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Any Fiberglass Finishing Guru's out there?

Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 5:14 pm
by david58
I need some help here guys, this fiberglass one piece front end in kicking my butt. I have it sanded down to where I need to use a filler. As sturdy as this front end is it still has a bunch of flex to it. I have tried several times to feather the mat down and it is just like banging my head on a wall. I end back where I started, all I am doing is sanding off everything I just put on.
I talked to a friend that has a body shop and he says I need to use a flexible bondo, he said they even use bondo on rubber bumpers these days. I wrote down some of the info he gave me but forgot it at the shop when I left. Any help will be a great help.
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Re: Any Fiberglass Finishing Guru's out there?

Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 7:35 am
by turbobaja
I used some stuff called Poly-Flex on some of the fiberglass parts that needed filler. The guys at the local Wesco paint supply shop reccomended it specifically for use on fiberglass or in areas that need to flex some. Kinda spendy @ ~$30/pint, but really nice stuff to work with. I've come to the conclusion that all the fiberglass parts on my baja are going to be less than 'perfect' as far as finish goes. It would just take too much filler ( and work) to get them 'straight'. I've found that a couple coats of a quality hi-build sealer/primer followed by some carefull block sanding can yield a pretty smooth surface: good enough for a baja :D .

Re: Any Fiberglass Finishing Guru's out there?

Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 1:01 pm
by david58
Thanks Karl I ended up getting a gallon of Evercoat Z-Grip for $17.25. It is a flexible bondo and lite weight. Much easier to work with than fiberglass.

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Re: Any Fiberglass Finishing Guru's out there?

Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 7:09 pm
by craigvwdude
No getting around it,, fiberglass just plain sucks! :lol:
Just about any body filler these days is flexible. The trick is not to get it too thick.
One of the problems with fiberglass is that no matter how many time you block it to get it strait, the next day it will be wavey. No getting around it. Fiberglass just moves around.
Just bondo it like anything else.
As for primer, you want to use a polyester primer. It actually uses fiberglass resin as a hardner. And the best thing about a polyester primer is that it doesn't shrink. It's the only primer that doesn't. All urethane, laquer, ect, primers will shrink.
And it filles like crazy! A bodymans best friend! :mrgreen:

Craig

Re: Any Fiberglass Finishing Guru's out there?

Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 1:55 pm
by volksman1066
does anyone have any suggestions about spyder cracks???? i have them bad on a dune buggy project im doing

Re: Any Fiberglass Finishing Guru's out there?

Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 1:57 pm
by Steve Arndt
That Z grip works great. I have a gallon of it on my baja.... (okay, not quite a whole gallon).

Re: Any Fiberglass Finishing Guru's out there?

Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 11:21 am
by craigvwdude
Voksman, you'll have to grind out the spyder cracks and glass over them.

Re: Any Fiberglass Finishing Guru's out there?

Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2015 5:50 pm
by supa74
i use that zgrip on nearly everything. that stuff works good. i use it for a milkshake also, = mix it in with fiberglass resin. :D