crazing after accident

[andymadmak]

My wife rcently backed into the rear wing of my wedge. Although it was quite a bump it all looked OK, with just a minir scuff on the paint that I managed to buff out. I could see no damage to the fibreglass at all.
Now, about a week later a series of crazed "cracks" have appeared in the paint. I can feel the edges with my fingertips.
Does this mean I need to get the fibreglass repaired too or will a paint job on the wing sort this out?

Andy

[bilton_d]

Hi Andy, Just had the same thing with my TVR Cerbera the stress cracking was still expanding after 3 weeks before it was taken away, there wasn't anything showing for about 2 days.
ended up getting a full respray as they couldn't match the colour.

Good luck

>> Edited by bilton_d on Wednesday 20th July 12:36

[miracle]

Hi Andy,

If you sent me a picture, I will give you my opinion.

Regards
Paul

[falcemob]

Normally with grp you will find that it may look OK after an impact but the fibre glass shatters under the paint. It is best to leave any accident damage a few weeks to see what transpires and then get it repaired. If you just get a paint job and no glass work done it will just craze again in a few weeks or months time.

[andymadmak]

Sorry everyone, been travelling. Will try to post a piccie tomorrow if I can

Andy

[wedg1e]

One possibility is that if the car has been resprayed a number of times, once the GRP flexes, it allows the paint to crack through the various coats. This is what my Esprit is suffering from; I can count five resprays on the bonnet alone...

[grahambell]

Sounds like stress cracks in the gel coat.

Simply painting over it won't solve the problem as it'll just crack the new paint the same.

You need to grind off the gel coat where it's cracked back to the actual glassfibre and build up a new surface with glassfibre tissue and body filler.

Just done it on the front spoiler on my Quantum to repair damage already in when I got it.