I have a few spots on my fiero that needs some fiberglass repair and i was wondering what i should use to fix it? There is a crack/dent in the front hood pushing upward and there are several cracks on the decklid close to the rear window. i also have a 1992 Kawasaki ex500 that needs some fiberglass work. it had been dropped and there are cracks and scratches all over .... i know some of you have had to repair your fiberglass at some point ... any info on how to do it yourself? i dont really have the money to go out and have it fixed professionally so ... im looking into doing it at home. here are some of the pictures of the damage on the bike ... i dont have any for the fiero yet. Any advice??

I was looking at the first picture that you posted before I finished reading your post and could not figure out what part of your Fiero that the picture was LOL, DUH!! I suggest looking on the web as a search as to how to do glass repair. Just too much to try to cover here. I will give you a few tips though.

There is almost no strength in resin, the strenght is in the cloth, do not flood your repairs with resin.

If you can see a crack on the surface it will show through the new paint down the road if it is not fixed. You need to chase the cracks into the surface to repair them. Do not just smooth them out.

Surface smoothing and shaping can be done with "fiberglass bondo". It is strong and easier to shape than resin and cloth. It can be used over the resin and cloth repair that you initially did.

Do not breathe the dust from the glass when you are grinding on it, very bad for you.

Aaron

Thanks ... where can you get fiberglass repair stuff ... would most automotive stores have a fiberglass repair kit or something?

If not the auto parts store a boat shop will have it. A good auto paint store will have stuff too.

Are those factory panels or aftermarket? Most factory sportbikes use plastic not fiberglass or SMC. Fiberglass or SMC resins will NOT bond to plastic.

perk

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toddshotrods.com

it is defeinatly fiberglass ... in some of the areas where the cracks are there are fibers and stuff and on the inside you can see the fiber weaving or whatever ... so im pretty sure that it is fiberglass and not just plastic

On the Fiero make sure you get SMC resin, not standard epoxy or polyester resin - they won't adhere to SMC right. Grind the damaged area out a little below the surface level brush on a little resin, work in a layer or two of mat or cloth with the brush and just enough additional resin to saturate the patch. Tip - give the material a minute to absorb the resin before you completely saturate it. Too much resin makes a brittle part.

Next day - block sand the area, use a little filler to finish, prime, paint.

On the bike, it's probably fiberglass but make sure to see what resin to use. SMC (Sheet Molded Compound) is smooth on both sides, usually kind of a grayish-white color inside, and usually has larger course looking fibers.

You can also reinforce the damaged areas from behind - if needed for extra strength.

perk - todd's hot rods

Just to add to what Perk said... be sure that the filler you're using is compatible with SMC.

I'm currently working with Duramix (4056?) which is made for SMC (sheet molded compound)- and also works well with Fiberglass. This is handy in a case like mine where I'm installing a fiberglass scoop in a SMC hood.

quote SMC (Sheet Molded Compound) makes up the hood, roof, rear upper quarter panels and rear decklid. RRIM (Reinforced Reaction Injection Molding) makes up the fenders, doors, and lower rear quarters. RIM (Reaction Injection Molded Urethane) is used on the Facias. TPO (Thermo Plastic Olefin) is used for the Rocker Panels. All Fiero panels are painted with High Solids Acrylic Enamels and covered with a clearcoat.

thanks ... the info helps a lot

I've used this stuff. It's really great. DO NOT use fiberglass repair, use SMC (Sheet Molded Compound) or you may be redoing the job.

quote Originally posted by WhiteFieroGT: Thanks ... where can you get fiberglass repair stuff ... would most automotive stores have a fiberglass repair kit or something?

My roommate was able to get a fiberglass repair kit from Walmart for about $20.