Interior: Repairing Hawk Fiberglass Dash

[1953champcoupe]

I've got this 59 Hawk dash that has evidently seen lots of sun and the top gelcoat has went south. My solution would be just to get some resin and put a thin coat on. Sometimes simple isn't the best, any other solutions?

[TWChamp]

If there are no cracks or chips, how about using some spray vinyl paint?

[sweetolbob]

Are you going to paint it or cover it in vinyl. This is the 89 Avanti dash I modified for my 74 and I used high build catalyzed primer. I'd probably suggest that in either case.



Bob

[thunderations]

Your plan using resin is the right way to go. It will create the smoothness you want and add strength to the exposed fibers. There are several different resins available. I would recommend a SMC resin as it does not need to be sanded between coats or to get adhesives to adhere to it. EVERCOAT is the brand I use, but there are others. It's meant to be used with fiberglass mat, which is very similar to what your dash is. Since finding this type of resin, I have not used the old type that needs to have all the shiny sanded off before anything can be adhered to it.

[bensherb]

Just put new jell coat on it, it'll be just like factory. Folow the instructions on the can and add some surface curing agent or it will remain sticky. You can brush it on and sand it smooth easily.

[1953champcoupe]

Just put new jell coat on it, it'll be just like factory. Folow the instructions on the can and add some surface curing agent or it will remain sticky. You can brush it on and sand it smooth easily.

I've not heard the term "surface curing agent", can you elaborate??

[1953champcoupe]

Are you going to paint it or cover it in vinyl. This is the 89 Avanti dash I modified for my 74 and I used high build catalyzed primer. I'd probably suggest that in either case.

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Bob

I will paint it, it's a 59 Dash I just want a smooth surface to pain.

[swvalcon]

Looks like you have it out of the car. I would contact Spi Paint.It's on the net and have them send you a qt of their black epoxy primer with a qt of the hardner. Put it on as directed. I would use 3-4 good coats with about 20 min dry time between coats . Let that dry over night and sand then do the same. the first few coats may soak in some so it's going to take a few recoats and only mix what you think you will need each time as the pot life is only about 72 hours, Once you get a nice smooth layer you should be able to paint what ever color you want or leave it just the epoxy black. It will hold up as good as jell coat this epoxy is some great stuff. It's what most of the Corvette repair guys are using on glass beaded fiberglass that takes off the jell coat. If you want to see how good the stuff is go on u-tube and put in SPI torture test. The guy doing it is bit of a clown but he gets the point across.

[bensherb]

I still don't know why this site and only this site turns all my pics!

Gel coat is not designed to dry hard when exposed to open air. It is usually used in a mold and drys sticky, then is glassed over with laminating resin which also drys sticky unless surface curing agent is used. It will eventually dry, but it takes a while (several weeks) and will be more difficult to sand. You can force it to dry by covering it with a mylar sheet or vacuum bag to keep air away from the surface. Surface curing agent is easier and cheaper. The sticky surface makes for a better bond from one layer to another. The resin you buy at the local hardware store is not usually intended for laminating and is a different formula which will surface cure readily.

Here are a few pics of some motorcycle side covers I made a couple years ago for a custom build.
(1) Carved what I wanted from foam, and made a quick fiberglass mold.
(2) Painted mold release on mold then gel coat and fiberglassed over that.
(3) The part removed from mold, with mold. ( The green is mold release)
(4) An emblem, for which I made a mold and cast from laminating resin with surface curing agent.
(5) The completed part mounted on bike.
Note: pic 1 and 5 are right side, 2 and 3 are left side cover. just happened to be the pics I had.

[52 Ragtop]

There are 2 products out there, one is called "Morton Paints Eliminator" the other is called "Feather Fill" Both are a fiberglass resin with gray pigment mixed in. The last time I bought some it ran about $100 for a gallon. Pretty sure you can buy a quart.
Before you leave the paint store, have them shake it for 5-10 minutes! You will mix a fiberglass hardener into the product. mix up ONLY what you want to use, clean out the spray gun with lacquer thinner within 10 minutes of finishing spraying. If you don't toss the spray gun into the trash, as you will have hardened fiberglass resin in the gun.
Wear a GOOD breathing mask, NOT a paper one!! If there is anything that you do NOT want overspray on, move it at least 30-40 feet away. Better yet find a paint booth to use! Once it dries, you can easily wet sand it, don't even attempt to dry sand it, as the sand paper will get clogged up quickly. Once wet sanded, use a good 2 part epoxy on it, let dry, sand and paint.
I have NOT used Feather Fill, and my experience is with Eliminator. Excellent product, seals and works very well.

Jim

[Jeffry Cassel]

Have one you could have for 0 . Just replaced hood on 58 Packard that had no gel-coat left on it. Carefully sanded with 400 sandpaper and primed with hi-build primer. Resanded with 400. Reprimed with high build primer and wet sanded with 600. Painted it. Sanded it and repainted it. Looks very nice.

[thunderations]

Warning: If you don't put a gelcoat or resin on the visible fibers showing on the dash to lock them in place, you MAY have them showing up through any sprayed primers or fillers. The expansion and contraction of fiberglass in heat cycles will move those fibers and they will in turn move whatever you have put over them and they will come back to haunt you.
There's a reason for gelcoat/resin, and it's to provide a smooth surface over the fibers and to keep the fibers from doing what I just mentioned.
It's your time and money, but do you want to risk all that work to see imperfections show up through the paint in a couple months or years?
If the dash is getting a vinyl cover, it may not be as important, but I'd coat it anyway just to make sure.
I've worked with fiberglass for 25 or 30 years and learned from a guy that did it since the early Corvettes. I may be old school, but so are our Studebakers and............most of us.

[studegary]

Warning: If you don't put a gelcoat or resin on the visible fibers showing on the dash to lock them in place, you MAY have them showing up through any sprayed primers or fillers. The expansion and contraction of fiberglass in heat cycles will move those fibers and they will in turn move whatever you have put over them and they will come back to haunt you.
There's a reason for gelcoat/resin, and it's to provide a smooth surface over the fibers and to keep the fibers from doing what I just mentioned.
It's your time and money, but do you want to risk all that work to see imperfections show up through the paint in a couple months or years?
If the dash is getting a vinyl cover, it may not be as important, but I'd coat it anyway just to make sure.
I've worked with fiberglass for 25 or 30 years and learned from a guy that did it since the early Corvettes. I may be old school, but so are our Studebakers and............most of us.

I agree. I have used fiberglass on cars since the 1950s. At that time, I went to the local marina and got boat materials.

[bensherb]

I've worked with fiberglass for 25 or 30 years and learned from a guy that did it since the early Corvettes. I may be old school, but so are our Studebakers and............most of us.

Wow, you sound like me. Add about 10 years; the guy I learned from was building race car bodies before going to Viet Nam in '64. When I met him he was molding a new Ferrari 308 (it was new then, I had never even seen or heard of it) to make a convertable version for a drag car for a customer. I had just started working a couple doors away, and had driven my fiberglass '26 ford, to which I had made several modifications, to work. He tracked me down to question me about my hidden door hinges. Ended up he taught me to work fiberglass and I built chassis for him. He died last December, a respected friend and mentor.

[sweetolbob]

Now that we've come this far, let's conclude that most of the folks that have done it have given the same advice. Spray it with a polyester based catalyzed resin.

Why - Everything mentioned is based on polyester resin - which includes fiberglass resin, gel coat resin, Morton Eliminator, marine fiberglass products and, Oh BTW - Bondo body filler.

So I guess the advice is - Spray it with polyester resin based material.

Bob