I agree with you 100% in trying to get a orignal type finish,but again a
bathtub is in a stable environment A Bricklin has to go thru harsh
environments extreme winters and summers(for those people who drive their
cars)
and that is where the problem lies,the orignal Bricklin panels cannot take
the abuse(or use)Again the process
of the Bricklin panels was a bad idea for a car,and unless someone comes out
with a way of putting the same amount of flex in the acrylic,as in
fiberglass, it will crack.Example: witness what happens when someone paints
a newer car with the rubber front and rear fascias,without using a flex
agent in the paint,after awhile the paint will start cracking on the
flexable parts (the Facias)just like the Bricklin acrylic,again in order to
get the Bricklin panels to stop cracking(only the acylic usually cracks on a
Bricklin, not the fiberglass,unless the car was painted incorrectly),some
kind of flex agent
has to be put into the acrylic to give it some flex,to bend with the
fiberglass,and not crack.If that is the case and somebody makes a flexable
acrylic panel that can be bonded to fiberglass,and can take the extreme
heat/sunlight,then it will be possible to have a deriable panel for a car,as
of this date no such panels are available.My two Bricklins are a perfect
example of what I am talking about,one was 100% orignal and used as
everyday basic transporation(by the previous owner),and the other was
pampered and only driven on special occations,and garaged and covered,since
new,(by me)the end result, is that the everyday Bricklin panels were cracked
behond
normal repair and the other Bricklin is still showcar perfect,unless the car
was pampered from birth,and continues to be pampered,a typical Bricklins
body panels will crack,and even then,you will still get "some" cracks.
Claude
1136
----- Original Message -----
From: alphachi <alphachi@writeme.com>
To: <Bricklin@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 9:55 AM
Subject: Gelcoat vs Acrylic
> As I said Claude, no offense was meant about your choice of finishes, and
I
> thought I mentioned it was a viable choice. And I agree it is a better
> option than simple paint and may be the only option if we can't get this
> trial together to test bonafide acrylic finishes. Perhaps calling gelcoat
> "paint", was inexact in making my point it was a finish other than the one
> applied. It is a common finish applied to boats. Unfortunately, and this
> you can agree, a gelcoated Brick is still a gelcoated Brick, that was my
> point. I'm sure it looks good, but if we can find a viable acrylic
process,
> not only will it look as good, it will be a true to form Brick. I'm
hoping
> you can concede that point. There may be a real opportunity to restore
the
> Brick panels rather than alter them by applying boat finishes or standard
> paints. The key to any true restoration and you'll be hard pressed to
find
> a restorer that disagrees, is to match the original finish as close as
> possible, NOT to modernize it.
> stephan #
>
>
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