Body Panel Composition?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 1,820
Likes: 411
From: Somewhere in the middle of Kansas
Body Panel Composition?
Does anyone know what the body panels on a C5 are made from? Some type of composite or basically just a plastic? You always hear the term wrap ur azz in fiberglass but I had heard they haven't used actual fiberglass for quite some time.....
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 26,040
Likes: 157
A number of contributors helped drive down the C5's weight, including the use of SMC body panels that had a higher content of plastic than ever before. The material, which is basically the same as used in the C6, was composed of about 40 percent resin--polyester, vinyl ester, styrene, or a blend of all three--33 percent calcium-carbonate filler, 20 percent chopped fiberglass, and the remaining 7 percent resins and hardeners that improve the out-of-mold surface finish.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,473
Likes: 691
From: West Virginia
For maintenance and repair purposes, you treat the panels just like fiberglass - use typical parts store fiberglass mat, resin and hardener for any repairs. SMC panels have the advantage of being easy to volume produce to accurate dimensions using presses - no hand laying up needed.
