Acro74

I have read that before you paint, you should groove out the surface where the body sections come together and remove the factory filler over the seam. Anyone have pics of this process? How far either side of the seam should be tappered? How wide is the V groove? Any info would be great as I am starting body work in the next few weeks on my car.

Hippiehead025

You dont have to get rid of the factory seam..... unles its cracking or peeling off/out. Just take a DA and sand over the seam really good with 40 grit. Take a skim coat of mar-glass to fill the deep sunk in area, and then skim it with evercoat flexible filler. All fiberglass and the glue used to bond it shrinkso ver time. Even the new smc glue 3m has will shrink eventually. It all depends on how much time the panels are exposed to heat, weather conditions, changing of extremes, etc.....

Acro74

THis is one of those areas where I get conflicting information from different people. I have been told and have read more than once that if you do not V groove out the old filler and replace with glass, you will see the bonding line. One guy who has done a few vettes said once you re-expose that strip and paint over it, it WILL shrink and you will see the line and start pulling your hair out for not doing it right.

The car right now is red and has been painted once, looks like it was a cheap over paint job. I do not see any bonding strip lines on the outside. I just dont want to paint it and 6 months later notice shrinkage in this area.

Thanks

blue6t7

Acro,
You don't have to remove it all as hippie said. The only time I've had the seem shrink after painting, is when I had stripped the car chemically. I've been stripping them by sanding (DA) for the last 15 years and have never had a seam shrink since.

Dan

murvette

acro, In the paint world it's very common to get diffrent opinions on how to do something and get the same good end result. This is what I do with seams, prior to priming, grind off the factory filler leaving a 3" flat spot with 24-36 grit . Apply 2 layers matt and resin let it full cure.then grind 36 grit to aprox slightly below the surface. Then skim coat over with evercoat rage filler,then 80 grit sand to form. I guess I dont have the guts to do it another way because this is what has worked for me. ( Just one mans opinion subject to change) , murray

Acro74

Thanks guys After some more reading it does seem this is a problem mostly when a chemical striper has been used. I plan to have the car plastic bead blasted so this should not be an issue it seems.

Guess I will wait and see what she looks like after blasting and then choose to either do it as Murvette or blue6t7 has suggested.

1970 stingray

murvette is exactly right . thats the way to go .