Fibreglass repair - how do I tell if it's been done well?

[willdew]

I'm looking at a Griff that's had it's front wing repaired this weekend. I'm a novice at fibreglass - how do I tell if the repair was done well or not?

[B17NNS]

there is no rust

[scruffy]

You don't want it too good - it'll be better than the original

[Ballistic Banana]

I Think and stand to be corrected that with the Front Wing there is normally a Join dead center above the wheel arch going all away around. So for starters I would look there and see if it is visible look allaround mind trying to catch the light at different angles and see if you can see and blemish,crazing, etc. Check under the Arch aswell and basically see if its also a smooth.
Looking from the front on, do both sides look the symetricle (sp?) looking from the window down the nose as going from ground up it could be how the car is sitting.
Thats the kinda things i would be looking for.

BB

[willdew]

Ballistic Banana said:

I Think and stand to be corrected that with the Front Wing there is normally a Join dead center above the wheel arch going all away around. So for starters I would look there and see if it is visible look allaround mind trying to catch the light at different angles and see if you can see and blemish,crazing, etc. Check under the Arch aswell and basically see if its also a smooth. Looking from the front on, do both sides look the symetricle (sp?) looking from the window down the nose as going from ground up it could be how the car is sitting. Thats the kinda things i would be looking for. BB

I think it had it's front wing "removed", as it's a cat-d right-off. With metal pannels, if it looks good, isn't full of filler, is fitted well with the right pannel gaps and the gauge metal used is the same as original, I'd say it's good as new.

When fibreglass is repaired, other than the body being the right shape, it being symetrical and not being able to see where the repair starts and finishes, is there a difference between one that was done well and one that's done badly? What should I be looking for as tell-tale signs to distinguish between the two?

[350matt]

The biggest issue is that new fibreglass needs time to 'cure' otherwise you'll get tiny little microblisters appearing in the paint in 6 months time

Matt

[JR]

willdew said:

When fibreglass is repaired, other than the body being the right shape, it being symetrical and not being able to see where the repair starts and finishes, is there a difference between one that was done well and one that's done badly? What should I be looking for as tell-tale signs to distinguish between the two?

Basically you can't tell because a bodged job where the fibreglass has not been smoothed down to spread out the load and joint bonding will look the same as a good job after painting - initially. A bodged job with a lot of filler will look the same for a while until it starts to flex.

[chimi500]

When i rear ended the chim and got it repaired it was fine for about 2 months, then the fiberglass where the new met the old started to sink and that was a main dealer repair job too.

[JR]

chimi500 said:

When i rear ended the chim and got it repaired it was fine for about 2 months, then the fiberglass where the new met the old started to sink and that was a main dealer repair job too.

Bad luck. A good fibre glass repair is just as strong as the original; or at least Miles Wilkins claims. How on earth you can tell whether it's been done correctly without watching them do the job I don't know.

[tvrolet]

What's all this with symetrical . Have you measured a TVR? For example, there's maybe a 1/2 inch difference in the rear wheelarches of cerbs left and right. Have a look in front of the rear wheel left and right side the next time you see one. And I spent ages measuring up a spoiler using the rear lights as guides and it didn't look right. I then found the lights weren't actually equal! Although TVRs look 'right', on closer inspection you'll find that're not exactly equal left and right. Same holds true for Morgans I gather, where equal panel gaps between the wings and bonnet are a sure sign of a repair!

[valhalla]

that're not exactly equal left and right. Same holds true for Morgans I gather, where equal panel gaps between the wings and bonnet are a sure sign of a repair![/quote]
Couldn't agree with you more on that one, Just try looking at the roof on a T350c, Its got a hump one side, the rear side windows are 20mm longer one side to the other, Shall i go on??
Dave

>> Edited by valhalla on Friday 24th March 17:24

[JR]

valhalla said:

tvrolet said: that're not exactly equal left and right. Same holds true for Morgans I gather, where equal panel gaps between the wings and bonnet are a sure sign of a repair! Couldn't agree with you more on that one, Just try looking at the roof on a T350c, Its got a hump one side, the rear side windows are 20mm longer one side to the other, Shall i go on?? Dave

Good point. I forget to mention that one. Can be up to 2" out of symmetry. Quaint. J

[Ballistic Banana]

I know what you all mean, But where I am coming from is that If one side has been repaired badly looking from the front you may be able to see one wing hanging lower than the other? is that likely to have happened at the Bodyshop?

BB

[JR]

Ballistic Banana said:

I know what you all mean, But where I am coming from is that If one side has been repaired badly looking from the front you may be able to see one wing hanging lower than the other? is that likely to have happened at the Bodyshop?

I've read your other posting as well and follow what you say but the trouble is it can look sym (or nearly) and absolutely perfect but you can't tell if it's a good job that will last or whether they've thrown in a lot of filler as chimi500 found out.

[pistolar]

A. Look at the car thoroughly in daylight.
B. Check inside the wheel arch and all the hard to work on areas (bodgers often take short cuts on what you cannot see)
C. Find out who did the repair? reputable? guarantee?
D. How long ago was the repair done and how many miles ago? There is no substitute for time/miles for the cracks to appear.
E. What is your gut instinct about the seller? trustworthy? honest?