Hey. How do you paint a fiberglass top? What kind of primer do you need? etch/prime? simple primer? Or just sand and paint? How about paint? I'd like to use some simple rattle-can ( yeah, I know. go real compressed air and you'll never go back but I have a crappy top.) How about texture? What would you do? Don't bother or go with orange peel from Home Depot? How about stress cracks? Grind a groove, glass it in, and paint it? Regards, Drink
"Simply"?? Nope, but I'll give you a few answers, and if you need more, feel free to ask.
Primer: If you're doing rattle can, then rattle can primer. If you want better, use a 2 stage epoxy based (commonly known as U2K Urethane etc).
Paint: Well, you mentioned rattle can, and there are several to choose from. Rustoleum is good, and so is Krylon. I've seen Rustoleum in different varieties, such as dry time, enamel, acrylic enamel, and even lacquer based. Their enamel primer and paint takes a lot longer to dry, but seems to be among the best for rusty metal. Should work just as good on fiberglass. Best, use the compressor, HVLP gun, and a good 2 stage paint...
Texture: You can buy paint that is textured. The earlier Blazer and Bronco tops were this way. DuPont made a paint for refinishing them, and it worked good. Not sure if they still have it or not, have not used DuPont in about
15 years. There were some other mfg's who made it as well. Make sure that if you spray on something, and plan to paint over it that they are compatible.Fiberglass: If you want a good long lasting job, grind into the crack, and then feather back. Mix resin, apply it, then apply glass cloth, and cover with more resin. Let it dry, and sand it smooth and level. You can use additional applications of resin to build it up. The stranded fiberglass fillers are just that, fillers! They do not have the strength of actual fiberglass, and will crack again. Some can be used with the glass cloth to make a better repair, but using the resin/glass procedure is best.
Warning: This will not be a one or two evening job if you want it to be even a nice job. Plan a few evenings, or even a couple of weekends to do it right.
And.... I don't do this stuff in a driveway, it's done in a shop, for a nice profit. Been that way for almost 40 years... There is no charge for trying to help someone do it right the first time though :-) Hippie...
If it's a "crappy top" and you are interested in texture how about using a brush on bed liner?
Jeff DeWitt
James Dr> Hey. How do you paint a fiberglass top? What kind of primer do you need?
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