Looking for a little help how to start prepping my fiberglass hard top for painting. Never worked with painting fiberglass so any help with a quick 10 step process would be great! Thanks.
'76 FJ40 Hard top painting job (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter TicoCWO2
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
I’m by no means an expert but I have painted several fiberglass hard tops. I first clean the hardtop by using a wax/grease remover. If any repairs are necessary I use small strand fiberglass body putty. Then just sand the entire top finishing with 320 grit, again use the wax/grease remover and paint with a quality automotive two part paint.
Easypeasy with good prep and quality paint.
Easypeasy with good prep and quality paint.
Living in the Past
SILVER Star
I assume a good dust mask is needed during sanding fiberglass? That stuff is nasty.
Good to know you do hard top cap repairs. I have one needing a new drip edge and another one that is perfect except for a PO cutting a hole for a sun roof in the back. Then third one that has damage that can provide a drip edge and chuck of fiberglass to fill the sun roof hole. Just let me know when you will be local next and will haul them over. LOL
Just a couple tips: to prevent fiberglass repairs and strands from showing later in life, always do any repairs from the "front" or more specifically the side that shows. Also, use a good two-part epoxy primer, I use House of Kolor's stuff. Last, make sure to use a sealer. The sealer hides sanding scratches and fiberglass repairs by keeping the solvents in the paint from re-activating the stuff below.
reddingcruiser
Practicing for retirement
Just like everyone said, it's easy! Just take your time. Even if the PO cut a giant hole in the fiberglass for a vent
Two-part primer is a plus, as is automotive glazing putty for scratches and pinholes.
Two-part primer is a plus, as is automotive glazing putty for scratches and pinholes.
ginmtb
'74 FJ40 - my first!
I had tons of spider cracks in the gel coat on mine - talked to a boat place and they suggested the four products to the left (ignore the numbered items). Worked great! I also used Rustoleum rattlecan appliance paint in biscuit color - laid down nicely and is cheap and easy to do touch ups. Surprisingly the little plastic trigger attachment for rattlecans actually worked quite well so consider getting that if you go that route.
After years of fiberglass work on race cars and my street car stuff, I've learned on common mistake people do is try to build up fiberglass with bondo. It should be done with fiberglass until the shape is final, then a skim coat of filler, then a few coats of high build epoxy primer. Too often people try to fix mis-matches with filler, which has no strength at all. Fiberglass flexes like crazy, and keeping the repair the same thickness as the part is the key to avoiding stress cracks on down the road.
- Thread starter
- #8
Thanks for the tips guys... the top is in great shape but it has a few cracks in the old paint...I figure to slowly sand out, reseal and then paint.
x2 on the boat stuff; i took mine to a boat shop and they do that type of finish quite a bit.
