Fiberglass Questions

[CuriousJ0N]

So I'm thinking about getting fiberglass fenders and hood for my truck. My question is, if I'm planning on having all the panels painted, do I need a special paint or is there a place that does that type of work (i.e. Maaco)?

My next question is whether or not I can care for the paint finish on them the same way I do the rest of my truck's paint. Thanks!

[kgb]

Yes, the paint will be taken care of the same. TONS of cars come from the factory with fiberglass panels. The Corvette is the first that comes to mind. Any body shop will be able to paint them no problem.

HOWEVER, aftermarket fiberglass body panels NEVER fit perfect and usually take A LOT of work to get aligned right.

[T. Perinne]

The paint has different additives for being applied to different materials i.e. sheetmetal, fiberglass, urethane. It has a "flex agent" (for lack of a better term) when being applied to a flexible surface so the finish doesn't crack as it bends. Care of paint on different surfaces is all the same.

Aftermarket hoods are the fit correctly are very hard to come by - they typically never fit as good as the stocker.

[Galcobar]

For the love of all things automotive, stay away from Maaco!

A car I bought had been painted by them a few months earlier. Within three years, despite decent care (I wasn't quite as obsessed then as I am now) the paint was faded, the clearcoat all but gone and the texture disgusting. On top of that, when I took my car apart I discovered they hadn't even bothered to remove corner lights that covered a portion of the bumper -- they just painted around them.

No body shop, mechanic or car owner I know has anything good to say about them.

The thing about paying $300 for a paint job? It's a $300 paint job.