Bad Fiberglass Job

[99LeCouch]

Being a total newbie to fiberglassing, I did a horrendous glass job on my car. Air pockets, and doubled-over glass since I measured once, badly. I mis-read the directions on the box and applied both sheets at once instead of one at a time. Fortunately it's where nobody can see it on the underside of the rocker panels.

Ultimately it will end up undercoated.

My question is: how long can I expect this hack job to last before it needs re-doing?

[Christ]

I just have to say something here: ROFL.

That's all. Return to your normal programming.

No, seriously. The first time I tried glassing, I screwed up probably worse than you did. I tried patching a boat LOL. It sank.

[99LeCouch]

The second, smaller hole I did came out nicely. The panel was starting to fall down there. No air pockets and did one correctly-sized sheet at a time. So I did learn from my mistakes.

Bets on how soon I'll be posting about re-doing a glassing job?

[Christ]

Well, it's not the "job" that will fail, perse... as long as the edges are bonded correctly, it shouldn't have too many issues, as long as it's rust repair or something and not structural.

The bubbles only really harm structural integrity, afaik. I might be wrong.

Laying down more than one sheet at a time can really mess with you, if you don't get the resin to soak properly through both sheets. Other than that, you just lose potential rigidity b/c you probably didn't lay the sheets with the right angle to each other. (Again, only really matters for structural rigidity.)

I'd be willing to bet that if you end up posting about a mulligan, it's because you got neurotic about knowing it wasn't quite right. :P

[99LeCouch]

Sweet. I'm not going to touch it after this since the panel is close to rusting out from the inside. If this fiberglass patch comes out, good-bye rocker panel.

I'm neurotic about some things. Just not something like this. As long as it'll stay up under its own strength once an inch of ice accumulates on it when I visit my folks in New York this winter, I don't care.

[wagonman76]

Sounds like my fiberglass job on the lower panels of the Celeb. Just sand it down and fill the pockets with a much smaller amount then sand again, no big deal. I did it in spring 2006. A few spots are starting to come loose but overall not bad.

[99LeCouch]

I already undercoated and painted the glass. Said heck with it, I'm not letting this take up my night and rattlecanned away.

I hope that won't affect it too much. Right now I'm not caring except if it will keep the elements away from the worst of it.