Quick background: My '74 coupe was originally my father's, who had it completely stripped and properly painted back in the late 80's. In addition, it was waxoyled (or similar) by the original owner. Combined the coupe is astonishingly rust free, particularly in all the usual spaces (rockers, firewall, fenders, etc). When I purchased the car back after a 20 year absence (see:A Father's Day Tale ) all the horizontal surfaces were experiencing clear coat failure to some degree as the car had been kept outdoors and uncovered.
I now have some limited funds to protect the car and give it an "above the belt line" repaint. Since the horizontal surfaces are in great condition, this seemed a reasonable approach. Prior to prep, I was aware of some small bubbling to the rear of the sunroof opening. Apparently this is a known risk area. I just came back from the paint shop where I found more significant damage than I expected. I wasn't even aware of the forward section. Only one area appeared to have been filled/sanded during the previous respray. The rest have grown since then. The question is: What now?
While the body shop is competent, I'm not sure cutting and metal replacement is best left to them. They have zero experience with coupes (good old local FL boys...mostly domestic work). If I had the budget and time, I would love to send it off to a professional, BMW knowledgable shop, but that's just not in the cards right now. My goal is to do the best repair I can to get the most time and enjoyment out of the car. It will always be garaged with limited/no water exposure.
They are recommending using a product called "tiger hair" which is basically a fiberglass resin to fill and seal, after doing some cropping and treating with Ospho. The shop owner seems to think this is the best way forward and should give me 10-15 years at least without any further visible deterioration. Does anyone have any thoughts on that approach or alternate recommendations?
Thanks!
-Lloyd
I now have some limited funds to protect the car and give it an "above the belt line" repaint. Since the horizontal surfaces are in great condition, this seemed a reasonable approach. Prior to prep, I was aware of some small bubbling to the rear of the sunroof opening. Apparently this is a known risk area. I just came back from the paint shop where I found more significant damage than I expected. I wasn't even aware of the forward section. Only one area appeared to have been filled/sanded during the previous respray. The rest have grown since then. The question is: What now?
While the body shop is competent, I'm not sure cutting and metal replacement is best left to them. They have zero experience with coupes (good old local FL boys...mostly domestic work). If I had the budget and time, I would love to send it off to a professional, BMW knowledgable shop, but that's just not in the cards right now. My goal is to do the best repair I can to get the most time and enjoyment out of the car. It will always be garaged with limited/no water exposure.
They are recommending using a product called "tiger hair" which is basically a fiberglass resin to fill and seal, after doing some cropping and treating with Ospho. The shop owner seems to think this is the best way forward and should give me 10-15 years at least without any further visible deterioration. Does anyone have any thoughts on that approach or alternate recommendations?
Thanks!
-Lloyd