[baxsom]

I really need a paint job. Car is a good 5 footer but I know the cracks are there. Got a few hairline cracks around the fenders, doors, standard crack areas. Are those parts done and need to be replaced or can they be repaired and repainted?

 

[downunder]

pics would help but I would say it would be easy to repair,not really uncommon.

 

[6880 Mike]

A lot of what you're seeing is the old, original paint. Your body panels might be in good shape. You won't actually know until the paint is off.

Fiberglass is relatively easy to repair when needed.

:thumbsup:

 

[baxsom]

my biggest concern is around the door skins, there is some chipping along the top around the door handle. id love to pull the body and replace all the fiberglass at once but i am afraid of everything i would find once it is off.

 

[D_B]

my biggest concern is around the door skins, there is some chipping along the top around the door handle. id love to pull the body and replace all the fiberglass at once but i am afraid of everything i would find once it is off.

That chipping around the door handles is fairly common.

You're looking at a fairly standard strip, repair, and paint procedure.

Heat and razor blades will get your old paint off.

Block sand smooth. Repair any damage you find under the paint, if any, and sand smooth again.

Then, if you're up to it, paint it yourself. If not, take it to a shop for final prep and paint.

Doing the above labor yourself will save you thousands in overall cost.

It also helps to remove and re-install all your own trim.

 

[6880 Mike]

Why go to the time, effort, and expense of replacing fiberglass if you don't have to?

:thumbsup:

 

[baxsom]

Why go to the time, effort, and expense of replacing fiberglass if you don't have to?

:thumbsup:

mechanical stuff...no problem. engines, brakes, you know wrench turning I can do. Bodywork. Im an idiot. A MAACO job would look better than the last time I tried to work with fiberglass. A lot of other things left to do first. When it is time for paint I can at least take all of the hardware off. Not to mention I have a 68 Mustang that needs paint worse than the vette. Decisions decisions decisions.

 

[6880 Mike]

Buy a copule of the Corvette fiberglass repair books and read through them. When you feel confident with your book knowledge, start with a small fiberglass repair and give it a try.

:thumbsup:

 

[Eastwood Company]

Buy a copule of the Corvette fiberglass repair books and read through them. When you feel confident with your book knowledge, start with a small fiberglass repair and give it a try.

:thumbsup:

I can't agree more with this. A lot of times it is the lack of research/reading before starting a project that can lead to less-than-stellar results. I'd suggest to do some searches on Google for what you are trying to do, and I can bet you will find some articles on the web about how to do similar repairs. Once you have digested as much information as possible, give it a go.

Don't be afraid to mess up a little, bodywork definitely is an art that takes some practice to get really good at.. but most anyone with some mechanical knowledge and patience can be proficient enough to make things look good. Worst case, you sand off what you did, and start over, making sure you don't make the same errors the 2nd time around.

Lets see some pictures of the cracks and damage, and I bet a everyone here could give you some insight on how to tackle it.

Hope that helps!

-Matt/EW