fiberglass repairs?

[funnyguy]

One of my roommates who's really interested in my 914 made a neat suggestion. For like the non-load rust repairs, like the floor board, use fiberglass. He has built model airplanes from scratch for a number of years, and is going to show me how to fiberglass it. I have a baseball sized hole in the drivers side, about 6 inches up from the seat all the way back.

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Mike Brancato
AIM: funnyguy00
ICQ: 9348858

'76 914 2.0 rust machine

[DDS]

Hi Mike:
My .02.
I've done lots of glass work too (usually structural even) on various boats and if your goal is a permanent repair, weld it. Since its the floor, absolute perfection isn't that essential.

Welding will actually take less time than decent 'glass work with proper prep - especially on the flat floor. If you prep the parts and make the patch itself, a welder could install it very quickly. Bad glass work takes longer 'cuz it will soon fall out.

If you do go 'glass, here's a trick:
Cut cloth and mat into the appropriate size for your patch and get a clean sheet of plate glass ready. Laminate alternating layers of cloth and mat on the glass, and use the appropriate roller to squeeze out excess resin. Once you've got enough layers, pick the thing up with a spatula or putty knife and place it over the hole, and use a cheap stiff brush to work the edges down flat and eliminate any bubbles and such. You did ensure that the areas where the glass is expected to adhere are surgically clean right?
You can keep the patch from sagging if you brace the opposite side of the hole with a flat piece of wood covered with a waxed-paper release liner.


Good luck.



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-- Dave
Pics of my '73 project here: http://members.tripod.com/mike4g/dds73_b4pics.htm