Advice on repairing rear spats

[Alan_M]

I have obtained a set of used spats to replace the one lost from my car and the one one still on the car somebody has previously bodged a repair on.

The replacements have a small amount of damage that I need to repair. What would be the best materials and technique to achieve a good robust repair so it doesn't fall apart again when stones hit it?

[Pete Boole]

I'd use ordinary polyester filler - maybe mix in some carbon fibre powder to increase strength. Remove all paint first where you are going to fill - it doesn't stick to paint as well it it sticks to fibreglass. Sand to shape and respray. You can get aerosol cans made to match your paint at good paint-shop suppliers.

Pete

[DavidOliver]

Blue paint on a white support will always show stone chippings.
I suggest you use resin to bond to exposed fibreglass. Try to find a resin colourant, blue in your case. Resin is hard to smooth
so you need to use body filler. Try and colour the body filler with resin colourant. and once applied smooth over with sandpaper etc.
to get the right contour. Do a trial mix before applying.
For the face which receives most stone throw you can cover with tank tape of the right colour, or close. The tape will not chip.

Dave the cog.

[rbgosling]

On much the same topic... one of my spats decided to fall off (about three years ago). What would anyone recommend for gluing it on again?

[Alan_M]

Blue paint on a white support will always show stone chippings.
I suggest you use resin to bond to exposed fibreglass. Try to find a resin colourant, blue in your case. Resin is hard to smooth
so you need to use body filler. Try and colour the body filler with resin colourant. and once applied smooth over with sandpaper etc.
to get the right contour. Do a trial mix before applying.
For the face which receives most stone throw you can cover with tank tape of the right colour, or close. The tape will not chip.

Dave the cog.

Thanks for tips. They are blue at the moment, but will be painted red to match the car . When you say resin do you mean the normal resin used to lay up fibreglass mat?
Interesting info about tank tape - never realised it existed.

I'd use ordinary polyester filler - maybe mix in some carbon fibre powder to increase strength. Remove all paint first where you are going to fill - it doesn't stick to paint as well it it sticks to fibreglass. Sand to shape and respray. You can get aerosol cans made to match your paint at good paint-shop suppliers.

Pete

Looking around I’ve found body filler with fibreglass already in it - would this be any good?

[Alan_M]

On much the same topic... one of my spats decided to fall off (about three years ago). What would anyone recommend for gluing it on again?

I was intending re-fixing mine with pop rivets and penny washers as per factory and a pu adhesive the same as for the waist trim. Either tiger seal or puraflex 40 around the edge.

[Pete Boole]

The filler with carbon fibre already in it is a great product but not for what you want to do - it's very stringy - the carbon fibre strands are very long. The carbon fibre powder can be bought from specialist fibreglass places (eg Easy Composites) and although it's described as a powder it's actually made up of very short bits of carbon fibre so it still smooths/sands nicely, and mixes easily (breathing mask essential).

Pete

[KevW]

I used Chemical Metal polyester filler to repair my spats. I refitted the spats using bolts similar to these https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/122116062802?chn=ps Initially I was going to use rivnuts but the bolts just screwed straight into the fibre glass after I slightly enlarged the original rivet holes. They've been on the car for 2 years without a problem and it means I can easily remove them for cleaning or repainting. I also drilled some large drainage holes in the bottom edge of the spat facing the tyre so I can flush them out top to bottom when I'm washing the car.