'65 Convertible - little crack

[Oliver S.]

Hello,

last year after I bought my '65 Convertible I discovered a little crack in the right rear fender:
The actual crack in the fiberglass is restricted to the inside 'lip' above the wheel (arrow pointing up in the pic) , whereas the crack in the paint goes a up on the outside (arrow pointing left in the pic), inside you feel the surface a bit rough but not due to a attempt to fix this - the structural integrity is ok in this area:
The crack is only visible when the light shines in the right angle. It hasn't increased - neither in the paint nor in the fender after 1000 miles driving.
I suppose fixing this once and forever an experienced person has to this job. Is there a possibility only to fill the little crack in the fiberglass to get a bit more stability without doing anything else, being aware that this might be a temporary solution but better than doing nothing? What stuff should I use for this? Or is it better to leave it as it is ... and wait until there may be another paint job in a couple of years - when other things may require this?

Regards
Oliver

[Mike G.]

Re: '65 Convertible - little crack

Interesting crack! Appears that this area is highly stressed and has naturally relieved itself. So the question is, will it propagate?
Myself, for peace of mind, I'd lay on a bead of bonding adhesive, reinforced with some mat fibers. Should prevent any growth caused by vibration or shock.
When you repaint, you're going to be V-ing out the area anyway.

[Oliver S.]

Re: '65 Convertible - little crack

What brand or product do you recommend as bonding adhesive for this type of application - I would only need a small quantity, thus as small package to buy would be sufficient?

Regards
Oliver

[Mike McKown]

Re: '65 Convertible - little crack

If it was mine(and it's not) I would let well enough alone. Many of these cars have cracks there, many will have cracks there and many have been fixed there.

I'd wait until you need some paint work in that area. I don't think a band-aid patch will stop it from cracking out again. You could spend a lot of money fixing something 99/100 people won't see anyway.

[Ed D.]

Re: '65 Convertible - little crack

Interesting! .... my 65 did the same thing ( same location) only a little more noticable. I left it alone and it hasn't gotten any bigger in the last four years.

[Mike G.]

Re: '65 Convertible - little crack

Oliver:

I use Evercoat, but a quart is the smallest size I've seen. And that's about $25. All the structural adhesives are pricey. The chemical companies are making a killing on us.
But, the data coming in from the other posters suggests there's little risk in just leaving it.

[Jim T.]

Re: '65 Convertible - little crack

Oliver my 70 original owner Corvette has this same type condition on the top of the right rear fender. It was not there when I bought the car new and appeared later, don't remember when I first noticed it during ownership. I stripped and repainted my 70 in 1990-91. In stipping off the paint I found that there had to been either an repair at the factory or at the dealership. My 70 was on the showroom floor when I bought it. Did not see any crack in the repair, so just primed, applied sealer, and painted. A few years, about 8 years later the same crack in the paint at same location appeared. If I ever repaint the car I will do more body repair to prevent it, but nothing is planned now.