Help!!!

[Nobby]

I recently bought meself a new white Nova with a smooth boot but dwn the 1 side it has a large crack in, i have filled it twice n rubbed it dwn but still the crack comes back any help well appreciated!!

Below is when i 1st had it, the 2 fast 2 furious sticker is off now lol
http://img162.exs.cx/img162/4244/tripwhitesa00038vl.jpg

and this is when i rubbed it dwn n sprayed it but its gone exactly the same as the 1st pic :(
http://img162.exs.cx/img162/7629/novaday200345hx.jpg

Plz Help!!

[Nobby]

[img=http://img162.exs.cx/img162/2774/tripwhitesa00038ux.jpg] (http://www.imageshack.us)

[General Baxter]

why would there be a crack in a metal plate :?

[Nick]

maybe it's a 100% filler job.

And that would also be your answer to why the crack keeps on appearing

[General Baxter]

i did that on my first nova, it did not last long :wink:

p.s your number plate is not lite up at night :wink:

[Mike.]

doubt its all filler it will be one of those flush boot panels

[Nick]

well whatever it is, there is obviously some internal movement.

so if it's a Welded panel, then it's obviously moving, and if it's a fibreglass mould thingy then it's probably not bonded down somewhere well enough.

[Mike.]

true, i've heard that the fiberglass panels can be very weak over the plate recess

[Nobby]

alright soz the pics aint workin i think the chaps just used 100% filler, it cracks dwn the right side about the same place where the ususal tailgates slope down, wat du think i cud do??

[General Baxter]

rip it all out, weld a metal plate over and do it that way ;)

[Nick]

yep, if it's 100% filler it can only get worse.

You've obviously got half decent bodywork skills, so either buy a fibreglass panel, or preferably get a plate welded in, and try and use as little filler as poss to skim over and make it all flush.

then spray. make sure you secure the plate/fibreglass panel securely to avoid the situation i mentioned occuring.

[Nobby]

u think i shud do that or just buy another tailgate with a spoiler??

[General Baxter]

or just dont flush it :wink:

[Mike.]

looked incredably smooth for a all filler job, maybe it was just the pics

[Nick]

they are camera phone pics

however the stress line is down the edge of the recess, therefor its right where a weld for a metal plate would be.

just buy a tailgate with a spoiler on and leave it standard looks much better.

infact i ahve a whole white SRi tailgate with a spoiler in my garden

[Mike.]

didn't you have a smooth tailgate nick????

[flowlikewater]

if its all filler it can be a real bum to strip it all out! best bet is go to a scrappy and see how much they want. then get it welded.

filler will nearly always crack it its more than 5mm thick. especially as the boot vibrates so much with the motion of the car.

get it welded than smoothed with fiber glass. any good bodyshop can do this.

if its easy to strip of the filler (assuming it is just filler) then dont buy a new tailgate and just do the above suggestion on the tail gate you already have.

[Nobby]

cheers ppl im gna strip it i think!! n jus go back 2 a normal tailgate, or i mite just fill it agen in rub it dwn with sum really fine paper n c wat appens! :D

[ade]

yer wasting yer time refilling it. Strip it out and either weld a metal plate over or try this idea -

Buy some clear perspex and cut to fit the whole lower section of the hatch. Sikaflex it in place (or use epoxy resin). All you have to do then is either fill the recess (which technically in your case it already filled), round off the edges and smooth them.

You'll also need to angle to top lip so it sits flush with the angle of the hatch.

B&Q do bif sheets of acrylic/perspex - only about ?10. It'll give you a totally smooth finish and shouldnt look out of place.

I stress I havnt tried this but I cant see why it wouldnt work. After all its just like buying a blanking panel - just alot cheaper.

ade