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I recently purchased new doors and one was damaged during shipping. What are your suggestions for repairing the fiberglass? Should I just lay fiberglass and recreate the edge? If I can find a donor door skin would it be better to cut a 4" x 4" patch and avoid having to create the edge.
Thank you in advance.
I think it might have to get worse before it gets better. Getting the metal back into proper shape without damaging the fiberglass further may be tough. There's some great pros on here that I'm sure will chime in soon. I think the actual glass work will be a piece of cake if you can get the door frame back to it's original shape and the skin bonded back on there in the corner. Good luck.
I tapped the metal with a hammer and it went back to what appears to be the correct shape. That was my initial fear as well. It was almost like the metal had a memory and like a spring easily retook the shape.
I wish I had thought and cleaned the epoxy off the fiberglass before I bent it back.
YES...'putting the cart before the horse' scenario.
If this door were in my shop...oddly enough I would bend the steel back out to where it was...so I can use my heat gun and get the epoxy off the fiberglass/SMC panel.
THEN I might have to separate the outer skin from the inner door just a bit more....so I can slide in a piece of steel and hammer and 'dolly' the inner steel structure back to where it needs to be. Correct hammer techniques can make this a snap. Knowing when to 'on dolly' strike the steel and when to do it off-dolly. Keep in mind..sheet metal is basically no different than the skin on your hand...it can be moved with correct hammering techniques. WHICH IS why I would separate the outer skin a little bit more so I can get the steel inner structure correct. The damage is already done...so separating the outer skin a bit more is really no big deal in a bodyman's eyes. It is a part of the repair...if getting the steel correct again is an issue.
Then I would apply the correct steel to fiberglass/SMC adhesive. When that has cured...I would fix the corner with Vette Panel Adhesive. part number 100-870 from Evercoat.
Just curious, if the door was damaged during shipping shouldn't who ever the shipping mob was replace the door for you?
with your thoughts to a point...But getting a good rust free door that will more than likely require some form of repair...regardless of how minor it is...and thus stripping it down for a repaint.....if anything...I would see if they would kick some $$$ for the repairs.
The shipper did not pack doors to prevent damage. He just wrapped the doors with two layers of cardboard with no protection from impact.
If packages are not packed to prevent damage UPS will not accept responsibility for any damages.
These doors are by far the best I have found. I have been searching for a long time. The area the outer weatherstripping pops into is virtually rust free. Sellar refunded me about 10% of what I paid. Even with the damage these are still in better shape than anything else Ive found for under $1000 a door.
01-09-2016, 08:28 PM
Fiberglass repair help.
with your thoughts to a point...But getting a good rust free door that will more than likely require some form of repair...regardless of how minor it is...and thus stripping it down for a repaint.....if anything...I would see if they would kick some $$$ for the repairs.