body filler help
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
body filler help
I am sure there is a thread some where on the steps to take when applying body filler to bare fiberglass but have not been able to find it anyway Big G gave me the info on bonding the fender onto my 75 vert that being done i now need to do the cosmetic stuff at the bonding strip and where the fender meets the new front bumper (toledo pro flex)back was perfect but the front different story
do I need to put down a coat of primer before I do the filler or can I go right to the glass the car has been sanded for over a year,on my 76 I went right to the fiberglass with filler and it seems to have held up well for 13 years
Thanks ED
do I need to put down a coat of primer before I do the filler or can I go right to the glass the car has been sanded for over a year,on my 76 I went right to the fiberglass with filler and it seems to have held up well for 13 years
Thanks ED
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,944
Likes: 22
From: Yooperville MI
Originally Posted by sly vette
I would lay down a epoxy/primer first...:
There are a few choices depending on your budget. The best I've found is PPG DPLF, however at half the cost, Transtar epoxy primer is good and does not have the recoat time constraints of PPG.Do all of your body work over the epoxy primer. Once you're satisfied you can lay down the sanding primer and start blocking. You can also reduce both primers for use as a sealer before your top coats.
You might want try sanding the gel coat on the back edge of the bumper in the center to bring the outside portions closer to the fender.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,036
Likes: 2
From: Huntingburg Indiana
Your car is made of smc so you should use evercoat vette filler. Some other types of fillers will not hold up on smc. I know everyone does things differently and I don't want to start an argument. Yes, filler can be applied over epoxy. For the best bond between the surface and the filler, you'll want to rough it up. If you have a coat of primer on it, you'll grind through it when you put on the filler, so you might as well do your bodywork then prime the car. I have worked with both fiberglass and smc and have found no real advantage to sealing the body then doing bodywork. Urethane fill primer applied to the body after you do your repairs will seal everything and it will give you something to block down. If you are on a budget, sealing the car before any work is done will cost you more. A good epoxy like ppg dp series is not cheap. If you really want your car straight, you will fill prime the whole body after your bodywork anyway. Sealer is really used as a wet on wet coating sprayed on before the paint. Get me right, you can do bodywork over epoxy, but I would do it directly on the smc.
