Gel coat driving

[chopthebass]

I noticed on another thread a guy drove his in gel coat for a couple thousand km before painting. Is this best practice? Or do most builders paint theirs immediately when finished? I like the idea of driving it for the first time (after go kart) when it is painted!

[LuckyWinner]

I know a lot of guys have told me to drive it in gel coat for a couple of hundred miles just to make sure all is running good, in case you have to pull the body before its painted.

[aspbite]

I think you need to let the body cure for awhile before paint and body work. I know FFR says the bodies are already cured, but after six months I see a lot more bumps and imperfections popping up.

[edwardb]

I too have seen a number of threads where guys have driven in gel coat for awhile before painting. I suspect it's the exception rather than the rule however. I guess there's the matter of making sure things are sorted out before committing to paint. But I'm not sure what you would find without paint vs. with paint. Often it's a matter of economics, e.g. saving for the paint. While it's not super difficult to remove the bodies, it's not like taking them on/off is like changing the oil. It's quite a bit of work, with many details including lights, side pipes, windshield, mirrors, roll bar(s), trunk/doors/hood, wheel well liners, and probably more I'm just not thinking of right now. So I'm not anxious to completely install the body for driving, and then remove again for paint. My first build was painted as part of the build. My second will be the same.

I believe the bodies are cured when received, and the time spent on the build in nearly all cases should be more than sufficient. I know some guys store them outside in the sun to make sure fully cured. Can't hurt anything. I've had two bodies sitting around for my 1-2 year builds. One was a couple of years old when I received it. The other only a couple months old. Neither have changed in any way since received.

[skullandbones]

My body sat inside and outside for a couple years with nothing done. I finally removed the seams and did a couple of rounds of filler then two coats of hot rod black primer. I haven't heard of anybody doing this way and then driving for a while. I wanted to get some seat time and practice painting another car since it has been years since I have sprayed a finish coat of paint. Edwardb mentioned economics. Yeah! That does come into play for some people. But if you are not doing your own work, I agree with you. Do it now. One important thing that a lot of people don't consider as much as they should is the choice of body shops. That can affect your time line or result considerably. I've heard more bad stories than good ones. However, there are a lot of qualified vendors who do that sort of work. I would cross my t's and dot my i's when making the choice. If you're lucky you will have someone versed in roadster body work near you. There really is a lot to do to "finish" one so you could find yourself paying for a long list of add ons if the body shop is not familiar with these projects. Just saying. Good luck, WEK.

[Jeff Kleiner]

Some do put on a few gelcoat miles, others hundreds or even thousands but I think aside from a blast or two around the neighborhood the majority dont.

I put >5 miles on mine before beginning the body & paint work. I had exactly zero miles on another (I actually had the body in Slick Sand before it ever went back on the chassis for the first time after being delivered). It was 100% complete when it turned it's first mile. On the other hand I put another roadster the road this past summer that the owner has driven ~1,000 miles in gelcoat, primarily because he wanted to get in a couple months of seat time before the weather turned. That one will be coming back to me to be painted after I finish the one that's here now for prep and paint which shows 19 miles in go-cart/gelcoat.

Jeff

[CraigS]

I drove mine for two years after the original builder drove it for a year so all in primer. My body guy is kind of an exception though. He had no problem painting on the car. his attitude was that he paints all his normal cars that way so what's the big deal. I see no downside to it. Sure there may be a little extra filling and sanding on the front end from usual bug and gravel hits but that is no big deal. W/ the mkIVs being a nice red gelcoat with a much better panel match at the mold seem lines it is not so obvious from 50 feet as it used to be. Since you are in the great north, I would do what works out seasonally. If your car is ready to drive in APril or May, there is no way I would give it to a paint shop then. Drive the heck out of it and give it to them in the fall. I spent probably 4 hours removing the windshield, the side pipes and all the lights to get ready for the paint shop. Probably took 6 hours to reassemble so for 10 hours work, you can drive it when you can and paint it when you can't drive it.

[Avalanche325]

I am planning on driving in gelcoat for a couple months. I am usually a finish it all first kind of guy. However, I am doing my own body and paint so it will be several months and I just can't wait. I also owe my wife a couple house projects.

[68GT500MAN]

I drove mine in gel-coat for 4 months (after being outside in the Fresno heat/cold for 9 months) mostly due to economics. Many different ways to skin this cat.
Doug

[MPTech]

I'm a proponent of Gelcoat driving! I finished my build to the licensing and driveable stage in April this year.
I drove it around town and to work, putting about 1k miles on it, then prepared for a 1k+ roadtrip to London Ohio with my dad.
We had a blast!! MPTech's 2013 London Cobra Show Pictures (http://www.ffcars.com/forums/17-factory-five-roadsters/338658-mptechs-2013-london-cobra-show-pictures.html)
Took several weekend morning cruises, a Winery Cruise with my wife, a weekend trip to the Ozarks, club meetings, ice cream runs, picnics, etc.
Put about 4k miles on it this summer.
Really enjoyed driving it, but I've got it in the garage for the winter, pulled apart for final assembly (finish the dash, insulation, carpet, finish the alum panels, undercoat the body, etc.) then take it to the painter in January! ;)

Take advantage of the summer to DRIVE IT!

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a78/MPTech/_W1A3288-Edit-Edit_zps284cb759.jpg

[MARIAH]

We put about 1500 miles on MARIAH before sending her body off to the painter.
It was a great time to shake down the car and enjoy her.
It also gets across to folks that this was something that you built.
After paint, it could have been built by anyone.

But truthfully back 10 years ago the bodies were prone to "issues" and this was certainly a way to give it time to cure, change shape and all the pin holes to appear.
Today, not nearly so. So enjoy her in or out of primer.................

[AC Bill]

5000 miles and still in gel-coat. Never lost a moments sleep worrying about a scratch or rock chip. Seat belt buckle hits the body by accident..not a problem, cat jumps on car, no big deal.
When your actually driving the roadster, you never even think about it, as the driving is what they are really all about.:)

Only time I feel bad I haven't painted it, is when I park beside a couple of other roadsters that are all painted up nice..:(