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New member restoring a 73 coupe. Can someone help me with the proper materials and procedures to prep my car for paint by a professional. Im in the process of doing a frame off restoration and would like to prep the fiberglass body myself (somewhat of a perfectionist) Thanks.
New member restoring a 73 coupe. Can someone help me with the proper materials and procedures to prep my car for paint by a professional. Im in the process of doing a frame off restoration and would like to prep the fiberglass body myself (somewhat of a perfectionist) Thanks.
To start with I had mine Baking Soda blasted then I could see if any Bubba repairs were done over the years.Easy to clean up and saves a lot of sanding and don't have to tape anything off
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Do a YouTube search for Eastwood. They have some great videos about body prep. A lot of it is for metal cars but they do have Fiberglass specific how-to episodes too.
In the process of prepping my car which I will prime as well as paint. Most of my info has been coming from Dub a professional with his shop in Charlotte. I used a heat gun to remove the paint, light sanding and lacquer remover to obtain the raw fiberglass. I would agree to make your post in the body and paint area. I have also fabricated all my repairs as a novice.
R
I too prepped my car for final paint. I paid a pro to lay down the final color and clear. I learned something from spraying all that primer.
Im not a very good painter, and after all that work prepping I wasnt going to waste money and screw it up.
I used the razor blade and heat gun method to strip paint. I used west systems epoxy and 3m glass mat to do repairs, and evercoat vette filler and body panel adhesive. I did use SPI epoxy primer and 2k primer.
I did a pretty good job, the painter only found a few areas where he felt needed his attention.
Its very time consuming, dirty, and requires a lot of patience. I wouldnt do it again unless I had a detached garage. I was lucky that when I began all the major grinding etc, I lived in a rural area and just pushed the body on its dolly out into the driveway for most of the heavier work.
it turned out pretty good.
Last edited by Sunstroked; Jun 24, 2015 at 10:56 PM.
Thanks for all the great advice. I'm a builder by trade and a perfectionist. I love taking something that seems to be beyond repair and bringing it back to its former glory, but I realize how easy it is to miss that one crucial step. I've been told it's better to apply a gelcoat before final paint any advice?
I purchased an epoxy primer to protect the bare fiberglass, was that necessary?
Hi fm73project, as far as I know yes you will need that to prime the car. I also believe the gun needs at least a 2.o tip. Depending on what you purchased may dictate the tip.
R
...I purchased an epoxy primer to protect the bare fiberglass, was that necessary?...
Epoxy may not have been necessary, but almost every surface to be painted needs primer - bare fiberglass included. If you want to use gel-coat, apply it over bare fiberglass. That done, prep it and shoot primer coats over it.
All good advise here and if you go into the paint and body section you'll get even more... mostly from guys who do it for a living. If at all possible, avoid the soda blasting of your vette. Most professionals won't touch your car if they know its been soda blasted. Have them use walnut shells or some soft plastic media. Hidden soda will ruin a paint job. Good luck to you.
One other little thing that's not so little if you make the mistake. DO NOT use paper towels to do any solvent wiping cleanup. Paper towels have release agents which make them easy to manufacture but will contaminate your paint surface. Yes, I speak from experience. Use freshly washed, soft cotton cloth or towels.
Help with body prep materials and procedures
