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Registered
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 555
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Simple fiberglass questions
Hi folks,
I have a dual-out exhaust for my 964, which means that I need to fit a dual-out bumper cover. This FVD fiberglass piece just arrived and I'm looking at my first fiberglass bodywork project. I repainted an entire car, base/clear, about a decade ago which turned out very nice, so I have at least a little experience shooting paint. I looked through some of the fiberglass threads here and didn't see any obvious answers to my very basic questions. The FVD piece fits very nicely and other than a little sanding to straighten the edge, it doesn't seem to need any extra work. Note that it is just sitting next to the center bumper in the photo and not bolted up, so the lines are a little off. After a little reading, the process sounds something like: 1. Scuff the gel coat with 400(?) grit 2. Light primer coat as a guide coat 3. Sand with 400 to check for any uneven spots 4. The usual base/clear/wet sand/buff Seems pretty straightforward? Since this whole piece is curved, is it usual to sand with a soft block/sponge? What should I do with the rough backside? I have a thick foil heat shield that will contour to the back, is it enough to use that without any other work? Also, there is a pinstripe depression line along the bumper, any tips on how to evenly sand such a space? Wrap the paper around a pencil? Appreciate any tips, thanks!  
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02-26-2017, 06:27 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 555
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Rare day that I could spend in the garage. Clamped the panel in place, marked and drilled the mounting holes, and sanded the gloss off with 400 dry paper. I'm happy with the fit right out of the box. The exhaust I'm using has a dual-out center muffler and a secondary muffler that is only on the right side tailpipe. The left side tailpipe runs capped/uncapped through a vacuum valve. Stock sound for a pleasant drive, or open the left side pipe for a little more power for autocross events.
I'm still curious what folks do on the rough inside part of the glass. I assume that is won't be water absorbent if I leave the inside raw?  
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02-26-2017, 01:47 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 555
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Well I got lazy and dropped the piece off at a local reputable German/Italian body shop. They're going to clean up some of the edges where there are pin holes, primer, then paint it using the original 700-9-2 schwarz/black paint code.
I did find this handy fiberglass memo- http://mashaw.biz/instructional/FRP_Techbook.pdf
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1991 964 C4 Cabriolet - drop-top pylon destroyer |
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03-02-2017, 10:46 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 8,910
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Saw your post before nickd. I was waiting for someone with more FG experience to chime in on painting. Looks good, post pics when you get it back.
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03-02-2017, 03:18 PM
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I would advise mounting the piece to the car and letting it cure for at least several months before you paint it, unless you know what the manufacturing date was. All fiberglass will move, and develop small voids and defects. It is best to let this happen before you paint, otherwise you will end up with defects that Telegraph thru your new paint
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1969 911TR lightweight, 1850 lb. 245 HP 2.7 short stroke 1973 1/2 911T S optioned sunroof coupe (in progress) 1998 993 Carrera Cabriolet PSS10 lowered E88 cup wheels 1999 996 Carrera Cabriolet |
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01-10-2018, 10:49 AM
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RGOFAST
