are the FIRST ONES to bitch and complain because the repair is not right...and you have to wonder why.

DUB

My1st

[QUOTE=DUB;1589834883]And with all what had been commented on in this post dealing with out-of-date VPA....AND knowing that they warranty their products for ONE year. I guess if I used some 2 year old stuff and it failed Evercoat would cover it ....right???? DOUBTFUL.....and when body work is being performed....and in most cases it is being done by DIY'ers trying to learn of save some $$$$$. And LOGIC would command that if your are NEW at doing this or even SEASONED (like myself) at doing this. WHY TAKE CHANCES????? You are saving a lot of money doing it yourself....so why use old product that has no guarantee. Because if I even considered using out of date product on customers car...I need to be taken out back and 'taught a lesson or two'.

I wasn’t implying anyone use 2 year old product just that the warranty was good for one year.

DUB

I wasn't implying that you implied that or suggesting that people do that. If it came across that way. My SINCERE APOLOGIES!!! KNOWING that the product can still 'possibly' be good after the year warranty runs out....I was just commenting that I prefer to not take chances ...especially if the VPA is being used on the exterior. If Evercoat only warranties it for one year....why use it when it is past the date is all I was trying to convey.

DUB

TWINRAY

You got to watch their expiration date too on thier Gel Coat. If you pay for fresh material, that's what you should get. I got "expired" SS, called the supplier where I bought it and they shipped me out "current" stuff.

Not Corvette related but I was in Home Depot 2 months ago looking for a flooring covering "activator." There was only 1 bottle on the shelf and it looked really beat. I called the manufacturer while in the store and he said by diciphering the codes I gave him that the stuff was 7 years old - that I had better bring it up and turn it in to Customer Service. Their life was 1 year.