69Roadster

Know what I'm talking about? Where do they come from and how do you get rid of them?

ZD75blue

i cant remember what the reason for them is, but i do know that on clear coated cars it shows up more or less, i cant remember which one

:eek: i hate my memory

ZD :confused:

1980 razz

i think it has to do with the fiberglass flexing alot more than steel bodied cars..when i did my own prep work i was told i had to sand them till all gone or they would return through new paint.. :U

69Roadster

1980 razz, ya I have seen my share of fiberglass cracks but I am talking about something else. You know when the sun is on the car is looks like the paint is covered in spiderwebs. There is no damage and in the right light you can't see them but in bright light when the car is clean look out :eek:. I see them on all kinds of cars. Seems the dark colors just get that way after a few years. There has to be a fix.

yellow 72

They are acually scratches and they show big time in black and dark paint.
The best product on the market for this is "3M Swirl Mark Remover for dark colored paints, part #39009."
I've sprayed a lot of black and this stuff works :smash:
The latest is my other 2 seat American "sports car".
Can I say that here :confused: :lol: By the way a lot of old timers in the paint game say you can buff with ordinary corn starch to polish them out
:yesnod:


[Modified by yellow 72, 10:39 PM 11/16/2001]

1980 razz

i had the same spiderwebs all over my vette pre-paint (especally on the hood and rear bumper),and u are absolutally right it occurs on other makes of cars too..like i said these are stress marks that occur over time..they are just more prone to happen to vettes due to the flexable fiberglass body..how old is ur paint? the hot sun may cause this to happen more also because i notice this on alot of cars here in hawaii in the hot sun..try a rubbing compond or 2000+ wet dry but if that doesnt get them out im sorry to say u may have to due what i did last month :( new paint job :cry
with or without the webbing u got urself a beutifull 69 my favorite year and next vette (very jealous) :p:

Steve Straus

I know exactly what you're talking about. It usually comes from the technique of washing and waxing the car. The Mr. Miyagi "Wax on - Wax off" routine is great for putting swirl marks in your paint. It almost gives it a holographic effect if you look at it in the right light. You can fix it by Zaino'ing your car with the appropriate steps, being sure to use the swirl remover. You can prevent it from happening again, by only making motions front to back when washing or waxing the car on the hood, roof and rear deck. On the sides of the car only move up and down. Moving a rag in swirling motions is what causes that on dark cars. My dad has a DBGM '01 coupe and he's been washing and zainoing it with the method I described above and has not had those swirls show up.

yogi78

Those swirls are just scratched into the wax if your car has a good wax job on it. The best stuff that I have found to work on Dark cars is Meguires Deep Crystal step 2-Polish followed by step 3-Wax. You will not be disappointed with the results. The car will have Zero swirls when you are done. Plus the polish deepens the dark color and gives it the wet look. The wax has no abrasives in it so it is easy on the paint and it lasts a long time. If you dont have any oxidation in the paint skip step 1-Cleaner because it is not necessary. I have not found any other wax that even comes close to the depth of shine I get from this system. You can find this stuff at AutoZone.

mark79,80

Swirl marks and spider webs are not the same thing. The swirl marks can
be removed by buffing with a mild polishing compound using a foam pad
on a buffer. The spider webs go all the way thru the paint and can only
be removed if the paint is removed to the bare surface. Then completely
refinish the panel or bumper.

bl75vette

My 75 had the spider webs also. I have in the body shop where he stripped it down to the bare fiberglass. Guess what, they were still there. He had to lightly sand the body down to remove these before he starts his prep for the paint job.

Rockn-Roll

It appears that we are talking about two different things. One "spider web" is cracks caused by fiberglass flex, and the other is scratches caused by a buffer. You can tell the difference by when you can see the scratches. If you are in the shade and looking straight down on the surface then you will only see the "spider web" if it's cracks, but if the only time you can see the "spider web" is from looking at it from an angle, and it's more pronounced in the sunlight then it's probably just scratches.

Fiberglass flexing will cause cracks in the paint and clear coat...the only way to fix this "spider web" is by removing all the clear coat and paint then repainting...sometimes the fiberglass is cracked in which case the fiberglass should be replaced cause the new paint and clear coat will crack in less than a year due to weak structure in the fiberglass...a total waiste of money for the paint job.

Buffer scratches will score the surface of the clear coat. The only way to fix this "spider web" is to use abrasives to take off some of the top layer of clear coat, then apply new wax.

yellow 72

Nicely put, Rockn-Roll :yesnod:

Nomad78SA

When the word spiderweb in the paint comes up, this is what I have and see. Before I stripped the car it showed in the paint job too. If something hit underneath in the fenderwell, I cannot see a mark there. My question is, do I continue to sand the spot until it is gone and then fill it. If you rub your finger on it you cannot feel any ridges. This is on a 78 vette.
Neil in Tenn

vert2go89

those spider cracks are not maxing swirls but paint shrinking cracks in paint and they need to be taken down to at least the primer and then repainted.I've tried painting over the cracked paint and it shows right back up.So yes u need strip old paint off.I am in process of stripping my complete body down to the bone.it's about 80 % done now.Yeah it's a job, but in order to have new paint job look good and last then it's has to be done.couldn't stand going to vette gatherings and have dull paint job sitting next to the shiny vettes.
wave on ! \ ////

Wrencher

I think Yellow72 has it. 69 roadster's talking about scratches, not cracks. Say Yellow, is that Fiero an '88? I always kick myself for not buying one of those GT's brand new. They had a red one at the local dealer that was priced way high. It figures, right when they gave it it's own rear suspension that worked (as opposed to the X-body stuff), they cancel the car. That makes 2 good ones in the same year (remember the Buick GN-X?) that the General killed! No wonder their getting their A** kicked.

Hans

84fieroburton

love that GT :cheers: :cool:

vettfixr

Neil
I've had the same problem with my 74. What you see on the top of the fenders is due to rocks being thrown up under the wheel well. The way I fixed the problem was to get a thick rubber pad (like an indoor outdoor kitchen mat. Cut it to fit the space in the wheel well that is the underside of the fender between the forward and rear wheel well. Glue it in place with liquid nails and spray the wheel well with rubberized undercoating. This will prevent further damage. To fix the crack you should sand a bowl shape covering the damage and fill it with fiberglass mat. Sand it smooth and prime it and you should have no further trouble. Hope this helps. :seeya

Nomad78SA

Thanks vettfixr,
I kinda figured I would have to sand it out and fill it. I will be getting back to finish stripping the vette here in the next few weeks and take care of that and a crack I have underneath at the rear body mount. I am hooking up all the transmission lines and torque converter so I can pressure test the 700R4 while the body is off.
Neil in Tenn

yellow 72

Wrencher, yep it's a '88. Really a fun car to drive.
I'm tryin' to sell it now (another money losing project :rolleyes: )
To prevent the stars on the fender tops. I srayed 5-6 coats of a rubberized undercoating under mine :yesnod: