Repairing fiberglass and prep for paint?

[Fozzymuphet]

Has anyone here ever repaired a fiberglass bumper and had it painted? I recently purchased a 2g with a body kit and lowered suspension, intake, exuast (basically ready for turbo) and the previous owner cracked the bumper. It's pretty severe and I would just buy a new bumper but it's shaved into the front fenders so I think it would cause a lot of damage.

here's a link to the ebay sale
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&viewitem=&item=150165622464

And here is the picture of the body damage. The red tape marks the damaged areas

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So here are the steps I "THINK" I need to take.

1) Grind the area along the cracks back down to the fiberglass about 1-2inches out from the crack on either side of the crack on both the front and back of the bumper.
2) apply fiberglass resin and possibly fiberglass material to the damaged area.
3) Go through sanding/bondo stage
4) apply primer and repeat sanding/bondo stage until everything is smooth.
5) Hand it over to the paint shop

Now I could just hand it all over to the guys at the local autobody shop but I'd rather save the clams for the air suspension kit (I need it) and just have to pay for paint.

any suggestions? What type of bondo/resin/fiberglass to use? What type of primer? anything else I should be worried about?

 

[crimsondragon]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99912
Search is your best friend.

 

[EDM95]

I would worry about how low it is.
If you fix it and hit another bump it might crack again.
Have you thought about removing the fenders and bumper.
Are the side skirts molded to the fenders also?
maybe picking a stock bumper and fenders up from a junk yard.

 

[roadrunner2176]

Look into the wheel well and see if the fenders are attached to the car like they should be near the headlights. If they are, the fenders are fiberglass, just cut 2 inches below the fenders to remove the front bumper. With the bumper off and the fenders cut, remove the molding compound from the fenders and just install a new bumper. Would be allot easier than repairing the whole passenger side fender and bumper.


If you do decide to repair the fiberglass, your going to need to sand out further than 2 inches from the crack. Plan on at least 6 inches on each side for a smooth, feathered repair. There are two basic types of fiberglass, the cloth and the mesh. The mesh is used for strength where the cloth is used for final coats and an easier sanding surface. Just use the regular resin and mix accordingly, too much and it will harden before you have a chance to use it. Body filler is best used in coats, don't put on a layer an inch think and expect it to stick. Sand with 50-80 grit to knock down the rough edges and proceed to a finer grit. 400 is ready for primer, and 600 is good enough for paint. remember to put on a coat of primer sealer and bet a primer that is suitable for the paint ex. darker colors recommend a darker primer.

 

[Fozzymuphet]

Thanks guys. I'm going to drive it around with the cracked bumper to see where I can and cannot go. If it is as low as I think it is, I'll put some spacers in the shocks to give me some lift. If that doesn't work I'll get air bags. I want the low look to win shows but this will be my only vehicle for transportation.

 

[poooch]

repairing fiberglass is a very time consuming thing... example. lay it let it sit for a day, lay it again let it sit for a day over and over

 

[Fozzymuphet]

repairing fiberglass is a very time consuming thing... example. lay it let it sit for a day, lay it again let it sit for a day over and over

That's ok though. I'm 19 and all I have is time : ) Don't get me wrong. I realize this is not a project for the feint of heart and that i may end up having to just pay some professional but if it turns out I can do it then it will be a good experience.