Rebody Roof Cracking - Any Recommendations?

[Pingu]

I've just seen something that is quite a problem. It has probably been caused by the body flexing due to sleeping policemen and potholes, both of which I negotiate slowly.

Roof cracking...

The joys of fibreglass .

Any recommendations for the best flexible filler paste?

 

[Duncodin]

Kinda looks like there's a metal screw head or rivet or something like that just under the surface.

 

[Pingu]

Kinda looks like there's a metal screw head or rivet or something like that just under the surface.

Yes. There is a foam or wood barrier between the GRP shell and the top of the windscreen. They have used four screws plus TigerSeal to join the shell to the windscreen.

As the windscreen flexes, the GRP is also being flexed.

I'm going to try and find someone who deals with flexing GRP. There are quite a few boatyards around here. I hope one of them will have experience in dealing with crack .

 

[Duncodin]

Yes. There is a foam or wood barrier between the GRP shell and the top of the windscreen. They have used four screws plus TigerSeal to join the shell to the windscreen.

As the windscreen flexes, the GRP is also being flexed.

I'm going to try and find someone who deals with flexing GRP. There are quite a few boatyards around here. I hope one of them will have experience in dealing with crack .

Do you mean that they made holes in the grp roof and put screws through the roof into the top of the windscreen. Screws were counter sunk and fiber glass/skimmed over. Is that how they did it?

 

[Pingu]

Do you mean that they made holes in the grp roof and put screws through the roof into the top of the windscreen. Screws were counter sunk and fiber glass/skimmed over. Is that how they did it?

I think so.

I don't think the screws don't go into the top of the windcreen. The just go into the batten.

 

[Duncodin]

You said "they" used screws. Who are "they"?

I'd be going to them and asking them if this is normal/expected.

 

[Pingu]

You said "they" used screws. Who are "they"?

I'd be going to them and asking them if this is normal/expected.

It was Classic Coachworks. They say that it can happen with coupes, but it's not that common.

The work was completed 18 months ago, and these things are to be expected. Fibreglass is not a robust material.

To me, it's just another job for the list.

I've been told that to do it properly will cost thousands, and it's not a big enough job for anyone to take on, unless I paid that much. This was told to me by a guy who used to do invisible repairs to fibreglass boats worth tens of millions. He also said that I could get the repair done for a couple of hundred and it will probably outlast the next problem. That's the option I have gone for.

£200 including paint. Booked in for Friday. What's the worst that could happen?

 

[IainP]

“ don't think the screws don't go into the top of the windcreen. The just go into the batten.”

That’s not really a clever method, I’d have thought clamps and construction adhesive for a batten. Clearly they expect it to move by using Tigerseal, in which case, as you say, the screw should have been covered with Tigerseal before any finishing. Even left with a gap before filler. Actually, after bonding they could have been removed since they don’t hold the batten to the screen.

Considering extra bracing instead of the floppy ‘x’ brace?

 

[Duncodin]

I think it would be better if the roof used the same fixing method as the front of the OEM hard top.