Rooftop cargo box repair

Anything goes in the world of fiberglass and plastic



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PostPosted: Thu Aug 23, 2018 12:24 pm
I have rooftop cargo box where the clear coat has been flaking off for a couple of years now so almost half of it is gone now. I would like to refinish it so it looks good again but I am new to this and I need some help to get me started.

I am assuming I have to take all the cracked clear coat off before I can paint. Can I use sander like the Simoniz variable speed buffer/sander to do it or are there any chemicals that can do it? Removing it by hand is really time consuming.

Once the above has been removed I guess I will need to use some body filler to even things out and hide the scratches. I am assuming that I need some flexible body filler since this plastic bends a bit all the time and when being opened/closed. Can anyone recommend product that might work and where I can get it?

Or can I use some short strand fiber body filler? But this option would require a lot of sanding since it can not be applied in very thin layers?

Once that has been done I guess I need to apply some type of adhesive promoter before applying primer?

Sorry for all these questions but I want to do it right the first time and I appreciate your time and all suggestions.

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 9:12 am
These questions get asked often.

If the clear coat has failed the color coat needs to come off as well. You will need to sand it with a Dual Action sander or you risk putting dished marks in it that will require a lot of work to remove.

Yes, raw plastic will need an Adhesion Promoter.

I will let someone more experienced with the repair steps on plastic answer the rest of your questions.

We really need a sticky post on basic plastic prep and paint. :wink:
1968 Coronet R/T


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 1:00 pm
'68 Coronet R/T wrote:
We really need a sticky post on basic plastic prep and paint. :wink:


I agree with that!
Their are just way too many different types of plastics used in the industry over the decades You need to know what type of Plastic your dealing with, then use the appropriate procedures and Products to deal with each. Dealing with today's cars isn't so bad because the information is readily available but the older stuff can be and is Hard to identify sometimes.

https://www.polyvance.com

They used to have a Identification flow chart on there web sight I cant seam to find it now.
Dennis B.
A&P Mechanic, FCC General radio Telephone Operator
Line Maintenance A&P Mechanic and MOC Tech specialist.

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2018 6:27 pm
Dennis, I think you mean this one.....
https://www.polyvance.com/identify.php

When they redesigned their web site they made navigating around to the familiar stuff a little harder. You need to hit Products tab at the top and all the other stuff drops down to the left side including the How To stuff....
Metal, wood, fiberglass, we work it all... www.furniturephysicians.com We can restore the irreplaceable!

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