Painting a C4

Pwnage1337 · 03-01-2010, 06:34 PM

Hello boys and girls. I have a 1985 Vette that is in need of repainting. My ex-girlfriend's uncle owns a body shop, and said he would spray the car for me for $400 dollars + material. There are a few problems with the car, including:

Stress Marks:http://s275.photobucket.com/albums/j.../2010%20Paint/

There are a few pictures in there showing where the clear coat is peeling, and where there are "stress marks" in the body.

The local body shop said since its fiberglass, you basically take a bit, cut the cracks out and then put filler in it...not exactly up my alley, i've never done body work before besides helping wetsand cars. Does anybody have any tips on this? Pictures?

this is the worst stress mark on the drivers side rear quarter panel.

DUB · 03-01-2010, 08:14 PM

If the clear is popping off of the hood. The hood needs to be stripped or at least remove ALL of the clearcoat.

AS for the stress cracks. I looked and it is hard for me to see the stress cracks. The strange thing that occurs to SMC body panels when they are stressed out and crack. Is that the stress crack damage area is typically larger than the actual crack that is visable. And these stress crack can go deep...and sometimes all the way throught to the other side of the panel. So taking a bit and grooviing out the crack is not something I would do. Grinding the damaged area will tell what is needed to get the SMC back to good parent body material so when it is laminated/repaired...the lamination/repair is on solid body material....and the repair will be solid and not come back and haunt you. Not going deep enough is a mistake that many people make....because they are worried about making the damaged area larger...but if that is what is required...then it is what it is. Nothing is worse than doing a repair a second time...because the repair was not taken far enough the FIRST time. I repair Corvettes that have this problem ( not going far enough) quite often. I just shake my head and wonder what they were thinking.

Depending on your skill level, tools and an area to repair it... and your sense of "feel". I (we) would be more than glad to help you to get it repaired correctly...instead of taking it to a shop that might not care to get it right the first time.

"DUB"

Pwnage1337 · 03-02-2010, 12:24 AM

What is the difference between grinding and grooving out the crack?

is grinding going way deeper?

DUB · 03-02-2010, 07:48 PM

Just grooving out the crack...may not actually get ALL of the stressed SMC out. And when laminating is performed...you would be laminating onto a body surface that is NOT SOLID. Each stress crack is different...and if you grind it almost all the way though the panel....because the SMC is flaking away...and you more than likely will make the crack area wider when removing all of the stressed SMC ...what difference does it make anyway.

The whole idea is to get your repair solid again and NOT come back. Regardless on how large the repair area gets during prep for repair.

"DUB"