JPS

So long story short from another thread, my fan decided to more or less torpedo itself and sent a couple of bits up through my aftermarket, fiberglass tail.

The shop I go to said I'd be better off getting a new one (I'm chatting with Washabi on his), but that seems extreme.

It pushed through the mesh and took out a bit of one of the louvre pieces across the tail. Is it not easily repairable?

morsini

Mine cracked also, and I got the same reply. Hope someone who knows can chime in.

Kika

Fiberglass is actually pretty easy to repair, it is just messy.
I have repaired a number of front air dams on various cars over the years, but mostly repaired a lot of damaged surfboards.

for the Air dams I have done, I have found it best to work from the inside, layering the cloth from that side. (can't do that with a surfboard) It is OK to use plenty of resin, as you can sand it down later. Best to remove the part from the car to work on.


If the resin calls for 12 drops of hardener, I suggest using a drop or two less, as it will give you additional time to work with it before it gets too hard. As you get better at it, you can use the full number of drops.

I highly recommend using latex gloves, get them from most HW or paint stores.

Fiberglass is not complicated, but it is messy, and the fumes can be strong. Use safety goggles and a mask when sanding. Be in a well ventilated area, in the shade, but not someplace windy.

Allow plenty of time for the final product to harden before sanding and finishing.

Parts are available at HW and autopart stores.

The cloth is a real PITA to cut, and it frays easily. I have found it best to NOT cut along the direction of the strands, but diagonally. In any event, you will cover up the ends with resin, so to some degree it doesn't really matter, but I hate having strands sticking out all over.

sorry this isn't very well composed, and is more a smattering of advice vs. a step by step procedure.

Good Luck.

when you are done, Admire your great work and take it to get painted!

And, IF you do mess up, you can always sand it back down and put more resin over it.

JPS

Well, I have NO intention of tackling that myself. The Q is, if the body shop is saying replace the tail, how reasonable of a response that is. Seems extreme.

Kika

I guess I misintpreted the question. I would certainly think that even a decent body shop could repair fiberglass easily.

Yes, I agree, replacement of the entire part seems extreme.

race911

Bottom line is how many hours will they charge you, at what rate? That's where you get into the bodyshop conundrum............ (Kinda why the yellow car sits, 1.5 years later.)

For Kika or me, etc., we just do it. Part labor of love, part because we can. (In my case, think I can.) If the bodyshop wants you to get another one, figure you can sell yours for a few bucks, and ultimately you'll be out maybe $2-300 more by starting with a clean sheet. And the bodyshop will breathe a sigh of relief that you won't get weird about it not coming out right.

JPS

^^Sort of what I've been thinking about. But then I also have to factor in that since my tail is aftermarket, and they had worked in a third brake light, I now have to work in that cost. Not even sure how easy it is to retro the top of window third brake light...

Costs are rising, but yes, would likely be cleaner...

pp000830

My experience is that not only is fiberglass easy to repair, the repair can be as strong or stronger than the original part. My father would fix hull damage in his boat racing days and use plastic wrap to form the surface of the epoxy resin repair to the profile of the hull. Made great fiberglass repairs with minimal work to finish up. Most auto body shops do not rework fiberglass because lack experience as most just part change-out and spray. I would take the tail or have your body shop sublet to a shop that fixes fiberglass such as a boat repair facility. Have the boat guys fix the tail and then take it to you body shop to prep/paint and install. Or better yet have him remove the tail take it home and fix it yourself on the kitchen table with a fiberglass kit from a boat supply house and return it to him to finish the job.
Andy

Andy

Kika

While most RLers garages look like auto repair places, mine looks more like a surfboard repair shop. I am passing on to my son, this is a board that he is currently repairing after he snapped it, ditto with the white board on the ground. SUP is inflatable, so it is basically INDESTRUCTABLE!!

race911

^^^^ Thing I've always run into on cars, though, is that your standard always seems to be what needs to make it a concours winner. And I get frustrated. (Wasted too much time fixing customer faux slope nose fiberglass front spoilers in the '90s, when it would have been easier to just have another shipped.)