GelCoat
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 5,210
Likes: 104
From: Fort Worth TX
St. Jude Donor '06
Father & Son St. Jude Donor '09
Originally Posted by name2320
Does any old corvette lover know about gelcoat, I am wanting to know that if you bust throught it, to the fiberglass in vairous spots, will it matter once it is painted?
If you're talking about and old Vette C1 or C2 and early C3, then the gelcoat is there and seals the glass, but again, modern epoxy primers will seal it just as well. No need to deal with gel coat unless you have an old Vette and you're into originality.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
Likes: 3,841
From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Gel coat is like peanut brittle.... in 50's corvettes body panels were made with 70 % gel coat and 30 % fiberglass fibers, this gel coat was very brittle and was common to see entire C1 bodies with spider cracks all over, in the 60's the formula changed to 60% gel coat and 40 % fiberglass fibers...cracking was evident around the corners of the hood and the corners of the headlamp doors... in the 70's the gel coat was 50% gel and 50% fiberglass fibers , all under pressure... the C3 bodies had plenty of flex and cracking became much less of an issue... In a gel coated car, the gel coat went completely through the body panel, these panels were not what is referred too as Hand layup... they were made using a pressure layup process.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
Thanks all
I am putting on a C5R body kit, from c5west.com. The fiberglass and fitment are really bad so I have to add in some area and fill in some areas. I have sanded through gel coat in some spots and was wondering if I needed to gelcoat it again. Or just smooth it down and paint it.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
Likes: 3,841
From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Originally Posted by name2320
I am putting on a C5R body kit, from c5west.com. The fiberglass and fitment are really bad so I have to add in some area and fill in some areas. I have sanded through gel coat in some spots and was wondering if I needed to gelcoat it again. Or just smooth it down and paint it.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
thanks evil twin
I am hoping to have it done shortly, this will make it even better. I am mixing a C5R kit with a tiger shark rear fascia. Other than extreme poor workmanship from C5west it is turning out to look really different.
Thanks again
Thanks again
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
Likes: 3,841
From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Originally Posted by name2320
I am hoping to have it done shortly, this will make it even better. I am mixing a C5R kit with a tiger shark rear fascia. Other than extreme poor workmanship from C5west it is turning out to look really different.
Thanks again
Thanks again
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 5,210
Likes: 104
From: Fort Worth TX
St. Jude Donor '06
Father & Son St. Jude Donor '09
Originally Posted by name2320
I am putting on a C5R body kit, from c5west.com. The fiberglass and fitment are really bad so I have to add in some area and fill in some areas. I have sanded through gel coat in some spots and was wondering if I needed to gelcoat it again. Or just smooth it down and paint it.
Who's painting the car? What brand of paint are they/you using? Most lines have a quality epoxy primer that flows very well and sands easily. I used PPG on the 74 and lightly scuffed the epoxy primer and then applied 2 coats of K36. I block sanded the K36 with 800 grit and then painted the base coat clear coat.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
Sounds good
sounds like your 74 turned out great. I haven't taken any pictures of the C5, it looks ruff and wide now, but I will soon bedone. The car M Yellow with black top, so I will go back with that color. I don't know who makes the M Yellow.