Question about gelcoat
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 829
Likes: 2
From: Scottdale Pa
Question about gelcoat
I'm having my car stripped and painted. My body man says that it does'nt look like there is a gelcoat on my 1980. My question is when did they stop using the gelcoat and why? Also would there be any advantage to using a gelcoat?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7,106
Likes: 38
From: Newark DE
they never stopped using gelcoat simply because they never started using it!
Corvette bodies have never left the factory with gelcoat.
There isn't any real reason to use it or need to use gelcoat unless your body has been severly damaged such as from being expose to the elements for many, many years without paint and moisture has gotten in the 'glass or the body was improperly media blasted and you were left with a "fuzzy" fiberglass end result.
for painting, make any required body repairs to fix cracks, etc., than prime it to block sand, seal it, and paint it.
Corvette bodies have never left the factory with gelcoat.
There isn't any real reason to use it or need to use gelcoat unless your body has been severly damaged such as from being expose to the elements for many, many years without paint and moisture has gotten in the 'glass or the body was improperly media blasted and you were left with a "fuzzy" fiberglass end result.
for painting, make any required body repairs to fix cracks, etc., than prime it to block sand, seal it, and paint it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7,106
Likes: 38
From: Newark DE
Originally Posted by SIXFOOTER
if your bodyman don't nkow this, why is he about to paint your vette?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 829
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From: Scottdale Pa
Originally Posted by BarryK
good point!! painting vettes is pretty much a "speciality" to do it right and if he isn't familar with the fiberglass bodies of vettes than you should be taking your car elsewhere! just the fact that he is surprised to not see gelcoats tells you plenty that he hasn't done any, or very few corvettes
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7,106
Likes: 38
From: Newark DE
well, if he worked on vette at a Chevy dealer than he should have known they don't have gelcoat.
In either case, your car never had it and unless you have MAJOR body damage you don't need it.
In either case, your car never had it and unless you have MAJOR body damage you don't need it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 5,752
Likes: 4
From: Austin Texas
Originally Posted by BarryK
well, if he worked on vette at a Chevy dealer than he should have known they don't have gelcoat.
In either case, your car never had it and unless you have MAJOR body damage you don't need it.
In either case, your car never had it and unless you have MAJOR body damage you don't need it.
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 829
Likes: 2
From: Scottdale Pa
Originally Posted by BarryK
well, if he worked on vette at a Chevy dealer than he should have known they don't have gelcoat.
In either case, your car never had it and unless you have MAJOR body damage you don't need it.
In either case, your car never had it and unless you have MAJOR body damage you don't need it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 7,106
Likes: 38
From: Newark DE
well, do what you feel most comfortable with but it's not needed and after putting Gelcoat on it involves a lot of additional labor (read as $$$) to sand that stuff smooth.
I had my '65 painted last year and my '78 is about to go into the paint shop and gelcoat isn't being used and my painter uses PPG products exclusively.
I just can't see any possible reason for needing to use it if your fiberglass isn't damaged severly.
Good luck and enjoy your new paintjob when it's done
I had my '65 painted last year and my '78 is about to go into the paint shop and gelcoat isn't being used and my painter uses PPG products exclusively.
I just can't see any possible reason for needing to use it if your fiberglass isn't damaged severly.
Good luck and enjoy your new paintjob when it's done
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 829
Likes: 2
From: Scottdale Pa
Thanks for all the info, it's been helpful to me. I just talked to my painter and he spoke to Eckler's this evening and they confirmed that there is NO gelcoat on my car. They sell the stuff for cars that have body damage as you guys stated earlier, Thanks everyone
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,078
Likes: 0
From: Santee CA
Along those lines, then...
I'm going to be patching the hole where my power antenna was (filling in the hole and cracking around it) and replacing it with another "hidden" antenna.
Should I use gelcoat to fill in a hole like that?
I'm going to be patching the hole where my power antenna was (filling in the hole and cracking around it) and replacing it with another "hidden" antenna.
Should I use gelcoat to fill in a hole like that?
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,746
Likes: 428
Everything said here is correct, of course it is... BarryK is on the case. Hi BarrY
The reason there is so much confusion is because when the panels were molded. The female panels were sprayed with a spray release. When the molds were pressed together, the heat created what LOOKS like a gel-coat on the surface of the panel. Still like Barry said there was not a gel-coat.
Some people use a gel-coat regardless of prior damage just to make the body work much better than it was when it left the factory. Of course it may not be correct.... but it will make your finished product will look better and last longer.
The reason there is so much confusion is because when the panels were molded. The female panels were sprayed with a spray release. When the molds were pressed together, the heat created what LOOKS like a gel-coat on the surface of the panel. Still like Barry said there was not a gel-coat.
Some people use a gel-coat regardless of prior damage just to make the body work much better than it was when it left the factory. Of course it may not be correct.... but it will make your finished product will look better and last longer.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 8,339
Likes: 24
From: I can walk to MA
Originally Posted by Sprzout
Along those lines, then...
I'm going to be patching the hole where my power antenna was (filling in the hole and cracking around it) and replacing it with another "hidden" antenna.
Should I use gelcoat to fill in a hole like that?
I'm going to be patching the hole where my power antenna was (filling in the hole and cracking around it) and replacing it with another "hidden" antenna.
Should I use gelcoat to fill in a hole like that?
bevel around the hole and over lap in layers to get a good cover.
Gel coat as stated is just to smooth over rough protruding fibers.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,078
Likes: 0
From: Santee CA
Originally Posted by NHvette
No, use matte glass and polyester resin for this ... grind out a shallow
bevel around the hole and over lap in layers to get a good cover.
Gel coat as stated is just to smooth over rough protruding fibers.
bevel around the hole and over lap in layers to get a good cover.
Gel coat as stated is just to smooth over rough protruding fibers.
My dad claims to have done a lot of work with fiberglass when he was younger, but it seems more like his experience with it was in attic insulation, not auto body work.
