Fixing delamination on the cheap

[Dave@Moon]

I have an 11 year old painted fiberglas cap on my pickup that is severely delaminating. The clear-coat has peeled off (about 70% gone) leaving the white color coat behind. I need to fix it, but I'm not sure how to go about it.

The cap isn't worth a full paint job, which would cost more than I could replace it for. Therefore I'm going to spray over the old color coat with large cans of Dupli-Color White that are a perfect match.

Here's the problem, the remaining bits of the clear coat (which is quite thick) are stuck fast in most places leaving high ridges that'll show through and/or delaminate futher under the new paint. I'm afraid to get too aggressive with a sander because the area surrounding these islands of clear coat only have a soft/chalky color coat over fiberglas. I think I'll likely chew through it, and into or through the resin, long before I remove the much harder clear coat islands.

Is there some way I can attack the clear coat without distrubing the surrounding paint very much? If not, and I wind up feathering and painting over the delaminating bits, how long will it be before those bits of clear coat come off taking the top coat I apply with them?

This is a Warrior brand cap I bought in 1996. I have no idea what kind of paint they used on it.

[Mike Cullen]

Once the fiberglass has started to de-laminate, you are in trouble. Take it to a boatyard and have them check it out, you may be able to fix it with glass resin, and then shoot some gel coat and paint to cover and match it. You won't get the appearance you want with rattlecans, no matter how careful you are. Buy some cheap acrylic enamel at your local paint jobber and shoot it with a gun, it will come out 1000% better. Feather the edges of the BC/CC and prime first.

[Bhigdog]

There is no easy fix. Assuming you mean the clear coat not the fibreglass itself has delaminated you are doomed to sanding the remaining clear coat off along with some of the surrounding color coat. If you paint over the remaining clear it too will later peel loose. Or you can also use paint remover made for fibreglass that will remove the finish down to the gel coat. Then finish sand and recoat. Messy but effective.

If you do the sanding and preparation one of the cheapie repaint places may do it pretty cheaply for you.........Bob

[Dave@Moon]

Thanks guys. I was trying to keep out of a major project on what amounts to my old part-runner. I don't think the cap is long for this world if I don't get some paint on it. (The rest of the truck still looks pretty good after 11 years.) Oh well!