paint job

[mikeb]

just had somebody look at my dax to do the paint job. He has never done a cobra before but has some experience with TVR. He has said that the fibre glass will expand in the heat and the paint will sink or even crack in time. Does this sound normal. Is the procedure the same as painting a metal car.

[BenBaron]

dunno, but I would have thought metal would have expanded more than fibre glass......:}

[fcukruss]

im in the throws of a paint job myself,the prep work is very hard indeed.To make sure it will look good when its done is a major task.if your guy has never done a cobra before then dont let him do it.Is he likely to smooth all the edges of the doors boot and bonnet?
if he likely to fill the insides of the doors,boot and bonnet where the two halfs are joined?i doubt it.

as for the cracking and sinking???????

In the manufacturing process of building a cobra shell,its impossible not to biuld in small air pockets.As everybody knows(or should know)air expands when it gets hot.
If placed in a low bake oven(to dry the paint)the air will expand and this will pop the fibreglass.you will have small holes all over it.

not good.


the answer:

find someone who knows their stuff,they will realise that you have to air dry fibreglass.therefore no heat,no problem.

AND DO NOT USE ETCH PRIMER,as it will brteakdown the gelcoat.

After all the prep work i have done on mine,i can see why they charge £3k to paint these things!


hope this helps

russ

[Miket]

Mikeb

I think painting fibre glass is a different process than painting metal, mine was done at SMS who advertise as official lectures of fibre glass and what a good job they do, they bake the car first at very high temperature to find all the air pockets in the gel-coat, then they build up the body with fibre glass and flat to fill all the wrinkles, they use normal primer and then a polyester primer or the other way round, then quite a few coats of paint and lacquer and bake again.

[Purple AK]

Hi Mike.
My advice,(for what it's worth,) is find someone who really knows what they are doing with Fibre Glass. That sounds like a pre-empted excuse for when it go's wrong! and it will. A paint job is the first thing you see when you look at a car, so it wants to be right. I don't know what your budget is but, I used a firm in the South East, recommended by Gerry Hawkridge, if he recommends them, they must be good!!!. And they were. (Verbal 10 Year Guarantee.)
Regards:tu :tu

[graham]

sSow me a car that is dead straight after a year looking along the wings, fibreglass does move about after a while easpecially on bonnet and wings when engine heat gets to it. I spent 2K and that wasn't enough. I am sure spending more gets a better job but for how long I dont know.

Graham

[mclark]

So Chris,

Who did the paint job for you and where abouts in the SE are they based?

Cheers

Michael

[Purple AK]

Hi Michael,
Sovereign Coachworks, Hastings 01424854900, ask for Nigel or Gordan.
Nice guys and they will collect/deliver.
Cheers:tu

[Miket]

Graham

Mines been painted for 19 months and 2 of my mates, who's are also SMS paint jobs have been on the road for 2 1/2 years. Apart from the stone-chips there isn't a ripple or blemish anywhere on the body.

:9 :9 :9 :9 :9 :9 :9

[COBRA KEV01]

MikeT
If SMS did such a good job on yours then why is it that when i was around yours today you were telling me that you were going to take the car back to sms so they could get rid of the cellulite effect on the bonnet amongst other things.
I agree sms are generally good at their job ,but what price in annoyance to have to take the car back to them to try and rectify the problem?