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Thread: Uncured gel coat?

  1. #1
    Jacob's Avatar
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    Uncured gel coat?

    Not sure exactly how to handle this but today I was probing around the seams as I was getting ready to start sanding the gel coat...and found some areas where the outside of the body form were stiff and brittle but as I probed underneath the hard outer surface there was quite a bit of uncured gelcoat. So I am assuming that I need to remove the outer surface until I stop finding uncured gel coat and then rebuild that area with body filler? Is this the correct way to proceed? Appreciate any help!





    MK IV complete Kit - 1st time builder started Sept 2016
    Levy 306
    T5
    2015 Mustang IRS
    Power steering - Levy setup, Breeze roll bars, Thompson trunk box
    fuel injection, powder coating, sway bars, heater, wipers, 17 in wheels

  2. #2
    Administrator David Hodgkins's Avatar
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    Jacob, when did you receive your kit? I've sent an email to FFR, and will report back when they respond.

    Hopefully they will chime in; would also love to hear what some of the vendor painters have to say (Setting up the BAT signal as we speak)


    FFR 5369 Pin Drive, IRS, Trigos, Torsen, Wilwoods, FMS BOSS 302 "B" cam , Mass-flo. CA SB100 (SPCN) Registered
    Delivered 4/23/06. "Finished" 4/2012 (still not done!)


  3. #3
    Senior Member BEAR-AvHistory's Avatar
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    Why not see if FFR will take it back & give you a good one?
    Kevin
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  4. #4
    Jacob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by David Hodgkins View Post
    Jacob, when did you receive your kit? I've sent an email to FFR, and will report back when they respond.

    Hopefully they will chime in; would also love to hear what some of the vendor painters have to say (Setting up the BAT signal as we speak)

    I got the complete kit August 2016. I haven't called FFR but guess I should. I was assuming this is a common issue? It looks to me that to make it work you'd have to grind off the outer shell until you stopped getting "goo"? If you've ever had one of those chocolate covered ice cream bars, it's hard on the outside but soft underneath.
    MK IV complete Kit - 1st time builder started Sept 2016
    Levy 306
    T5
    2015 Mustang IRS
    Power steering - Levy setup, Breeze roll bars, Thompson trunk box
    fuel injection, powder coating, sway bars, heater, wipers, 17 in wheels

  5. #5
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    Is it uncured gelcoat or colored clay? All of that has to be removed either way.

  6. #6
    Jacob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by carbon fiber View Post
    Is it uncured gelcoat or colored clay? All of that has to be removed either way.
    Must be gelcoat, couldn't get off my fingers with paint thinner or anything else?
    MK IV complete Kit - 1st time builder started Sept 2016
    Levy 306
    T5
    2015 Mustang IRS
    Power steering - Levy setup, Breeze roll bars, Thompson trunk box
    fuel injection, powder coating, sway bars, heater, wipers, 17 in wheels

  7. #7

    Steve >> aka: GoDadGo
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    Acetone will get it off of your fingers.
    Nail polish remover will work too, but it will take longer.
    Also, the uncured Gel-Coat was obviously not properly catalyzed.
    I wonder if they where using a gun that catalyzes at the tip, a pressure pot unit or my favorite, Ye-Old One Quart Dump Gun.

    http://www.uscomposites.com/equipment.html
    Last edited by GoDadGo; 11-30-2017 at 09:20 PM.

  8. #8
    Out Drivin' Gumball's Avatar
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    I found a cavity of that in my Mk3.1 back when I did the bodywork - had to do quite a bit of grinding to get it out. It was located along the mold parting line directly above the front driver's side wheel.

    Here's a pic of it during and after the operation to remove. Once done, I repaired the area with filler and it has held up fine.



    Overhead and profile of the cleaned area with a straight edge over top.....





    Finished....

    Later,
    Chris

    "There are no more monsters to fear, and so, we have to build our own."
    Mk3.1 #7074

  9. #9
    Curmudgeon mikeinatlanta's Avatar
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    I'd be more worried about the uncured gelcoat you haven't found. What are the odds that it is only in that exact spot? If not cured by now it will never cure and rear its head later. I would go for a new body. If replacing the body is not an option, I'd fill low areas with 3M HSRF and finish with normal body filler products. If super deep, I'd fill with 1/2" chopped fibers and vinylester resin, then bodywork as normal.
    MKII "Little Boy". 432CI all aluminum Windsor. .699 solid roller, DA Koni shocks, aluminum IRS, Straight cut dog ring T-5, 13" four piston Brembos, Bogart wheels. BOOM!

  10. #10
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    The problem looks minor compared to what I've had to repair. Remove all of the uncured material and repair with chopped fiber and resin as already recommended. I find that cutting fiberglass mat into narrow strips with scissors, then cutting it into short lengths makes nice chopped fiber. I bought a big bag of 1/4" chopped fiber that did not work well at all - it was extremely difficult to get wetted.

    Get a gallon of acetone for clean-up when working with fiberglass resin. You'll also need a bunch of nitrile gloves. I like tiger-grip gloves. None of them hold up to much acetone exposure.

  11. #11
    Senior Member edwardb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jacob View Post
    I got the complete kit August 2016. I haven't called FFR but guess I should. I was assuming this is a common issue?
    There have been numerous issues with the parting lines being contaminated over the years, resulting in grinding, filling, etc. But the later versions (e.g. your Mk4) not so much. What you're dealing with is definitely not common. I'd start by calling FFR. Probably can be fixed by maybe there are other options.
    Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread
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  12. #12
    Jacob's Avatar
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    thanks all!
    MK IV complete Kit - 1st time builder started Sept 2016
    Levy 306
    T5
    2015 Mustang IRS
    Power steering - Levy setup, Breeze roll bars, Thompson trunk box
    fuel injection, powder coating, sway bars, heater, wipers, 17 in wheels

  13. #13
    Not a waxer Jeff Kleiner's Avatar
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    I've encountered it a few times but must say that the globs were not that big. I dug, ground and cleaned them out then filled with HSRF and Rage. As much as 6+ years later on some of them and thus far none have reared their ugly heads.

    Jeff

  14. #14
    bobl's Avatar
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    I had some pretty big globs in my MK IV also. It seems to be pretty normal, some more than others. I just dug it out and ground until I had a good clean surface then filled it with HSRF. I never found one that went so deep that it needed actual fiberglass repair.

    Bob
    Mk IV Roadster, 347/516 HP, 8 stack injection, Holley HP ECU, Astro Performance T5, 3-Link 4.10 gears, A/C, PS, PB Purchased 08/2015, Graduated 02/2017

  15. #15
    Jacob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bobl View Post
    I had some pretty big globs in my MK IV also. It seems to be pretty normal, some more than others. I just dug it out and ground until I had a good clean surface then filled it with HSRF. I never found one that went so deep that it needed actual fiberglass repair.

    Bob
    I called FFR today and in summary they recommended the fix you mention, grind it out until no more goo, clean with acetone, fill with HSRF and finish off with body filler. In essence not a big deal, regrettable and unfortunate but fixable. Not saying I'm a body shop expert but I think I can handle it. I'll post results in my build log. thanks all
    MK IV complete Kit - 1st time builder started Sept 2016
    Levy 306
    T5
    2015 Mustang IRS
    Power steering - Levy setup, Breeze roll bars, Thompson trunk box
    fuel injection, powder coating, sway bars, heater, wipers, 17 in wheels

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