RobLo

Talking on another thread about getting doors dinged in parking lots had me wondering, how do our fiberglass Vette's hold up to door dings? I know steel doors are pretty unforgiving, you hit them hard enough (with another door maybe) and they dent or ding up, only option is body filler or paintless dent removal, what about fiberglass? It being softer than steel, will it flex a little and absorb those hits from other car doors, will the fiberglass or paint crack if hit hard enough? Thanks....

C6LS3

Always Red Dave

Same as other cars in my opinion for little dents and dings but for major crashes the fiberglass is alot worse.

QUAKEJAKE

Too much flex in the panel from an impact and the gelcoat will crack.

5W30

Who knows, it's never happened to a corvette. They're always parked a block and a half from the nearest car... or is that just me?

markzeronine

yeah as someone mentioned the paint appears to crack. I unfortunately have one on my car. Looks a lot better than a ding or dent I must admit, though.

2vette2

It seems when I park that far out, someone always comes and parks next to me. The dings and dents seem about the same as a "normal" car.

5W30

I'd bet figergalss has a better chance of hiding one, especially on a dark color. After all, that's what fiberglass panels are if you look close, a mural of small dings and dents.

Biggus Blockus

C6 doors and body panels are SMC (Sheet molded compound) technically not fiberglass.

SMC has the lightweight properties of fiberglass but is much more flexible.

There is no "gelcoat" like the old vettes, the paint is 2 or 3 part polyurethane enamel.

The damage from door dings is usually to the paint, not the panel.

Polar Jet

3 letters... BSM.

johnodrake

Easy to ding. Dent, not so much

Rocketmanwpb

I was hit broadside in my C5 by an elderly driver who was backing in traffic. Lifted the whole car, not a hard hit just a good push. Not one scratch.

Mike's LS3

I guess if hit hard enough crack.

RedVette84

Whenever I had any sort of performance car folks just liked to park next to it no matter how far out I was. Of course for every action there is a equal and opposite reaction.

Marc V.

I don't park in a lot near other cars.

golfbone

I've had 2 C6s and never had a ding. The will get a scratch but they don't seem to dent or ding. They'll crack but not ding. It's much better IMO. It's one of the things I really do like about our Vettes. The poster who earlier commented on the material not being exactly fiberglass but having some of it's properties was right on the money.

C7 BOB

"SMC, or Sheet Molded Compound, panels were produced from 1973 to the current C6 model. SMC panels are created from heated high pressure molds that compress a mixture of fiberglass, resin and catalyst. This new process creates panels that are much smoother than press molded panels, provide tighter tolerances and a superior finish.

It cracks, or it can get a chunk knocked out of it, it doesn't dent, but it does gouge."

AYello1

does it burn?

C7 BOB

Only rubber

scootertrash19