G1 Fiberglass Body Work

[Kapnkrunch]

Considering doing some fiberglass body work on my G1. Wondering if you folks could tell me how much effort it would be? Not looking to spend a ton of time and have never done any fiberglass work before.

The pics below are the problem spots. Mainly the two corners of the body where it meets the floorboard. It looks like a previous owner did repairs and changed the paint color.

I think the damage has happened because the hood gets shut too quickly and it hits the body on the corner. Thought about reinforcing those corners if I do fix the glass.

[slonomo]

Once you get it all sanded down you'll be able to see what kind of cracks you're dealing with. The upside is that fiberglass is very strong and can be repaired fairly inexpensively and without a lot of skill. The downside....it's messy and time consuming. Getting it all taken apart is a chore as well. But, if you have the time and patience, it can be repaired. I say go for it.

[cgtech]

Unfortunately, there is no "quick & easy" in fiberglass repair that I know of. It all takes time & effort. Just like a paint job, the quality of the results are directly linked to time & effort put in, more so than mastering difficult skills. Like said above, it's not super difficult tho.

[Lochlin]

Yeah, those front corners are problem spots on just about all old carts. Yours actually aren't nearly as bad as my G1 was.

I think you best bet is to get some fiberglass cloth / resin from a parts shop or Walmart or something. It's very common and not expensive. Stick the cloth / resin all over the back of your "wounds" and let things set up. Once that's done some sanding / bondo / sanding on the front will have things looking good again.

[smallblock450sl]

I've done a little fiberglass work and all the poster's were correct. Looks like someone got in there before you and didn't do a very good job. Get rid of all the "bad" stuff, and give the inside a nice "tooth" for the fiberglass to adhear to. The outside is the cosmetic side, bondo and sanding for paint. Good luck...it's on the messy side and can be itchy to some people.

[gray horse]

[I've done quite a bit of fiberglass work and all the above posters are right, not difficult just time consuming. I would just add on the outside use a bondo that has fiberglass in it. You use it the same as the plain but hold up better.
Good luck.

[Kapnkrunch]

Thanks for all the tips everyone...I’ll update this post if I ever get to fixing the body

[slonomo]

Rough it up with 40 grit, it gives the glass resin lots of jagged surface to adhere to. I find it gives a better finish than 24 grit and still grips alot.

Also, use a high quality fiberglass resin and mat. I'm not a big fan of "Bondo" brand. I've always used marine grade stuff like Sea Hawk. If you have giant holes you can reinforce them with metal strips then remove the screws when the fiberglass cures.

For the filler and icing on top, I like USC brands, Duraglass and Icing.

Flip the body over, build up and repair the underside first. Clean rough surfaces. Overlap and reinforce the fiberglass mat, short strips in alternating directions, one layer at a time.

Once the underside is secure, flip it over and add as little filler as you need to on the finished side.

It's time consuming, but you'll be able to repair it.

[Kapnkrunch]

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[Kapnkrunch]

Originally Posted by Kapnkrunch

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Going to start the project this weekend. Got my resin and glass mat and some flappy discs.

Should I sand and finish the backside and then start doing the filler on the outside or sand both down at the same time? Also, should I drill holes at the ends of the cracks to stop them from spreading?


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