Auto body repair & detailing: Small Fiberglass Damage on Replica, shelby cobra replica, auto body shop

Question
Mr. Forster,

Thanks for taking my question.  Here's the situation and damage to the vehicle.  I have a '65 Shelby Cobra replica with a completely removable hood.  While removing it from the car in my garage a while back I dropped the end closest to the driver and passenger on the concrete floor.  The damage is to that back edge of the hood.  I have two separate spots.  Each one is approximately 5 inches long along the top side of that edge.  There is chipping of the fiberglass that goes as deep as 1/8" deep, and as much as 1/4" in from the edge.  From the middle of the damaged areas, I have spiderweb cracks in the paint in about a 4-5 inch radius.  There is no cracking in the hood that went all the way through the fiberglass.  If this sounds confusing, imagine the hood to be two pieces of bread stacked on top of each other and someone took two small bites out of the top slice.  I'm never very good at explaining things.

A friend told me that I could sand these areas and the paint, apply liquid fiberglass (he has the Bondo brand), sand it down, and get a paint shop to paint it for me.  I got a second and third opinion.  The guy at Auto Zone who used to work at an auto body shop said I may be able to do it because fiberglass is so easy to work with.  The guy at the auto body shop that gave me a price quote said that fiberglass is difficult to work with and that he'll have to do a great deal of work to make sure he gets the paint right so that it doesn't chip in the future.  I'm told the job is $514 worth of difficult.

I'm not sure who to trust on this one.  Since this is a kit car, I do want to keep it looking good, but at the same time I feel like I'd be getting gypped out of five hundred bucks and giving up on the spirit of doing it yourself at the same time.  Is this something I can handle or is part of the $500 going toward space-aged chemicals and processes for fixing advanced fiberglass polymers that I don't understand?  What's the process for filling in the damaged areas and what tools/materials would I need?  I have no experience with auto body repair, but I'm not afraid to try.

Thanks for the help!
Jim Gourley
Fort Campbell, Kentucky

Answer
Hello Jim! I gotta say, the guy at auto zone who used to be a bodyman? Good bodymen dont go to auto zone as a step up in their careers. Fiberglass repair is difficult to do, and make last. Now, the car is a very valuable replica. I know, 514 bucks sounds like a lot, but the paint will match, and you will have the peace of mind that it was done by a pro. To give you a price comparison, I will charge 350 per panel, for a panel with minor damage. You have described major damage, on a car that is a valuable classic car. Cars like this are a hobby, and like any hobby, it can be expensive. Home body repairs are usually a disapointment on cars like this. If is was a 94 S10, I would say give it a try. A 65 shelby? Buy the wife some roses, hide the frying pan and rolling pin, and make an appointment with the body shop. Hope this helps. Bill