rough spoiler

2498 Views 13 Replies 10 Participants Last post by pdupler, Jan 6, 2004

Nick O

Discussion Starter · Dec 6, 2003

The top of my spoiler has a very rough grainy texture to it, is this a typical wear/tear problem? Or was it the result of a previous owner's poor refinishing methods? What's the best/safest method of fixing this?

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atdsupra

· #2 · Dec 6, 2003

mine is in same condition, was thinking about totaking it to a paint shop . . . but not really sure the material it is, and if will be repairable with usual material . . .

if someone has gone thru this post please . . .thanks!!

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raven

· #3 · Dec 7, 2003

I've got 3 of these wings... my original is like sandpaper. The second one was snapped when an idiot tried to surf on it while I was leaving a parking lot. Looking at the inside, it's made out of carbon-fiber-ish stuff with no weave pattern. You can sand it down smooth as long as you don't go too far in and change the shape. Be careful, it's on the fragile side (i.e. no belt sander).

However, I think there's two types of wing. the 84 wings are solid CF, but the earlier ones may have a black coating over some white mesh stuff I can't identify. (The third one has a wear spot).

Best method is to get a new one

If you're not afraid of painting, try sanding it down a bit, priming, and then paint it a gloss black (look on the underside for the correct color, I guarentee it isn't faded there!) I've never tried to restore any of mine, but I think this is your only method of doing so. Good luck!

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Nick O

Discussion Starter · #4 · Dec 8, 2003

thanks for the info. My car is an 84 so I might try sanding it lighty. I'm going to paint the whole car in the spring so I'm not worried about paint. My hatch is very rusted out as well, the previous owner tried to patch it up with fiberglass but it still looks like crap, so I haven't ruled out searching for a whole new hatch with spoiler. The spoiler on any good condition hatch would have to be in better condition than mine, my entire car is so faded I can't tell if it was originally dark blue or light blue.

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JZA-61

· #5 · Dec 8, 2003

I found that it helped a lot to use a sealer between sanding and final painting. You can use a plastic sealer (best) or even slate sealer (also works). Otherwise the paint will just soak into the plastic and leave spider-web cracks.

Justin
JZA61

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ZZT231

· #6 · Dec 8, 2003

If it is weathered back a little, you can get body filler or something along those lines and spred it like butter over the spoiler to retain it's shape.

Then sand it back etc... That is what my Panel beater done to my spoiler and looks like a treat. Now i have bird crap marks all over it as it ate through the a week old clear coat

... Oh well.

Cheers.

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TOYMAN321

· #7 · Jan 5, 2004

my wing went bad on me just a year after it rolled off the lot and was repainted by toyota. I repainted it again this year, sanded it down to smooth it out and painted it... looks great.

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Greg G

· #8 · Jan 5, 2004

LOL our wings are simple fiberglass. Sanding and painting shld do the trick. My bodyshop friend made mine look brand new for $50. Its amazing what a little sanding and gloss black paint will do for mk2 trim pieces.

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Marblehead

· #9 · Jan 5, 2004

Greg, are you sure these wings are just straight fiberglass? They look, to me, to be a glass-filled plastic; molten plastic with milled glass fibers added before molding. Milled glass fibers mixed with any sort of casting material adds superior strength and reduces shrinkage.

Nick, the roughness you feel on the wing is oxidized paint due to poor protection methods from the previous owner. Is it just rough or is it rough and lighter in color, fading to gray/white? If it's just rough you MAY get away with using a rubbing compound to remove the heavily oxidized paint, then follow with a polishing compound to bring back the luster. If it's fading then your only hope is to repaint.

Flyin' high on cloud 9.
Scott

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atdsupra

· #10 · Jan 5, 2004

the roughness in my car spoyler is not in the paint is in the material its made of . . . like a coarse metal sand paper, for that roughness I think regular bondo will do . . . and the surface will make the bondo easier to stick to the material . . .

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Marblehead

· #11 · Jan 5, 2004

atdsupra said:
the roughness in my car spoyler is not in the paint is in the material its made of . . . like a coarse metal sand paper, for that roughness I think regular bondo will do . . . and the surface will make the bondo easier to stick to the material . . .

A thin skin of bondo to fill in the pits is one option. Another would be to sand it down smooth.

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atdsupra

· #12 · Jan 5, 2004

I would have to sand it down at least 1/16" . . . but roughness is not in the entire surface of spoyler , I think it wont have a good look when sanded down :roll:

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sloopercat

· #13 · Jan 5, 2004

I took mine to a body shop and they fixed and painted it for $40. They called me when they had a gloss black car to paint. The extra work for the spoiler was just gravy on the other car's bill.

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pdupler

· #14 · Jan 6, 2004

Marblehead said:
Greg, are you sure these wings are just straight fiberglass? They look, to me, to be a glass-filled plastic; molten plastic with milled glass fibers added before molding. Milled glass fibers mixed with any sort of casting material adds superior strength and reduces shrinkage.

I think its made of some kind of fiberglass resin rather than a poured mold because it doesn't melt. I sold one off a parts car to another forum member and when the buyer came to remove it, we discovered that one of the mounting studs had rusted and snapped. Rather than toss it, I was able to mig-weld a new stud in place without damage to the surrounding fiberglass material. I'm sure it would have melted had it been plastic.

Phil D.

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