Lotus Europa Community

I had a mysterious sound which I thought was from a front wheel/brake disc, it was road speed related, and it turned out to be a new speedo cable that I had just put in.

Sometimes the noise can come from unusual places.

   I'm staying out of this because I only can comment on polyester resin repairs.
 I am learning a lot though, as EuropaTC says, my experiences are 20 years old.
  Shrinkage after painting, on panels that haven't been repaired are showing flaws.
 Flaws in fibers rising in OEM sections, In my opinion these cars have been through a lot of environmental changes, in that they all have hidden internal flaws. Covering an entire panel with either epoxy or polyester resin will probably mask the underlying flaws, encapsulate them, so to speak for the next generation. We can only preserve history so much. WTS, lets document these repairs and compare notes in a year or so.
Dakazman 
 

I like your idea of a closeout panel under the dash. I've thought of doing something similar.

I have a backup camera with a radio that has a small screen (I'm constantly looking for a more modern single DIN radio with Bluetooth and a backup camera support but it seems the big manufacturers aren't interested). It's supposed to have a 170° field of view but it is not nearly as good as the one on my 2016 CR-V. Still, it is nice to have.

Agreed, Brian. Mea culpa . . . my link is both confusing and contradictory. I should have examined it more closely.

Ron, my presumption is that Colin used the cheapest Polyester he could find. I'm not convinced cracking can be attributed solely to the resin used and cursory examination of a bare shell will reveal what we already know - the hand laminating was done by relatively unskilled people. Some of the factory's efforts to fill defects were truely dismal.

That's not to say they didn't do an OK job, but it is what it is, as they say. There's thin sections, thick sections and pools of resin which subsequently and inevitably crack - some did on mine. To be kind, this could be considered a testament to the forgiving nature of the material, but these bodies are also 50 years old.

I favour the Polyester system because it's the well trodden path with a depth & breadth of knowledge, experience and related products not always easily found with the Epoxy system - and better the devil you know, too.
There also seems to be ample info on painting boats with Epoxy substrates but precious little re cars.

But I reckon one could largely adapt an equivalent Epoxy system.
I'd want to find some CSM with powder binding in several different weights. I believe there are non-woven veils that are Epoxy compatible.
Epoxy fairing compounds are readily available but I haven't seen anything equivalent to the 'glaze' type Polyester based automotive products.

What's the procedure from there?
Does the new Epoxy surface require a primer? Presumably it'd be epoxy primer (presumably non-etch?) over the whole car and then Polyester spray filler for the final shaping followed by urethane 2K primer and the top coats? - dunno and there's others with better knowledge than myself on this aspect and this enquiring mind would like to hear that.

So, I tend to think the shrinkage angle draws rather more attention than is deserved and doesn't come into play in any practical sense as Brian lays out.

Hi Guys

I cannot remember exactly from my original research, but yes its good for fibreglass. Its not jet black, but has a slight grey to it (my eyes) but it gives a great finish. Note that it is designed for automotive underbody use, but is not 100% waterproof, ie not suitable for constant immersion in water without a top coat.

I had the interior stripped out and so painted the interior also as it also acts a sound deadener and smooths/ hides any nasty surfaces. I will try to get a pic.

All the best

Berni