Got My Roof Painted, Need Advice. *PICS*
09-21-2013, 09:43 AM
#1
Got My Roof Painted, Need Advice. *PICS* Before anyone says anything; I KNOW THIS WAS NOT A PERMENANT FIX. I bought the car in September of 2007 and the roof was starting to bubble but wasn't too bad. I should of bought a roof when I priced it out then but I figured I'd hold off. Well now the roof is discontinued and 6LE's group buy for a new one didn't go through. I'm not trying to find a hardtop in a junk yard and swap roofs. So about 6 months ago I brought it into my body to get the roof re-sprayed. I really thought the bubbling wouldn't show its ugly face for at least 5-7 years. Less than a week later it was back...
Before:
Yup, that's a smiley face...
After:
I actually think it got worse after the work was done, like we agitated the glue or something. I left it outside for a little the other day and the bubbling was worse then I've ever seen. You couldn't see the glue line on the sail panel before the re-spray and now it's as clear as day. It eventually went down after it cooled off. There has to be some sort of primer, paint, something that can keep this from happening. My body shop manager has been making calls to paint reps trying to see if there's anything out there. How can we put a man on the moon but not be able to keep my roof from bubbling?!
Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks.
Before:
Yup, that's a smiley face...
After:
I actually think it got worse after the work was done, like we agitated the glue or something. I left it outside for a little the other day and the bubbling was worse then I've ever seen. You couldn't see the glue line on the sail panel before the re-spray and now it's as clear as day. It eventually went down after it cooled off. There has to be some sort of primer, paint, something that can keep this from happening. My body shop manager has been making calls to paint reps trying to see if there's anything out there. How can we put a man on the moon but not be able to keep my roof from bubbling?!
Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks.
Last edited by Grifter; 10-28-2013 at 08:43 AM.
09-21-2013, 10:42 AM
#2
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At this point, you can't fix the problem from the top side because the issue lies underneath. The panel is already compromised, and nothing that you do on top is going to change that.
09-21-2013, 12:43 PM
#3
There is, but it needs to be applied to the underside of the panel to prevent the glue from directly contacting the panel itself. This is how the older models that don't have this problem are set up; there is a paint barrier between the glue and the panel, so the glue isn't able to seep into the panel (and then be drawn out by the sun) in the first place.
At this point, you can't fix the problem from the top side because the issue lies underneath. The panel is already compromised, and nothing that you do on top is going to change that.
At this point, you can't fix the problem from the top side because the issue lies underneath. The panel is already compromised, and nothing that you do on top is going to change that.
09-22-2013, 11:25 AM
#6
There is, but it needs to be applied to the underside of the panel to prevent the glue from directly contacting the panel itself. This is how the older models that don't have this problem are set up; there is a paint barrier between the glue and the panel, so the glue isn't able to seep into the panel (and then be drawn out by the sun) in the first place.
At this point, you can't fix the problem from the top side because the issue lies underneath. The panel is already compromised, and nothing that you do on top is going to change that.
At this point, you can't fix the problem from the top side because the issue lies underneath. The panel is already compromised, and nothing that you do on top is going to change that.
===============================
step 1 would be to get it sanded, primed, and coated with a couple coats of epoxy sealer that won't allow any more reaction to continue up beyond this coat. this step is just to get to a sealed & smooth starting point
step 2 would be to lightly scuff up the top layer of the epoxy coat, then lay down a layer or 2 of thin fiberglass mat & epoxy resin. this layer would form a structure of sorts (kind of like putting a "helmet" on the roof) to prevent bubbles from being able to push their way through, and since it will be chemically separated from the compromised underlying fiberglass, it won't be eaten up by the glue and suffer the same fate.
step 3 would be to lightly sand & smooth out the top layer of the fiberglass mat layer, then prime/paint/clearcoat
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this way, you would not have to worry about removing anything (twice, once on your car, and once on the donor), and the top would end up being a bit stronger, too
this is just a theory, though....i'm not sure how it would actually end up in practice, and i certainly don't have the money or the time & necessary skills to try to tackle this on my own....but if it does work, it would definitely be a bit more of an accessible fix, not having to rely on availability of a donor car
thoughts?
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09-22-2013, 09:18 PM
#11
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09-23-2013, 06:03 AM
#13
My shop is connected to the body shop, so I'm friends with all the guys and have been showing/talking to them about doing the body work for years. They knew a roof would fix it but we couldn't find one so they tried to sand it down to bare fiberglass and spray it. I am still in shock as to how fast it came back. We went out about 4 days later to put the windshield trim on and we noticed it starting to bubble again!
09-23-2013, 10:02 AM
#14
My shop is connected to the body shop, so I'm friends with all the guys and have been showing/talking to them about doing the body work for years. They knew a roof would fix it but we couldn't find one so they tried to sand it down to bare fiberglass and spray it. I am still in shock as to how fast it came back. We went out about 4 days later to put the windshield trim on and we noticed it starting to bubble again!
) and try and pull them around noon so everything is warmed up.
09-29-2013, 12:48 PM
#16
Alright; well first I just wanted thank you guys for all the input. I was kind of hoping maybe someone came up with a magic paint to stop this from happening again but I knew that wouldn't be the case. I did a quick search and found dozens of 4th gens at local salvage yards. So I pulled the trigger on one and picked it up yesterday. It's off of a 94 Camaro and it kills me that it has no bubbles! I cannot believe how bad mine looks and has been garage kept its entire life. As common as this problem is I don't recall seeing much information on roof replacements so I will be updating this thread periodically with pictures and info.
09-29-2013, 11:04 PM
#20
Hope the roof comes off in one piece OK for you.
I bit the bullet and ordered a new 6LE panel for my 99. The bubbles aren't too obvious yet but if you look close there are a million of the buggers following the glue line. A couple came to a small head this year and I know it will only get worse.
I wish I was thinking and had pulled the roof on my old 98 after it was wrecked.
I bit the bullet and ordered a new 6LE panel for my 99. The bubbles aren't too obvious yet but if you look close there are a million of the buggers following the glue line. A couple came to a small head this year and I know it will only get worse.
I wish I was thinking and had pulled the roof on my old 98 after it was wrecked.