Do fiberglass car bodies deteriorate simply with time? What other factors make fiberglass bodies go bad? (Specifically in reference to glass 308, but also in reference to mid-year Corvettes.) Thanks. Uro
Some are better than others but with care they are fine many years down the road. J6's occasionally develops cracks in places but with repair should last indefinitely. As the body flexes paint can crack and under hood heat embrittles it. Heat shielding helps and can be bonded directly to the underside. Best Image Unavailable, Please Login
A properly climated controlled garage can vastly prolong the life of a car. This includes proper temperature and humidity control year round. What's your concern? Potential Purchase of a glass 308 or Vette? The places to worry about are attachment points You want to make sure that these aren't worn. If they are you should repair them immediately as fiberglass can come apart and sail away. Any delamination should also be repaired immediately for similar reasons but as I said J6 has stayed together for over 40 years. (Except for the time when a unlatched latch sent the tail flying at Le Mans)
Freezing/thermal changes is notably hard on 'glass. You'll recall the Mustang Ranch example.......aside from the rags in the carb holes, anything abandoned in desert low temps like that, would show crazing like that new Chinese 599GTB!!!! Aside from that as Mr.G notes only stress flexing would pop the top coat and is easily repaired... You'll recall he has a Cigarette, so 'glass dings are no Big Deal!! Drop over I'll show you my Sunfish from the '70s.......always left outside, it has a lot of surface crazing, a paint job will fix it though.
One of my vettes is a 63 coupe I bought in 1980 and I drove it constantly. High temps in the mid west and cold temps back in the north east, rain an even some hail has hit this car. Engine vibrations and chassis flex did not seem to bother it either. The body never had any issues and it's an un hit original. Some stress cracking has occured around the head lamp openings and the paint has stressed (crazed) over the years but structually it is sound. The frame will go before the body will. The car is now 47 years old. I suppose an unpainted fiber glass body sitting in the sun/elements year after year will gradually erode the bonding agents and the gel coating. A steel car would not last as long...
Pardon the hijack. Sometime back in the early Seventies, I saw an ad in the Seattle paper for a Matra-Bonnet, of all things. I was SO excited! I had to be the first to get up there and see it. These are tiny little mid-engined fiberglass cars with Renault-Gordini powerplants. It would have been less than 10 years old at the time. The fiberglass was so thin and weak that the body was collapsing under its own weight. The windscreen opening was distorted to the point that the glass had to be held in with duct tape. It was cracking and crazing everywhere. I wonder whatever happened to it? Some of the 'glass dune buggys seemed pretty hefty, but where are they now? Used to be hundreds of them running around. Image Unavailable, Please Login
When I was looking to buy my second 308 I was wondering the same thing. Over thirty years old and fibreglass! would it last? I found one and bought it. A 76 UK 308GTB. The fibreglass is in fine condition. Sure it has a few marks here and there but nothing really. Not sure how or when it was resprayed but the finish is AOK. The car is now 33 years old and the fibreglass shows no signs of fatigue. Amazing really. They obviously knew what they were doing and in reality the glass is quite thick in places. Hence the cars are not quite as light as what some would say. I certainly would buy another one and it being fibreglass wouldn't dissuade me. Steve
Supposedly gasoline will deteriorate the fiberglass also. I have trouble filling the Ginetta, and often about a tablespoon of gas will overflow the filler neck and run down the back of the car. I keep it waxed up and wipe the drip off immediately, so I don't think it is an issue, but I'll let you know in about twenty years. BT
Agree. My TVR is 40 years old and when I restored and repainted it 20 years ago, I stripped it down to the gel coat with a chemical paint remover using a 1" putty knife. It took many weeks, working on weekends. The body was fine except for some stress cracks. Now with the new stipping techniques - walnut shells - it is much easier. The car still looks good and I never, ever, ever worry about rust in the body.
My 275 GTB tanks are aluminum with a fiberglass coating, Since 1967. I inspected the tanks last year when we replaced the the rubber lines which were leaking since G-d knows when. I saw no evidence of gas deterioration. I have a Kellison. a Devin and a Bocar all fiberglass. I had them sandblasted, I then applied wet system. They have shown no cracks or shrinkage
It probably has a lot to do with the quality of the fiberglass and how it was made. I'm sure a hand laid and rolled fiberglass car body is much more durable that a body made up of sprayed fiberglass fibers.
Our body part maker says it has more to do with the gel coat, resin choice, core mat and additives. Woven and Chop both have their place in quality construction. You are correct - "rolled" contributes greatly. Rick
Fiberglass bodies shrink as they age. It depends on the glass materials, resins, etc. Chevy has done a good job over the years. Perhaps Matra just didn't have the expertise as others. The early Lotus Elites also had problems with the first body manufacturer.
My car is 33 years old and still has the original paint. There are no cracks or crazing. The paint still looks factory fresh. Not bad with 54+k miles on the odo
