Working with Fiberglass Questions

[charlesorosz]

Hi guys,

The project I picked up has some areas where the previous owner started to scrape off the paint. I’ve never worked with fiberglass, so I’m brand new to this stuff (as you’ll be able to tell with my questions). Firstly, is this red coating the fiberglass? Or the gel coat of the car? There are some scratched and gouges in it, so can I sand it directly or should I use fiberglass filler on it first?

Prepping this car for paint will be my winter project this year. Tips and tricks are highly appreciated, thanks in advance!

 

[Jr. Corvette]

Sorry it took so long for a reply. I must have missed this thread.

The red should be the factory primer from what I've read. If your car is pre 1974 then it is polyester ad will have a gel coat that is dark grey I believe. If it's post 1974 then it's SMC and doesn't have a gel coat. You can also tell if a panel is SMC because it should be smooth on both sides and have a light grey or speckled look to it.

I would sand it down to fiberglass then if it's just gouged I'd use a long strand fiberglass filler on it.

I'm also painting my car this year and am by no means an expert. This is just what I've come across reading articles.