crack on fiberglass

What do I do about a crack above my back tire in the fiberglass? Please say it can be fixed

Sure it can be fixed....anything can be fixed. Seriously, working with fiberglass can be fun. If your not up to that challenge, then any experienced body shop can repair it. If the car is painted it can be touched up. If it is gel coated, that can be repaired as well. Are you looking for a "how to" to repair it yourself or just re-assurance that it can be done?

If it's above the back tire, I would want to know what caused it, so it doesn't happen again.

Yeah.....Where, exactly, is it? Is it a lengthy crack or a "star" crack (looks like an asterisk)? Are there others around it or is it solo?

Anything can be fixed just like new, it just depends on the nature of the crack, what caused it (so future cracks can be prevented), where it is on the body and how invisible the mend must be.

Book stores (B&N, Borders, Amazon) have lots of reference books on fiberglass use and repair - some are more oriented to original lay-ups, while others are more for repairs. Check out your local bookstore, or check out "Fiberglass and Composite Materials" by Forbes Aird - just one of many books on this. Bert and Dick Rutan have written a bunch of them, too, although mostly for aeronautics applications, while there are many others for marine applications (same stuff, it just gets wet more often than a Speedster!)

The good news is it won't start to rust before you can get it fixed! I patched cracks in the front bumper and at the rear bottom edge with marine epoxy and touch up paint, it can be done. If it is a significant crack or if you're uncertain about tackling something like that, I'd let a pro do it.

thank you everyone for your help. Honestly, I think I drove over a rut on the highway and it warped the side causing a crack. The crack is about two inches long and is just above the wheel well. I got freaked out this morning. Thank you again. This club is an incredible resource.

Clint: What type of body have you got there? CMC, VS, etc? Just curious.......a 2" crack above the rear wheel well, hmmmmmmm? Along the lip or further up the body? It must have been a really significant rut to cause that much body flex - it's possible, just had to have been a LOT of torsional body flex to cause it there. You might also look at the corner at the bottom rear of the doors to see if there isn't cracking there as well (a more common spot due to body flex). Might as well find them all now than later.

Also check in here at the library in the CMC build manuals, there's illustrated instructions on how to work with fiberglass.

The bottom paragraph applies to All that have a CMC FiberFab body ... they all will sooner or later sag in the rear and this is an easy fix for the problem .
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Clint:

Your body crack may very well be caused by a loose rear body section .

Look at the door gaps at the top are they even at the top and the same gap at the bottoms ? If not try this easy method to repair.

Pull a wheel and check the vertical fiberglass inner wheel well panel rivets that face you and are attached to the 2x2 inner steel square stock. You may either see rivets broken off, some missing or elongated holes around the rivets.

Have a helper reach under the back portion of the car body and gently lift on it as you watch the rivets in the wheel well openings, watch to see if they are.... as mentioned, loose and or broken.
Also, watch the door gaps ...
Do they close up on the top as the body is lifed in the rear....are they now even ?

The fix to this problem is to wrap a towel around a 4' long 2x4 then place the 2x4 centered on a floor jack. Jack against the underside of the rear of the body * g e n t l y * until if firmly rests against the body but barely putting pressure on it. Using this as a support, drill out the old rivets. Then come up on the jack ever so slightly watching the top of the door gaps until even. Use a dood quality urethane adhesive and squeeze some between the fiberglass inner panels and the 2x2 steel frame, drill for no less than (4) 5/16" bolts for each side , drill all the way through the 2x2 steel frame and bolt the fiberglass panel into place using fender washers and nyloc nuts.

Thank you. I am going to check the rear body and see if it is loose. I have a 2000 VS body. I have great deductible as well. I'm much more relaxed after chatting with you'll. I thought it was going to be a disaster.