fiberglass interior help

[92*SI4WS]

so my prelude is my 2nd car that im actually able to finish soon. it gets painted soon! but now im on to the interior.. i have fiberglassed some minor interior parts, and am having trouble showing it like im used to seeing on other cars..

i have already wet sanded everything smooth.. i primer, spray a base color coat (3-4) then clear cloat (5) im having trouble make it appear as if the paint is behind a sheet of clear coat glass like appearance. Im new to finishing paint, but my prep work is perfect. im precise about no dips/pinholes etc..and a good primer base..after i buff the paint with a compound too and it works somewhat but doesnt look like other pro jobs. in my opinion you shouldn't have to pay big bucks just to do this type of work? is there something im doing wrong?

[twokexlv6coupe]

i've never done fiberglass work myself, but i'm pretty sure your supposed to use bondo on top of the FG, which you can then sand and paint to a glass-like smooth surface.

here's a write-up on a DIY fiberglass sub box, but half of it is missing, but it does mention using bondo or body filler:
http://www.preludezone.com/showthread.php?t=102

[92*SI4WS]

yeah i bondo of course.. its a must to fill in dips/uneven parts.. thanks i'll check it out

[twokexlv6coupe]

oh, you never mentioned anything about using bondo, so i figured you didn't use any.

dumb question: are you using high enough grit sandpaper?

[93-LUDE-SI]

How thick did you do your coats of clear? I made the mistake of doing lots of light coats cuz I was scared of making runs, but you really have to put the clear on as heavy as possible with out runs. Then use turtle wax rubbing compound and rub it alot. Then move to scratch remover, something high quality like 3m or Meguiars and rub it real fast. The scratch remover is what really brings out that final shine.

[92*SI4WS]

yes to the grit-lv6coupe..thx man

yeah i spray them light too because of the risk of runs..it would seem like in areas where i had applied heaver i was getting better results.. any recommendations on a good clear coat. thats not super pricey?-93lude

[93-LUDE-SI]

um I used duplicolor rattle can clear coat. Of course not as good or thick as a gun but next best thing out of a can. It has a nice even spray pattern, HOWEVER, test the spray before you start cuz I had one that squirted a stream out the middle and it almost ruined everything.

[89STD]

yes to the grit-lv6coupe..thx man

yeah i spray them light too because of the risk of runs..it would seem like in areas where i had applied heaver i was getting better results.. any recommendations on a good clear coat. thats not super pricey?-93lude


If your using an actual spray gun and not rattle can, Then I suggest Nasons ClearCoat it costs about 100.00 for a gallon of clear and hardner. Nason is DuPonts lower level paint line but works awsome and easy to use.

[92*SI4WS]

i like this site a lot better. you guys are much more helpful..as soon as i get back in town i will test a few things out..

[92*SI4WS]

amazing!!! i actually got it looking right.. loaded it up with a lot of clear coat.. used a heat resistant enamel that set a lot better than others.. and just kept adding thicker and thicker coats.. im going to wax it next but it looks awesome so far.. thanks again for the help.. will add pics soon

[93-LUDE-SI]

Did you end up using a rattle can or gun?

[92*SI4WS]

i used a rattle can for the color, which i wasn't having the problem in the first place, i but i used high heat engine enamel that doesn't use a mixing ball but still comes with the mock spray gun tip.. it was easier to apply without runs/build up..but the thick i did my coates the better it looked..