Selling your classic car? It's FREE to list your car on Honest John Classics | No thanks

Unknown - Bubbling paint on a GRP bodied classic car

On 4th February 2015, HJ wrote:-

"The problem is Osmosis, common on boats. Moisture has got behind the gel coat. Expensive specialist job to repair and definitely not covered by insurance. "

In response to an enquiry about "Bubbling paint on a GRP bodied classic car" described thus:

"My 1974 GRP bodied classic car was perfect in summer time, and used regularly. When wet weather came in I used two car covers, one soft breathable, and one waterproof, to keep off worst of rain and bird droppings etc.

To my horror the paintwork has bubbled up badly, little humps about 3mm diameter, 1mm high."

IF this is osmosis (which implies that the enquirer is incorrect in referring to "paint") I'd say the enquirer needs to stop using those covers.

Boats are MUCH more exposed to this hazard, since the hulls are continually immersed. They hardly ever show significant osmotic blistering on the topsides, unless its somewhere rainwater is trapped.

If its osmosis it seems very likely the covers are trapping rainwater or condensation against the gelcoat.

Air movement (wind, with maybe some fans inside and/or under the car, if possible, will dry out the structure, and may cause the collapse of some of the blisters.

With boats, a severe case may have the gelcoat stripped, the laminate washed and dried out, and then re-painted with a high-build epoxy/mineral water-barrier coat. That'd be uneccessary on a car, and an acceptable cosmetic appearance would be much harder to achieve.

Asked on 10 February 2015 by edlithgow

Tags: dealers used cars high mileage service history runflat tyres

2 answers

peter moss    on 14 January 2017

Yes tell me i owned a Scimitar it had more pimples than a hookers bum !

Add a comment

Related questions
Is it a bad idea to consider purchasing a high mileage current version Toyota RAV4? My budget is around £16k and I really like the current-gen model (2019+), but the only vehicles that come into budget...
I’m thinking of buying a Hyundai Santa Fe diesel, (to tow a caravan) which is 2.5 years old with full service history and 51000 miles. Should I be concerned about the unusually high mileage?
I'm considering buying a used hybrid Lexus (mainly CT and IS). I saw some with very high mileage (+150k) for sale. Is it safe to buy one like that? What kind of problems will a hybrid have with that kind...
I'm looking to buy a small van, e.g. Ford Transit Connect (LWB, high top). The plan is to use it as a small camper at weekends and drive it as my everyday vehicle during the week, so I need a reasonable...
 

Compare classic car insurance quotes and buy online. A friendly service offering access to a range of policies and benefits.

Get a quote