?Reparing Hood?

Post by **tyler440** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 4:00 pm

has anyone ever done it? what is it going to take to fix a couple of cracks *all the way through... i've never actually done any body work.... but im tired of messing around waiting on someone else to get the interest to fix and paint my sled... what supplies am i going to need for the fiberglass hood? ill post some step by step pics once i get rolling

Bob Vehring · Post by **Bob Vehring** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 5:09 pm

Tyler, First clean well with a good wax and grease remover, then with soap and water .Grind it out in a V shape, meaning from the brake, feather it back from almost throught the surface to just roughing it up. The further back you do this, the stronger the repair. 2-3 inches is good 4-5 is better. Sometimes because the crack is at an edge, or in a corner, you don't have room, do the best you can.
Its important to keep the parts or crack lined up. Sometimes the crack fits right back together and stays there, sometimes you need to brace it. Duct tape, vice grips, C clamps, I've even use a small piece of wood on the other side , drilled some holes and screwed it together to hold it in place. Point is, once the first coat of F/G sets up, thats what ya got. You don't want one side higher on the side you will paint.
Now mix up some resin per instructions, more hardener makes it dry faster when cold. To much sets it up before you can use it all. It depends on the temp of the shop.
Cut the mat into pieces, start with smaller pieces and work towards bigger as you fill up the V , finish off with pieces big enough to cover the whole repair area. When working on the back side, which I always do first ,use plenty of big pieces to reinforce the entire area. Let that dry, If it is taking more then 1/2 hr. put some heat to it with a heat gun, you didn't have enough hardner in it, but heat should set it off.
When its dry flip it over carefully, don't flex it and brake what you have done. Again grind it out like the first side, just getting down to the repair surface you did from the back . Glass that up. Remember here you have to re finish this side, only build the matt up to slightly above the painted surface.
When dry it needs to be sanded down, if you don't have air sanders, use something that has a backing pad or if by hand use a sanding block or piece of wood. You need to keep the surface flat compared to the area your blending it in to, curved if its a curved area. Get it slightly below the painted surface. Don't worry glass always comes out rough, thats why you get it lower then the painted surface. Get it close, then use Bondo to fill up the low areas. This sands much easier.
Use something like 80 grit to rough it in, use the bondo again maybe some 80 to get it close, then switch to 180 to get the 80 grit scratches out. Now spray some primer/surfacer on it, let it dry really well, it will shrink and the scratches will show back up. Use several light to med coats of Primer, let dry and sand, if it needs more do it, or if their are deep scratches, you can use glassing putty, if so prime over it. Keep sanding with progressively finer paper 180-220-320-400. Each step gets the scratches out from the previous paper. At 400 it should be smooth enough to paint.

If the area you are repairing is prone to braking, you can add some strength from the back side by placing something like a straw ( Mickey D's will do) and then laying glass matt over it. Strips of foam will also work, it doesn't need to be strong itself because when the matt hardens over it ,it makes a structural tube. Be sure you have clearance under the hood or surrounding parts for this.
Any auto parts store has F/G repair kits, most also have bondo and putty. If you have questions on painting let me know, this was my day job for 30 years.
BTW this sounds much harder then it actually is, really doesn't take long to do.

onebun · Post by **onebun** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 5:25 pm

tyler did a couple of repairs on my hood this past summer,you will need fiberglass resin and cloth and somthing to spread the resin with (i used an old paint roller modified to just the single bar that goes thru and cut it smaller).i scratched up the area on the inside all around the crack spread some resin cut cloth to fit the area and laid in the resin pushed it in with my little tool,and repeat for a couple of layers. i went about a inch and a half on either side of the crack. on the opposite side of the crack the resin should come all the way thru if not apply abit there to but no cloth(if your going to paint your hood or the area prep first before you fiberglass.)i used bondo brand and found it sanded very well after it dried.you want to use a fine sand paper(i used 400 grit super-fine) to sand your hood and a sanding block i like the small foam ones because they contour to the work and you won't get finger marks from applying uneven pressure and you can use an orbital sander if you are carfule but they don't work on the contours of the cab.as far as painting goes i had someone else do that as i have no exp.with painting and wanted it to look good not that i had any exp. repairing fiberglass but i really enjoyed doing it good luck.

Bob Vehring · Post by **Bob Vehring** » Fri Dec 04, 2009 5:36 pm

Johnny, its commonly known in the refinishing business that if you enjoy F/G work, you are a sick and twisted individual. I just finished my 2nd shower of the afternoon.

When grinding F/G, Wear long sleeves, tape them to your arm, do everything you can to keep the dust down and above all never scratch embarrassing areas in public no matter how bad it itches.

onebun · Post by **onebun** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 10:03 am

I think i just enjoyed fixing my self more then doing the job and after reading your post i'm hoping that it doesn't crack again i think i mighta missed a few steps but it still looks good and is still together,and i've been told i'm crazy lots but nerver sick and twisted, gonna try and post some pics this weekend

Bob Vehring · Post by **Bob Vehring** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 11:48 am

Hnnnn, 3 days since he asked, maybe we should have told him this stuff is like super glue, maybe he got some on himself and leaned on something. Someone should check his shop

Post by **tyler440** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 1:29 pm

hahaha im still here.... i just dont respond as quick on the weekends... you guys certainly gave me some useful info... i was just afraid i needed some kind of special resin or something with the type of stuff that the hoods are mode out of... i think im going to buy a kit somewhere around town and test my luck on a really busted up hood first before i go screwing up my "not so bad" hood thats on my sled...

Undertaker#13 · Post by **Undertaker#13** » Sun Dec 06, 2009 2:11 pm

bodywork?? when you race a stockcar you get all the practice you need to be good at it!

I can't stand that cloth and resin

I love to use short hair fiberglass