So how do I fix this?

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Had a slight issue today when I was rigging my Exige. I think as it was so hot, the paint must have softened up a bit, and with the weight of the rig pushing down.....it created an impression in the surface.

These are about as good as I can capture for now to show it:

So what's the best way of fixing that? Wet sanding?

I do have a G220, put if I just did that area, I can't imagine it would fix the deeper parts (which you can feel with your finger nail)

So lesson very much learnt, don't rig a car in the blazing sun.....especially when it probably doesnt have great paint to start with!

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

i suspect the paint isnt going to be very hard or thick to start with.

you can slightly improve them with wetsanding and then light compound to a shine.

worst case senario is a bonnet respray

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

It's not on the bonnet, it's on the rear clam, near the wing. So a rather large body panel lol!

 

[Dr HMS Derv Destroyer]

oh my bad lol, the shape thrown me off thinking it was a bonnet. gally is probably your best shot at fixing this

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Can any of the more experienced chaps on here give some advice on this please?

Ta

 

[JCC]

It's a bit hard to tell from pics, but I'd be wet sanding that to try and sort it, or at least minimise how much it shows. I'm a spray painter though so I don't even flinch about taking sandpaper to paintwork, if you're not all that confident take it to a bodyshop/decent detailer.

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

I'm in Tewkesbury.

Anyone know a good one local to there?

 

[JD]

Pictures make it hard to tell, Dan. I'm worried that the paint has actually sunk rather than scratched. There is only so much you can do with wet sanding and paint correction, as (as you well know) these take layers off the surface to level out the paint, getting rid of the V shaped scratches.

If it is worst case scenario and the paint has sunk, a respray is likely to be your only option. I know about paint correction, I don't know about painting. Kev/Gally is your man, so I'll let him come back with his thoughts.

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Well I'd probably give it a blast with my G220 and intensive polish, but I have no idea how thick the paint is.
It would be great I'd there's anyone near who could quickly measure the car so I know if it's safe to try it.

 

[Gally]

Hmm toughy that one mate. Really not the best place to have any damage as you know painting clams run into mega £££'s.

It's definitely "imprinted" itself in the lacquer. I know you're not really wanting to wetsand it and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to you, last thing you want is damaging your own car.

You can't be far from Russ in the Midlands. http://midlandscarcare.co.uk/ He's on here also. I'd certainly get it over to him and let him cast his eye over it.

 

[JD]

If you were closer, I'd more than be willing to offer. Unless you're going to CSS and Kev can bring his Depth Gauge?

edit: agreed, Kev. Realised where Tewkes is now.

 

[Gally]

Well I'd probably give it a blast with my G220 and intensive polish, but I have no idea how thick the paint is.
It would be great I'd there's anyone near who could quickly measure the car so I know if it's safe to try it.

I wouldn't polish it at all mate, you'll end up chasing it and in doing so removing too much clearcoat, at this stage it's best to leave it until it's looked at. If it's easy enough to remove i'm sure Russ would tell you (hard to tell from the picture of course) The more clearcoat that is left the easier wet sanding becomes.

 

[Gally]

If you were closer, I'd more than be willing to offer. Unless you're going to CSS and Kev can bring his Depth Gauge?

edit: agreed, Kev. Realised where Tewkes is now.

I had to google map it aswell.

I always use the works PDG not something I want to be travelling with. My one broke ages ago, way to expensive to replace when I have one there.

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Is CSS this Sunday? If so then I'm travelling that day so won't be able to make it.
I'll leave it for now and wait until I can see a pro.

 

[Gally]

I would live with until a pro looked at it too mate.

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

It's not THAT bad tbh, but as you can probably understand, a little mark on my pride and joy isn't great.

 

[Gally]

I know mate, especially with the rest being immaculate.

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

The paint is in very good condition, obviously there are stone chips etc on the front, but that's unavoidable especially on something this low.
I might even leave it for a while and do a full respray sometime!

 

[Silent_Scone]

Looks like the cups sank into the clear coat, depends entirely on how thick it is tbh mate. You might get away with wet sanding

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

I'll get my SLR out this evening and take some better shots for you guys to judge better.
Thanks for the help so far.

Really nervous about doing it again though! Pretty sure it was because if the heat.
The front rig shot didn't cause any issues at all.
Must be pretty soft paint on these things!

 

[Waitey]

More likely fibre glass damage than paint damage.

 

[JD]

More likely fibre glass damage than paint damage.

This man would know. Had anything like this happened before Ste?

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

I don't think it's deep enough to be fibre glass related.

As I said, I'll get some better photos tonight. Really hope it's a simple fix, even though sometimes you cant see it, I know it's there which is worse lol!

I initially thought it might be the wax on the car, as I waxed it not long ago. But I think it is the clearcoat.

 

[Silent_Scone]

It won't be the fibre glass

 

[Daniel]

If you can feel it with your fingernail, the only way to fix it 100% to get it painted.

You could tidy it up/make it less noticeable by doing a bit of sanding/polishing but you will never get rid of it unless you get it painted.

Bummer.

 

[Waitey]

You'd be surprised how mailable fibre glass gets when its hot. Soft paint and hot fibre glass will lead to these when used with suction mounts, my friends hill climb Tuscan is covered with them from his little rig.

The pain will be soft to cope with the amount of flex in the fibre. You get an odd interaction with fibre carrying the wait around the rim of the mount an you get a depression like that.

That is a respray job.

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Well lesson learned.

I'm planning to head out again on Friday for some more shots.....bit nervous about doing it tbh! But it's nowhere near as hot as it was on the previous day.

 

[Marky_]

That's a bummer Dan

How heavy is your rig? Shots looked amazing btw.

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

The rig itself isn't that heavy, but the weight is amplified as it's hanging so far off the car.

I think Russ is the nearest chap to me, so I'll get in touch soon to see if I can pop over one day.

 

[Daniel]

Can you not mount it to a window?

 

[...]

Lotus paint on elises and exiges is very very soft ,and the clearcoat layers are reasonably thick as well , having had a few that does look like fibreglass stressing , the panels really do become flexible when warm and you have to be really carful with them , about the toughest place is the roof usually .

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Can you not mount it to a window?

On the windscreen yes, but I really wouldnt want to mount them on the side windows.

Does make me wonder.....as the guy I bought the kit off in the US has an Exige too. This is how setup:

 

[...]

and as i pointed out he is using the roof

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

But that's not where the stress and the weight is. The mount on the left is in the same position as mine, that's where the pressure is.....and A LOT of it!

 

[JD]

And he's not reported any issues, Dan?

Either he's lying, or he only uses it in certain temps...?

 

[richy22]

Thats what happens when you buy a car built in bounty country.

Bloody 6 toed inbred f***s.

 

[JoshE]

If its fibreglass damage give Mike Harris at Westgate Classics a call. He's based in Aldridge, Birmingham and has 40 years experience in fibreglass work. He was a hell of a lot cheaper than anyone else when my mate had some repair work done to a rear clam on his elise. The quality of his work is second to none...

http://www.westgateclassics.co.uk/