Fiberglass hood prep ???

[67 455 Bird ragtop]

Ok all you body work experts need a little advice. I just received a new hood for my 97 GTP. It's fiberglass over a stock metal frame. Finish is pretty good to start. BUt I was just curious what the proper steps are to block sand and prime this hood.

Mainly - What grit paper to start with. I assume I should be wet sanding during this process. Also what would a good primer to use? And do I need to use a bonding agent before I spray the primer??

While I've done a decent amount of body work very litle has been on fiberglass.

Thanks for ANY help you can spare ...

[mikey]

I would generally start with 180-240 grit dry on a file board. Preferably a hutchins pf16. It is straight yet will flex a little to follow the curve of the hood. I found this one works excellent on roofs also. I would mainly give it a good sanding without going through the primer little as possible. Then follow up with a good 2 part primer. I prefer Dupont Uro Prime it's rather pricey though. Put on 3-4 good coats guide coat it. Then follow up with 240-320 on a file board if you don't sand through re guide coat give it a final wet sand with at least 600 grit. If needed re prime with 2 coats before your final wet sand.

[67 455 Bird ragtop]

Thanks for the reply. I plan to gather my supplies over the next cpl of days so I can prep my hood over the weekend. My main concern was the grit level to start with. I have looked at a few sanding blocks already. I plan to purchase a good one since I will also need it for my 67 Bird once I get back to work on it. I'll post a few picks once my car is out of the shop.

[ProTouring442]

A cool little trick.... You may notice that sanding the fiberglass makes it very staticy. It will pull dirt off of a planet that comes too close to earth, I swear! After you blow it off, wipe it with a drier sheet. Goofy, but it works!

Shiny Side Up!
Bill

[67 455 Bird ragtop]

Kewl tip .... Will give it a try