Fiberglass repair to FB rear trim

[SA69mach 39]

I removed the rear seat side trims/moldings, mainly to get the last two bolts out for the seat belts, They look a little worn in some spots, so decided to try a fiberglass repair job.

Some of the top edges were worn clean through.

So, out with the trusty bote cote two part epoxy and some 1 oz cloth

Not pretty, but it works. the anvil is holding down the inside panels, since they had come adrift from the main panel at the top. Some epoxy works to stick that down too.

Second panel repair.

 

I will clean up and see how it worked in about 12 hours. I will have to sand back the damaged portion of the panel, the part you can see, since it is chipped and looks split. With the inner part solid I will mix some filler with the epoxy resin and fill the damaged parts, then sand and shape it. then paint.

[THE EVIL TW1N 12]

I did the same to repair mine. Looked worse than yours, filled in some holes too. After sanding, I used am interior texture spray from a automotive paint store (like $10-$15 a can) before repainting. Looks brand new.

[SA69mach 39]

Thanks, it makes me feel better, haha. (Man yours must have been rough!)

 

I will have to rough out the repair and then paint both panels completely. I have a few cans of acrylic black here now. I did not think about texture spray.

 

I am just hoping for a strong bond. Fiberglass, old paint, it is a recipe for a poor finish. I have a can of Grease and oil remover, and I will be cleaning thoroughly before paint. I will have a close look at the texture on the panel....

[SA69mach 39]

Right, so, the glass has hardened, firm enough to be rough trimmed with a sharp knife. I will sand it later if I feel it is necessary, since this part is not seen when the part is assembled in the car. It looks pretty good and it is functional and strong. Good enough.

 

I mixed some epoxy and added microballs, to make a very stiff mix.

 

Taped up the areas that needed filling, and poured it in to set.

 

I note the grain in these panels is very subtle. I will have to be sure to paint very light coats.

 

I know it is not 'big stuff' on the repair and restoration front, but I really enjoy fixing stuff on the Mach 1. I hate anything not working, or not in optimum condition.

[buening 63]

So how does one reproduce the grain on these repairs? I have a section on the top where it curves back to the sail panels that is scraped.

[SA69mach 39]

So how does one reproduce the grain on these repairs? I have a section on the top where it curves back to the sail panels that is scraped.

 

Not sure with big sections. When using filler for small areas, or shallow scrapes, it is a matter of sanding and smoothing carefully, to avoid sanding out the grain from the surrounding areas. The small repairs do not require 'graining'

 

Stippling your final paint job can produce a 'speckle' effect that blends well into fine grain. Use neat paint on a stiff brush and flick the paint on by running your finger over the brush bristles. Decorators use it for interior design finishes. Maybe some sponge daps would work too. I think you have to experiment.

 

some pics of my panels

 

roughing in with 80 grit

 

120 grit. soflty softly.

 

clean down with Duplicolor Grease and Wax Remover, then some light coats with this

this is the worst of the two

and this is the best

[Rudolph Schenker 14]

Looks good!

[SA69mach 39]

Thanks. 2 hours of my life and a few bucks for materials, and I agree, it looks good. Way better than it was.

 

I don't post this stuff for accolades, I like to think someone will have the same thing on their car and then fix it. One thing always leads to another.

 

When I got my 70 coupe, every time I disassembles something, there were more and more little things (and some big things) to repair or replace. Eventually it was all done.

This 69 Mach 1 was in very nice condition when I got it, but sure enough, once I started disassembling and cleaning, there were plenty of little dumb things to fix and repair. Loose nuts, bolts, screws. Grime, gunk, misaligned panels. Half baked fixes. Stinking steering wheel (haha)

 

I will keep posting my repairs and work as I do them. I have found anything I do has been done before, but there are always the same questions coming up on the forums, and a lot of lurkers. It all helps someone. I got inspired by a lot of other people's posts

[RPM 1,190]

Very nice work. Sure beats the high cost of crappy repops. The damage mine looks identical to yours. I'm about halfway done.

 

Bob

[Guillaume69 150]

Did mine as well, not so long ago. Super happy. Wait until you put them back in and they blend in with rest. Feels like owning a brand new 69!

[SA69mach 39]

Did mine as well, not so long ago. Super happy. Wait until you put them back in and they blend in with rest. Feels like owning a brand new 69!

 

I am just waiting on new seat belts before I put the panels back. I would not have taken them out except I needed access to the seat belt anchor bolts. I am glad I did now. they look better.