How much does a frontend hood/fenders cost? ---

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by alwayscode390

Does the material flex enough to crack the paint with big hail I wonder? ---

Speaking from the (gut-wrenching!) experience of being caught in a hail storm, I can say that penny size hail didn't crack the paint, but it did leave little "stone chips" in the paint - about the size of a pin head.

Nothing like a few hundred chips like that to become pretty handy with a Langka kit. My thought was to temp the repairs until I could afford to repaint the car. But! In no time I discovered the secret was drying time, and I was able to repair a few hundred chips (on a black 95 Vette) to where I could not see the repairs, and I knew where they were too!

Fixed some buffer burns on my red Z as well. Nobody could pick out the damaged and repaired edges now.



Why do you ask? (If you don't mind me asking)



YMMV....Just sayin.

P.

[scottfab]

Originally Posted by Paul Workman

Speaking from the (gut-wrenching!) experience of being caught in a hail storm, I can say that penny size hail didn't crack the paint, but it did leave little "stone chips" in the paint - about the size of a pin head.

Nothing like a few hundred chips like that to become pretty handy with a Langka kit. My thought was to temp the repairs until I could afford to repaint the car. But! In no time I discovered the secret was drying time, and I was able to repair a few hundred chips (on a black 95 Vette) to where I could not see the repairs, and I knew where they were too!

Fixed some buffer burns on my red Z as well. Nobody could pick out the damaged and repaired edges now.
...snip...

(no hijack intended) I'd sure like to hear more about this. Maybe a "How to..." or what is now called "Technet" on the new webpage? Or a link another thread or somewhere?

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by scottfab

(no hijack intended) I'd sure like to hear more about this. Maybe a "How to..." or what is now called "Technet" on the new webpage? Or a link another thread or somewhere?

Not meaning to hyjack the thread too badly, I'll give ya the "talking points"

• Stripping the wax/polish is essential. I used 3M adheisive remover on a pad to do it, cuz it won't hurt the paint (and it strips pretty well, apparently).
  
• Follow the directions that comes with the kit, for the most part
  
• Drying time is the key, and it depends on ambient air temp, temp of the painted surface, and relative humidity. Drying too long and the blob of touchup paint gets too hard and you have to rub and rub to get it flat with the surrounding paint surface - if you can. But, too short and the blob of touchup paint will be too soft and the paint repair will "dish" or divot so the surface of the repair is lower than surrounding paint surface.
  
• I find that for temps in the 70-80ºF range, about 30 minutes is nominal (for the GM touchup paint), give or take 10 minutes or so (just have to see what works best and go with it!). Less time for warmer/dryer (maybe 20 minutes) to 40-45 min. for cooler, moister conditions.
  
• If you guess wrong, no big deal. Just remove the repair paint blob and put in some fresh touchup and adjust the drying time. I usually get it right by the third try, IF NOT on the second (with practice).
  
• Might be worth a try. Course, if it is a really big chip, then prep, paint, and sanding might be the only way to do it.

P.

[BigJohn]

Cool!!!!

Thank you!

[scottfab]

Good stuff. Thanks. The key would seem to be doing one rock chip until the drying time a amount used is right. Then repeat for all others.
Beats painting the whole front. I have all the equipment and experience to
do it but would rather not if possible.

Thanks again

Scott

Originally Posted by Paul Workman

Not meaning to hyjack the thread too badly, I'll give ya the "talking points"

• Stripping the wax/polish is essential. I used 3M adheisive remover on a pad to do it, cuz it won't hurt the paint (and it strips pretty well, apparently).
• Follow the directions that comes with the kit, for the most part
• Drying time is the key, and it depends on ambient air temp, temp of the painted surface, and relative humidity. Drying too long and the blob of touchup paint gets too hard and you have to rub and rub to get it flat with the surrounding paint surface - if you can. But, too short and the blob of touchup paint will be too soft and the paint repair will "dish" or divot so the surface of the repair is lower than surrounding paint surface.
• I find that for temps in the 70-80ºF range, about 30 minutes is nominal (for the GM touchup paint), give or take 10 minutes or so (just have to see what works best and go with it!). Less time for warmer/dryer (maybe 20 minutes) to 40-45 min. for cooler, moister conditions.
• If you guess wrong, no big deal. Just remove the repair paint blob and put in some fresh touchup and adjust the drying time. I usually get it right by the third try, IF NOT on the second (with practice).
• Might be worth a try. Course, if it is a really big chip, then prep, paint, and sanding might be the only way to do it.

P.

[alwayscode390]

Thanks Paul ... I am just wondering because it seems like I get caught in a hail storm atleast once a year and I wasn't sure what to expect .

I appreciate your response because its a BEEN THERE DONE THAT one ---

[BigJohn]

What front fenders????

[alwayscode390]

That's why I said Frontend --- Hood/fenders , as in one piece ---

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by alwayscode390

That's why I said Frontend --- Hood/fenders , as in one piece ---

Want to buy new or used???

[cvette98pacecar]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

Want to buy new or used???

I would love to buy that LM nose if she was for sale.