[Shiny]

I now have the repairs rough-sanded to shape.

So...

There are imperfections that need a filler. I ordered an SMC filler as advised.

For SMC, is it better to fill before or after priming? I will use a 2K primer.

Thanks again to all for the advice. So far so good.

Mike

[HoovDaddy]

If you use Vette Fill, it cannot be applied over primer. Make sure you download and read the tech sheets for all the products you use. Forums are great, but they can't replace the tech sheets for accurate information.

After Vette Fill, I would use Epoxy primer (SPI for instance) instead of 2k. SPI Epoxy will fill and sand like 2k and it will adhere better and it's more durable. Unlike 2k, you can apply most fillers over SPI (not Vette Fill though).

[Shiny]

Thanks again HoovDaddy!

I guessed an SMC-compatible filler might be formulated to adhere to SMC so glad I asked!

I couldn't justify the cost of the Vette fill, as I could only find it in a quart (~$100) so I ordered USC Garage SMC/Fiberglass Filler 77702. It comes in a small pouch, which fits my one-time use model. I was going to use the SEM Carbo-Fill but the local supplier couldn't get it quickly... I'll have to make sure the USC filler is compatible with the SEM repair material, though!

And yes, I read the tech sheets!

Mike

[Shiny]

I finished the reconstructive surgery and it turned out OK. The advice was good - thank you all.



The SEM material with the fiberglass mat seems strong. The USC SMC filler was tricky for me but I have no experience. It kicked over faster than I expected and cured pretty hard but it also adhered well and seems strong. Both the SEM adhesive and the filler were much harder to sand than the SMC material in the header panel. This made it hard for me to keep contours close, especially with all the compound curves.

All the little dings along the edge were tedious but after about 5 passes with the filler, I figured out how to make them be gone.

Onward!

Mike