FibreGlass Advice Needed

M

I have a KVA bodoed car (I think) which is moulded to suit the old type 'Triumph Herald/Spitfire' over centre catches. These are unreliable and I wish to fill in these apertures and fit an alternative set of external catches. What is the correct method for doing this ? Should I use fibreglass matt and resin at the back and then use the premixed paste with the fibre in it to fill the hole flush from the outside ? Should I grind the surfaces to ensure good adhesion and what should I use as a finisher ? Is standard cataloy acceptable ? As you can tell........I am a bit of a fibreglass virgin !

Are there any decent books that you would recommend on car body work or working in GRP ? I don't want to complete the job and then find that it all starts cracking and falling apart in two months time.

Thanks guys.
 
delaneyp

Peter Delaney

GT40s Supporter
Mark, I would grind back the edges of the hole to be filled to about 30deg from the existing surface. Then provide a support at the back of the hole with masking tape & run chopped strand mat across the hole (many layers, each slightly larger than the previous one) until you have built the whole patch surface up above the surrounding surface. After you have ground this back, I would use a mix of polyester resin & "micro-balloons" (available from yacht chandlers as a glue/filler additive) to fill any holes / recesses. This stuff is heaps stronger than the normal body-filler (although a little harder to sand back), but will never crack.

Let me know if I can be of any further help.

Peter D.
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G

Guest

Guest
On the GTD boby there is a metal plate in the fibre glass in this area so that the bolts are holding onto more than just plastic. Suggest that whatever you do, include metal to beef it up. Dzus make a whole range of catches. If you found your style of catch made by Dzus but also found it made for a non automotive use, say a weather station cover(!), then an approach to Dzus direct may save you some money over their contracted automotive outlets! Dzus are based in Farnham Surrey UK.
 
J

Jim Rosenthal

Supporter
Here is a suggestion for fiberglass panel repair: find a boating store and buy a copy of the Gougeon Brothers manual on fiberglass repair. They make West System epoxy products which are the industry standard for lightweight, high-strength laminates and repairs. Their stuff is very high quality, their manuals are terrific, and they sell anything you would need. Any BoatUS or West Marine store will have their products. They are not expensive and keep indefinitely; very highly recommended, and used a lot in the boating, building and aircraft industries. The manuals show you how to fix things right the first time, so it will stay fixed and not break up under load. Good luck.
 
G

Guest

Guest
I just started playing with fiberglass and resins. Epoxy resins were recommended to me for repairing fiberglass, it has better adhesion qualities than polyester. The epoxy resin was much easier to work with. Polyester resin also has a very strong smell. This sight www.fiberglast.com is a great sight and offers video tapes and technical help. Good luck
 
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