Technical Glass Frontend Rescue Thread

Came off a drag car long ago. I did a thread on the Thunderbolt and attached so-so. Now would like to get it in primer. Need any suggestion on steps to take and will start with a wash. Obviously, I’m no pro and appreciate getting this moving forward.

 

Rock on ​

 

Probably should check with the Corvette forums.

 

First scrub hard with a bleach and dishwash soap combo to remove the mold and any grease.

 

Im no pro, Id scrub it good. give it a sanding with some 80 grit, repair any cracks visible, then douse it with a few coats of tamco 5310 primer, block it down, apply putty as needed to the millions of pinholes its bound to have, and repeat until satisfied.

thats the method ive been using on my fiberglass t body

 

Check it out good for spider cracks before you prime it,primer wont fill them.wet it down with a good grease remover solvent,that makes them show up better,that way you can fix them before you prime, Harvey

 

Why not just spray it with gel coat.
https://www.fibreglast.com/product/Gel-Coat-Application-Guide/Learning_Center

Scrub it, sand it, gel coat it. Hell, do both sides.

 

^^^^

 

^^^My thought.

 

So pressure washing took care of all the dirt. The weakest part is the fenders, eapecially the lower portions that I patched from the inside but recracked. How is this for a plan? Remove the paint around the area, lay fg mat down about 4”(?) above and below, brush on gel coat (resin and hardener).

 

If you feel bumps , like measles, those are gas pockets , if you don't grind and fill , they'll come back to haunt you ...

 

The Willy's in my Avatar has a glass, tilt front end. To give it strength and keep it strong I bent & glued 1/2" copper tubing all the way around the perimeter, inside wheel wheels, etc. After that we glassed over the copper tubing, sanded and contoured the inside lip & painted. It's very strong and now when you run your fingers underneath the wheel opening lip it feels like a steel front end the best it can, plus gives it that finished look when open...……………….

 

View attachment 4706389 So pressure washing took care of all the dirt. The weakest part is the fenders, eapecially the lower portions that I patched from the inside. How is this for a plan? Remove the paint around the area, lay fg mat down about 4”(?) above and below, brush on gel coat (resin and hardener).
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The copper tube is a good idea.
Ive glassed aluminum strip and angle in to strengthen or provide mounting surfaces. Also used square pvc to convert lift off hoods to bolt on hoods.

ol55, lay some aluminum strip from your mounting point on bottom fenders, up into the rest of the panel, run your dzus or tie down bolt thru the aluminum strip. Glass over it and any weak areas fron the inside. Read up on gelcoat, buy some with an inexpensive primer gun with a large enough tip for gelcoat and spray the whole exterior. Itll flow out and be a great surface to scuff and prime.

 

Thanks guys for the info. I have a teardrop glass frontend I want to rescue for my Henry J.

 

When I built my ‘glass T roadster I found some epoxy adhesive at West Marine that I used to bond wood and metal parts to the inside of the body, it was easy to use and bullet proof. It was much stronger than just ‘glass and resin for repairs and additions. Especially where hinges or latches are needed.


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Epoxy resin should always be used. Polyester resin absorbs moisture whereas epoxy resin does not. I use the West System and you can get it at marine supply stores. Here is a link:


https://www.westsystem.com/

 

@ol55 simply brushing catlayzed resin on wont do you any good. its a brittle finish, and its not friendly to sand or prep to paint

 

Wherever you make fiberglass repairs you must then cover with gelcoat. Don't paint over raw fiberglass. Gearhead is correct about not using just resin without cloth or mat. The resin is just a binder to wrap and solidify the glass fibres to shape. Finally, from my experience building and repairing fiberglass boats, it is best not to use fiberglass over wood or metal. Eventually your repair will crack. The best way to reinforce is to purchase some urefoam ( like styrofoam but won't dissolve in resin). Cut the foam into long thin shapes and glue them in place with resin. When dry, fiberglass over them to get the reinforcing shape in fiberglass only. The foam is just to make the shape. It is easy to do and you can make any shape you need and it will be strong and it will only be made of one material, fiberglass.

 

I crashed my old Gasser and broke the front end in about 8 pieces. I contacted a friend who repairs semi trucks. I took the front end to him and we glued it back together using strips of aluminum riveted to the glass. Then on the inside laid mat and resin to hold everything.
Once it was back together he sprayed gel coat over the outside after we drilled the rivets out so we wouldn't have bumps in the glass those were filled and then the gel coat went on.
It was still going strong after 3 seasons of drag racing and wheelstands on every pass.

 

Nice car.

 

Thanks. would like too find it again. Traded it off during a divorce and would like to have it back. Went to Wisconsin and I have never heard about it again . It is a Plymouth coupe with a Willys nose.

 

Yeah yeah yeah, it all about doing it yourself with some people. 'Glass racing parts were not supposed to last and when they get to that stage they can be junk. At this point one must weigh in the time AND cost involved in the refurbishing and the chance of coming back later verses the cost of new (still available) $745 Do the math before you proceed

 

Valid point ,glass & resin , like paint is very expensive ..!

 

Well said . Just pick up the phone and dial up 1-800 -hot rod and whip out the plastic.
Some times some of us have more time than money and really like to expand their abilities by actually fixing something.
I spent 3 days of my time and about $ 200.00 and learned something that is worth way more than $ 745.00 will ever be worth. Plus I used my govt supplied vacation time so I even got paid to learn.

 

Just getting ready to sand. I didn’t chop the ‘55 and add suicide doors, I am using my GMC short bed to hold it. Assume all the paint should come off and I can leave it that way until I gelcoat it, right? Appreciate all the comments.

 

Yep, I'd 80 it all off clean. No sense in risking issues from old paint and your new coat reacting. It doesnt take that much longer to sand it all good the 1st time, vs redoing it all the 2nd time

 

Some people value their time, others dont, Im one of those that do even on their own projects. And being in the racecar restoration business many of time have run across old glass pieces in need of a great amount of help and pieces that someone "who does not value their time has worked on it themselves to gain an education" bring to me for help because they were in over their head or did not realise it was too far gone and the 50yr old resin was breaking down, My whole intent was for the OP to do the numbers based on self repair cost of material and time/labor verses what a new scuff and shoot front end would cost( and I researched that figure). that would give you another 15+ years of service life because of the newer materials (better resins and cloth)used;
With out seeing the part in question, I can only reply on a worst case senerio , and up to the owner to make an informed desession

 

Be careful going too aggressive while removing the old paint, or you'll end up causing yourself even more work later. And if you strip the paint, be sure to keep the fiberglass frontend inside out of the weather as it can wick moisture, and cause headaches later also!
I prefer stripping with 4.5" paint remover pads. They look like sponge or coral, and will remove paint quickly. Don't push them too hard either, or they too can gouge the glass.
I got a one piece glass frontend with my '39 Chevy coupe a year ago, and it was a very heavy street weight piece, with lots of structure inside. But even it was warped from decades of sitting off the car and unsupported. Fiberglass on street cars need lots of support, and that can be metal if you use body panel adhesive to bond the metal first, and then glass over it.
Cracks should be secured with sheet metal on the surface, and then glass mat or cloth on the back side. Then remove the metal, and grind the cracks open before filling them with a strong fiberglass filler like Duraglass, and then smooth it all and gel coat it.

 

Glass nose with 44 years of street use. I made the mold from the original nose. Big learning curve to make the mold to incorporate all lips, radius's and reverses with many bolt together pieces and run offs. Hell of a learning curve. I had a boat shop Gel coat and lay the mold up as they had a chopper gun for 1st and 4th layer and they figured strength requirements. I popped it out of the mold and conjured up all the bracing and mounting, pivot and actuator mounting. Took about 7 months in 1973. One repaint in '87. Made the grill in '2011. Knock on wood. Mold is hanging in the upper garage.