How to Sand a Fiberglass Corvette

Corvettes are made of fiberglass, because the material is lightweight and durable. Corvettes are also made of fiberglass because steel just cannot conform to the curves and designs specific to the car. When you restore or repair a Corvette, the fiberglass body must be prepped differently than a steel-bodied car or a fiberglass boat. You can easily damage the fiberglass on a Corvette during the sanding process, causing the need for completely new body panels.

Instructions

1

Sand the Corvette with 80-grit sandpaper on a dual-action sander. Move the sander very slowly and don't put pressure against it while it is touching the car. Sand though the top coats until you reach the original base coat of paint.

2

Remove the 80-grit sandpaper and put 120-grit paper on the dual-action sander. Sand carefully through the original base coat without sanding through the black primer coat, because it is the urethane primer directly on top of the fiberglass.

3

Cover all areas of the Corvette that shouldn't be sprayed with primer. Use automotive masking tape and paper to mask off the glass, trim, grill, door handles, locks, tires, rims and lights. Wipe the surface with wax-and-grease remover and a microfiber towel.

4

Spray a total of two coats of epoxy primer on the sanded surface, to seal the fiberglass. Hold the sprayer 12 inches from the surface and begin at the top of the car. Use light, even strokes to evenly coat the Corvette. Wait 30 minutes after you spray the first coat before spraying the second coat. Let the second coat dry for one full day.

5

Cover the car with a total of three coats of urethane primer. Spray the urethane primer using the same techniques you used with the epoxy primer. Let the first and second coats dry for 30 minutes before spraying the next coat. Let the third coat dry for one full day.

6

Place 180-grit sandpaper on a long sanding block. Sand the entire surface with the sanding block. Keep the block flat against the surface and lead with the long edge of the block, not the short end.

7

Replace the 180-grit sandpaper with 320-grit sandpaper and block sand the car one more time. The car is now ready to be painted.