1976 coupe bubbles!

[Nigel curry]

Hi All
I bought my car several months back and I love it to bits,yes it’s not perfect and it has all the regular faults associated with these cars and it’s very much a work in progress as they say.But here’s the question I have just noticed a series of bubbles forming on the leading edge of the bonnet under the paint I couldn’t find out if the car had been sprayed in the past but it is the original colour.Unfortunately I cannot have the use of a garage (cost etc) so I purchased the best outdoor cover I could afford and I gave the car a thorough clean and wax protection I was wondering if anyone out there has any tips on how to minimise this problem as the winter gets worse!!.All that aside I love my corvette warts and all ( excuse the pun)

 

[Oneball]

Don’t put it under a car cover. In my opinion it’s worse that leaving it uncovered outside. They sweat and damage the paint, or they scratch the paint when it’s windy.

 

[Nassau65]

Totally agree with not putting a cover on it long term. Does more harm than good. Just give it a good wax/polish often during the winter months. The flow of air ( although possibly Dampish air) over/around it will be a lot better than it festering under a cover.

 

[buzbee]

Hi All
I bought my car several months back and I love it to bits,yes it’s not perfect and it has all the regular faults associated with these cars and it’s very much a work in progress as they say.But here’s the question I have just noticed a series of bubbles forming on the leading edge of the bonnet under the paint I couldn’t find out if the car had been sprayed in the past but it is the original colour.Unfortunately I cannot have the use of a garage (cost etc) so I purchased the best outdoor cover I could afford and I gave the car a thorough clean and wax protection I was wondering if anyone out there has any tips on how to minimise this problem as the winter gets worse!!.All that aside I love my corvette warts and all ( excuse the pun)

Hi.........its called Micro blistering....... I have owned my C3 for 40 years , had the body stripped and painted 30 years ago , all was fine until the car moved from a heated garage to a slightly damp detached garage for the winter , brought it out in the spring and noticed bubbles forming under the paintwork, they progressively got worse over the years the hood being the worst place , had the hood stripped and painted again , bubbles appeared again within a few weeks , this year had body stripped down to fiberglass , etch primed , gel coated then wrapped , hood bubbled again , was re done before i picked it up , its now bubbled again , have got a hood skin now to prepare ,fit and re wrap over the winter ...just hoping the rest of the body stays ok or thousands of pounds down the drain ... once its there seems like its there for good unless your very lucky , my advice would be not to cover it up as prevents body from breathing properly and retains moisture , will definitely make it worse .....

 

[curious bystander]

Problem with leaving the car outside and uncovered is that water will get into every nook and cranny. And you'll end up with rust issues.
We had six days in the Isle of Man recently with the C3. It rained most of the time and when we got home loads of water had got into the car - especially the drivers footwell that was totally soaked under the carpet. And that was only six days. Use a breathable cover IMHO

 

[buzbee]

Problem with leaving the car outside and uncovered is that water will get into every nook and cranny. And you'll end up with rust issues.
We had six days in the Isle of Man recently with the C3. It rained most of the time and when we got home loads of water had got into the car - especially the drivers footwell that was totally soaked under the carpet. And that was only six days. Use a breathable cover IMHO

yes i agree about water getting into the car , i bought a breathable cover some while back , just was not water proof enough , i think Nigel is between a rock and a hard place here.... my C3 is again in a dry detached garage next to my house , i keep an electric green house heater running in the 24..7 over the winter , expensive but i feel im doing the best i can ..... the fibre glass body seemed to get better after the C3 , different moulding maybe ....

 

[curious bystander]

yes i agree about water getting into the car , i bought a breathable cover some while back , just was not water proof enough , i think Nigel is between a rock and a hard place here.... my C3 is again in a dry detached garage next to my house , i keep an electric green house heater running in the 24..7 over the winter , expensive but i feel im doing the best i can ..... the fibre glass body seemed to get better after the C3 , different moulding maybe ....

Mine's been 10 years outside under breathable covers. I always use a couple of those damp absorbers in the two footwells and that keeps the interior from getting damp and musty. Apart from a couple of areas where the covers have rubbed off the top paint (edge of the wing mirrors mainly), the car's as good as the day I bought it.

 

[buzbee]

Mine's been 10 years outside under breathable covers. I always use a couple of those damp absorbers in the two footwells and that keeps the interior from getting damp and musty. Apart from a couple of areas where the covers have rubbed off the top paint (edge of the wing mirrors mainly), the car's as good as the day I bought it.

Excellent

 

[Roscobbc]

I'm hoping someone really 'in the know' relating to glass fibre bodywork and correct me if I am am wrong here (Custom Exotics?)......glass fibre fibre bodywork is of a woven material and being either fabricated from 'laid-up' sheets of material (in the case perhaps of later body repairs) or pressure moulded panels as per OEM, then finished-off with a gel coat ready for painting.
If the car has had some body repairs or a respray the 'shop' doing the work will presumably have done all the usual processes of rubbing down the body work with abrasive material to smooth it all out ready for the various primer and finish coats.
My understanding is that many micro-blistering issues start at this point. Even with a vehicle that was perhaps re-finished 20 or so years ago..........standard practice when finishing is to 'wet' sand the freshly repaired bodywork between coats and wash all the residue off before each coat of paint.
How did they dry-off the successive layers of filler and paint?.......what was the ambient temperature like on the day of painting?.......did they 'air dry' each coat........or use chemical evaporative liquids instead of plain water and 'bake the car off' in a proper heated booth before the final coats of paint to dry-off any moisure absorbed in the filler and 'glass body?
IMHO best practice if you haven't got a garage is either a 'Carcoon' type of cover (perhaps problematic externally on poor weather) or a framed cover that doesn't actually touch the car bodywork and allows ventilation. I think that Bill has perhaps been very lucky with his car........perhaps its still in original OEM paint or been re-finished by a 'proper' paint shop?

 

[curious bystander]

Hi Ross. Hope you're OK
In the absence of a decent garage a carcoon or some tent like structure would be preferable but I imagine they have their own problems when the wind starts to really blow. Like it seems to do more than ever these days. Certainly oop north
My car was resprayed just prior to my ownership but it wasn't a "posh" Custom Exotics type job. But none the less looked smart and fresh back when I got it
Perhaps I've had a better experience than other's but Stormforce 4 Layer covers have done a good job.
Having said all that we've moved house recently and this winter the car will be, at long last, in a garage

 

[buzbee]

I'm hoping someone really 'in the know' relating to glass fibre bodywork and correct me if I am am wrong here (Custom Exotics?)......glass fibre fibre bodywork is of a woven material and being either fabricated from 'laid-up' sheets of material (in the case perhaps of later body repairs) or pressure moulded panels as per OEM, then finished-off with a gel coat ready for painting.
If the car has had some body repairs or a respray the 'shop' doing the work will presumably have done all the usual processes of rubbing down the body work with abrasive material to smooth it all out ready for the various primer and finish coats.
My understanding is that many micro-blistering issues start at this point. Even with a vehicle that was perhaps re-finished 20 or so years ago..........standard practice when finishing is to 'wet' sand the freshly repaired bodywork between coats and wash all the residue off before each coat of paint.
How did they dry-off the successive layers of filler and paint?.......what was the ambient temperature like on the day of painting?.......did they 'air dry' each coat........or use chemical evaporative liquids instead of plain water and 'bake the car off' in a proper heated booth before the final coats of paint to dry-off any moisure absorbed in the filler and 'glass body?
IMHO best practice if you haven't got a garage is either a 'Carcoon' type of cover (perhaps problematic externally on poor weather) or a framed cover that doesn't actually touch the car bodywork and allows ventilation. I think that Bill has perhaps been very lucky with his car........perhaps its still in original OEM paint or been re-finished by a 'proper' paint shop?

I agree , mine was fine until re painted , although it was in my body shop , painted in two pack , and all processes were undertaken in a sealed oven with extractors under my watchful eye , my conclusion is old generation fibre glass is a very fickle compound , mostly happy with its original coat , but try parting the two and the fibre glass body becomes very unhappy and never fully gels with its new coat and tries its best to shed it again.... moral is if you only have a few blemishes and stone chips , treat them as best you can then leave well alone ... spend the money saved on a new handbag for your partner and HAPPY DAYS ...

 

[Nigel curry]

Yep much as I thought, but at least I have the thoughts and advice I needed from the guys who should know, I think I will try to minimise the cover usage perhaps over night (fearful of water in footwells due to over night rain).At least I have the car of my dreams on my drive
Thanks guys
Nige

 

[Custom exotics]

I hope you all checked with your said bodyshops that there spray set ups included oil and water traps and a drier on the compressor!! We run traps after compressor then the air drier unit then another trap then in the oven the air pass through 3 more traps/separators then to our spray gun if you have ever used a compressor for a while you will know how much water can build up in the tank if this then gets forced down the air line and out thr guns it mixes with the paint partials and can cause said mirco blistering ..... that being said car covers being used outside is a massive no no for us not something we recommend. Aftermarket low bake 2k paint is nowhere near as strong as modern high bake 2k that new cars come from factory with !! We keep our c5 in a carcoon now its been demoted from the garage as the c6 now has its place. Garage is best place but again if its got a concrete floor lay some old carpet down first saves and damp coming up from floor esp when you put a warm car away on a cold day !!

 

[Roscobbc]

I hope you all checked with your said bodyshops that there spray set ups included oil and water traps and a drier on the compressor!! We run traps after compressor then the air drier unit then another trap then in the oven the air pass through 3 more traps/separators then to our spray gun if you have ever used a compressor for a while you will know how much water can build up in the tank if this then gets forced down the air line and out thr guns it mixes with the paint partials and can cause said mirco blistering ..... that being said car covers being used outside is a massive no no for us not something we recommend. Aftermarket low bake 2k paint is nowhere near as strong as modern high bake 2k that new cars come from factory with !! We keep our c5 in a carcoon now its been demoted from the garage as the c6 now has its place. Garage is best place but again if its got a concrete floor lay some old carpet down first saves and damp coming up from floor esp when you put a warm car away on a cold day !!

And ther we have it - 'the' definitive answer from the paint people considered to the amoung the very, very best in the business.......effectively an 'OCD' attitude to cleanliness and equipment preparation and maintenance!

 

[Mr. Cricket]

Not familiar with a '76 but my '71 has drain holes in the wiper trough area so first check those are clear to keep water ingress to a minimum. Likewise the gas filler recess has a drain, check that too as mine was clogged and water got into my tank. When we moved to our new place my Corvettes sat on the drive for 3 weeks while the garage roof was installed so I put cling film over the gas cap to keep water out. You could maybe try that around the front lower screen area which is the week spot where rain gets in?

Micro blisters will diminish come show season next year.

 

[Nigel curry]

Mmmm that’s interesting Mr Cricket and also well within my somewhat meagre budget after buying the car
Thanks mate

 

[Nassau65]

I suppose you could always try double covering it. A nice soft indoor cover on first, then the waterproof outdoor on top. The nice soft indoor cover will protect against rubbing etc while the outdoor cover will protect against the elements.
Try to remove both covers regularly to allow the car to breath.

 

[Roscobbc]

For the last 20+ years my car has been kept in a double length mixed construction garage. One side of the garage is also the flank wall of our house. The other side is solid brick. Floor is concrete. Rear half of garage roof is felt covered timber boarding. Front and rear opening doors are timber. Front section follows the roof line of the house, just tiled and used as a storage space, no insulation.
Heat from the house 'seeps' through during winter so internal 'ambient' is always higher than external temperature and above freezing point. Condensation is never an issue........except, if during winter temperatures a garage door is opened when the car is uncovered you will see light condensation quickly build-up on the bodywork as the external coild air 'hits' the comparitively warmer car bodywork. I generally use a padded on the car, not so much for any dust that settles on the car but more to keep-off the tiny brown spots on the paintwork caused by flies 'crapping' on it surface!