spare tire cover refurb
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 353
Likes: 0
From: boulogne buenos aires
spare tire cover refurb
I´m in the process of giving some life to the spare tire cover, the lower part thats visible from the back.
It needs some paint in the metal frame, and some work on the fiberglass.
So far I removed the metal frame, removed all rust and paint, and its almost ready for paint again.
The cover had some cracks, so I used fiberglass to patch them, It also has some scratches in the lower bottom were it sometimes hit the road.
Questions:
what colour should I use to paint the metal frame? semigloss black or flat?
Cover, I now it came factory with the gray and with the FB patern visible, also some kind of underbody black seal was given, (at list mine has some spots with it). I know I should have only cleaned it and live it bare, but due to the crack i had to do something to prevent it from falling appart.
I plan on giving some primer and then use some gray as close as the original ...
any thoughts?
I´ll try to post some pics of the work done so far..
thanks..
It needs some paint in the metal frame, and some work on the fiberglass.
So far I removed the metal frame, removed all rust and paint, and its almost ready for paint again.
The cover had some cracks, so I used fiberglass to patch them, It also has some scratches in the lower bottom were it sometimes hit the road.
Questions:
what colour should I use to paint the metal frame? semigloss black or flat?
Cover, I now it came factory with the gray and with the FB patern visible, also some kind of underbody black seal was given, (at list mine has some spots with it). I know I should have only cleaned it and live it bare, but due to the crack i had to do something to prevent it from falling appart.
I plan on giving some primer and then use some gray as close as the original ...
any thoughts?
I´ll try to post some pics of the work done so far..
thanks..
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
I have painted my spare tire tub semi-gloss black so that it really won't show that well. I want to keep the tub and the spare, but I'd just as soon folks behind me looked at the car...not the tub.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 353
Likes: 0
From: boulogne buenos aires
Will shoot some pics tonight and post them...to bad I didns´t document them prior starting.
I won´t have a before and after, but a while in the process and finished work...
I was trying to find Benuk thread of his refurb a while a go, it was a nice job, but can´t seem to find it..
I won´t have a before and after, but a while in the process and finished work...
I was trying to find Benuk thread of his refurb a while a go, it was a nice job, but can´t seem to find it..
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 893
Likes: 7
From: Orange Park Florida
I repaired the tub on my '72, painted the tub flat black, then painted the steel rails red to match the car. I think it looks great, it adds a little color to the underside, and, I have received many positive comments.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,697
Likes: 3
From: Woodinville WA
Everything under my car has a thick layer of undercoating, including the spare carrier. This is what mine looked like while I was removing the undercoat with aircraft stripper:
It was all virgin glass once I removed all of the undercoating - messy work.
It was all virgin glass once I removed all of the undercoating - messy work.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 23,419
Likes: 22
From: In limbo
St. Jude Donor '13-'15, '17 thru '22
I just did this job last year. The tub I bought was covered with about a quarter inch of blackout, road grime, tar, and anything else that builds up on those things over the decades. I cleaned the tub with gasoline, it took a loooooooong time, but when I was done, the tub was in very good shape. So, I sanded and painted the rails a satin black, and left the tub bare fiberglas. I think it came out fine, it's not perfect, but my car is a driver, so I don't sweat the little imperfections.
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Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,283
Likes: 4,373
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi,
I found that after cleaning up the tub as Frog and PKg suggested, spraying the bare fiberglass with semi-gloss clear gives the glass a nice even sheen and darkens it just a bit like I believe it was when new.
Regards,
Alan
I found that after cleaning up the tub as Frog and PKg suggested, spraying the bare fiberglass with semi-gloss clear gives the glass a nice even sheen and darkens it just a bit like I believe it was when new.
Regards,
Alan
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 353
Likes: 0
From: boulogne buenos aires
well not much done yet but here comes some pictures so far...
had a crack there so I patch it with glass, now it needs some sanding
old repair PO did
bondo it
after all the repairs I'm not sure I will be able to leave it bare glass so I'll have to give some paint...
rivets
i got this ones that are close to the originals i removed..but really needs to be punch hard to mushroom them in place...
I may op to use pop rivets instead..
had a crack there so I patch it with glass, now it needs some sanding
old repair PO did
bondo it
after all the repairs I'm not sure I will be able to leave it bare glass so I'll have to give some paint...
rivets
i got this ones that are close to the originals i removed..but really needs to be punch hard to mushroom them in place...
I may op to use pop rivets instead..
Last edited by kapla74; May 4, 2010 at 09:56 PM. Reason: missing info
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 1
From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
Heres the link to mine, I did away with the rivets and threaded the rail and used large head machine screws coming from the inside so they didnt rub the spare. Backed them up with cap nuts because the metal of the rail is not thick enough for the screw to grab with any comfort.
Also used truck bed liner. I like it!
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...her-vette.html
Also used truck bed liner. I like it!
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...her-vette.html
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 3,079
Likes: 315
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Like Alan said, the tub is supposed to be bare grey fiberglass. I used grey MarineTex to make the few repairs necessary on mine, then sprayed with satin clear. Being you had to make such extensive repairs using both mat and resin, you really have no choice but to color the tub. Perhaps you can find a dark grey epoxy and try to expose some of the fiberglass strands after it sets.
Pro
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 737
Likes: 3
From: Pennington NJ
Nice job on the restore so far and thanks for the pictures. I didnt know these things got beaten up so easily, mine is in really good condition, no cracks or anything, but i do have to clean up the metal on mine so that is my current project while the car is away!
Will
Will
Pro
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 673
Likes: 2
From: Melbourne Victoria
I gave my cover a spruce up about 4 years ago
(painted with VHT black wrinkle finish and hand painted crossed flags)and wouldn't you know it, 2 weeks later -It cracked
!!!!As you can see by the pic it's taken a bit of a beating since.
I'll end up re-doing it ONE DAY (soon).
Gav
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 353
Likes: 0
From: boulogne buenos aires
I got the paint so hopefully I will finish this during the WE.
for the metal frame I will use semigloss black after i give it a couple of coats of antirust primer...(only gloss antirust black paint available here...)
Fo the tub I will so the bed liner paint as jerry (l82shark) did, I even got the special spray gun to get that rugged finish.
Gave
I see your car runs as low as mine, I get my pipes always hitting speed reducer!!!
and also sometime the tub as you can see in my previous pictures...
for the metal frame I will use semigloss black after i give it a couple of coats of antirust primer...(only gloss antirust black paint available here...)
Fo the tub I will so the bed liner paint as jerry (l82shark) did, I even got the special spray gun to get that rugged finish.
Gave
I see your car runs as low as mine, I get my pipes always hitting speed reducer!!!
and also sometime the tub as you can see in my previous pictures...