QuestionHi Gary,
I have a Saturn Ion silver color. The doors of this car are fiberglass. The door behind the driver's developed a point where the paint started peeling, and the fiberglass is exposed. For some reason, the paint flaked and there's an exposed round spot like the size of an orange that has no paint. Can this size of spot be fixed with the touch paint (lacquer) from the manufacturer? Can it be applied directly on fiberglass? How would you recommend to repair this?
Thanks in advance, Gary
Sincerely,
Rick
AnswerHi Rick,
For a spot this size I would recommend that you either take it to a body shop for a repair or if you have some handyman skill you might be able to repair it yourself using aerosol cans.
Now if you decide to do this yourself, I would recommend that you use good quality aerosol products. Cheap stuff is available but the quality of your job will suffer substantially.
First need to get the paint code off your Saturn Ion. It will be located on the Service Parts Identification tag. This tag will be located in the rear compartment of your vehicle. It should be either on the spare tire cover or in the rear wheel well compartment. Most GM vehicles will start out with a "BC/CC". It should be 4 characters, usually either 4 numbers or 3 numbers and a letter. Once you find this code you can then order a custom made can of color that should pretty well match your vehicle. Here's a place that can build your aerosol can: http://www.repaintsupply.com/touch-up-paint/r-e-color-coats-custom-matched-aeros
Now for the actually repair, You will need to pre-clean the door using a wax and grease remover. Next, sand the door damage using 320 grit wet sand paper, then sand the whole door using 800 grit wet sand paper. Re-clean using the wax and grease remover. Spray epoxy primer where you used the 320 grit. Allow the primer to dry a minimum of 1 hour. Spray the color over the primered area and onto the area where you sanded with 800 grit. So basically you will be doing a spot repair with the color. You will need to apply about 3 coats of color and make certain you get coverage (coverage is when can't see the primer color below). Allow each coat to dry about 15 minutes. The color will dry to a low gloss finish which is normal. Allow the last coat to dry about 1 hour then apply a good quality clear coat such as SprayMax 2K Glamour Clear-Coat. Spray clear over the whole door. Allow about 15-20 minutes between coats. You will need to apply 3 coats for durability and high gloss shine.
Here is a material list with quantities and links where you can find the products:
1. Wax & Grease Remover (1 Can) - http://www.repaintsupply.com/kleanstrip-esw362-prep-all-wax-and-grease-remover-p
2. 320 Grit Wet Dry Sandpaper (1 Pack) - http://www.repaintsupply.com/3m-32040-320-grit-wet-or-dry-sandpaper-p394.html
3. 800 Grit Wet Dry Sandpaper (1 Pack) - http://www.repaintsupply.com/3m-32035-800-grit-wet-or-dry-sandpaper-p391.html
4. Epoxy Primer (1 Can) - http://www.repaintsupply.com/spraymax-3680032-2k-epoxy-rust-cure-primer-aerosol-
5. Color (1 Can) - http://www.repaintsupply.com/touch-up-paint/r-e-color-coats-custom-matched-aeros
6. Clearcoat (2 Cans) - http://www.repaintsupply.com/spraymax-3680061-2k-urethane-clear-coat-aerosol-p36
If you have any other questions please ask a follow up.
