Hairline Stress Cracks

[Jubes]

Hi and a happy new year to you all.

I've decided to lay up my Cerbera for a couple of months to spruce her up ready for the spring.

One of the things I'm doing amongst many is touching up any stone chips I've got on the bodywork.

This means I've been going around the car closely scrutinising the bodywork, whilst doing so I've noticed two tiny hairline cracks (hardly noticeable) at the base of the rear screen on the boot upper corners.

Is this a known problem area (if so what causes them - chassis flex maybe?) and has anybody else had a similar problem and are they likely to get any bigger?

I'm assuming that if my OCD perfection gene takes over (as it usually does once I've noticed something however ridiculously small) then I'd need the cracks grinding back and having new glass fibre installed to rectify the problem?

Any thoughts or previous experience of a similar problem would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks.

Edited by Jubes on Sunday 1st January 11:55

[pmessling]

I have a couple on mine. One on the boot lid I used a pin drill and drilled either end and super glued the crack.

I also had loads of water inside the lid. But drilled two holes in the hinge edges and drained it.

[C3BER]

Yes it's normal and I was just showing robsco this a few weeks ago.

That's if I'm thinking it's the same place

Not sure about the boot lid?

Edited by C3BER on Sunday 1st January 12:46

[Jubes]

Thanks chaps for the speedy replies.

I've attached a picture to show where they are on the car, they're too tiny to show up on a close up picture.

I've got to decide if I can live with them for now as they really are difficult to see, depends if they start to get any bigger I suppose.

If I decide to fix them then I need to choose between a relatively simple quick repair or go the whole hog and get them done professionally - which would probably mean a much larger area needing painting to get some sort of colour match - decisions, decisions!

I'll just mark up the ends of the cracks for now and monitor.

Thanks again.

Edited by Jubes on Sunday 1st January 13:50

[DJR 7]

I have exactly the same and I've chosen to leave them be.
As you say they are small and really aren't to obvious, I did however have a couple on the bonnet which I dealt with when having my stone chips sorted,
It's worth checking, mine were more apparent when I lifted the bonnet and it flexed.
D

[spongy]

Ive got a couple near the rear drivers light cluster,hated em when i bought the car.......going to live with em for a while as lets face it they aint life threatening and wont rust:Dhe he about the only part that wont.

[C3BER]

Yes reference your picture it's the spot that you will always get those little hairlines. All cerberas get them as far as I know.

[spongy]

I would be more worried about the red circle if that was my car

[C3BER]

Worse case of photoshop ever

[Jubes]

....and there was I thinking I'd done a top job in Photoshop!

[robsco]

Mine has them too, as C3BER pointed out earlier. Perfectly normal, just relax.

[Jcerb]

Yup i have them too, i just got an ultra fine paint brush and filled them in with the touch up paint i have! Works a treat! Especially on pearl blue which i have and looks like you do too.

[Jubes]

Thanks all for the replies, I feel a little bit better now that it appears to be a known problem area and it's not just mine. It's still really annoying knowing that they're on the car though!

Jcerb - Thanks for the tip on filling the cracks in with touch up paint, I'll give that a try later today.

[robsco]

I think its a problem area with a lot of TVRs. Sure I read a thread not too long back in the Tamora section discussing the same thing.

[Basil Brush]

Yes. Same place on Tuscans as well.

[potato muncher]

You will find stress cracks on any fibreglass body and unless it is at or close to a fixing point then it is not any worry at all. Unless it is on the joints of a badly or incorrectly fitted panel.

Edited by potato muncher on Monday 2nd January 16:35