Replacing siding on the seeya

[grushing]

We are going to get the whole outside skin replaced on our 2003 Alfa SeeYa. We were thinking about using aluminum sheets on the fiberglass or replace the fiberglass. Have any of you had your siding replaced and/or do you have any opinions on aluminum or fiberglass?

[a k]

Is it an insurance claim?
I think you'll have more in the skin cost than what the NADA book is.

[Chuck 1935]

Originally Posted by grushing

We are going to get the whole outside skin replaced on our 2003 Alfa SeeYa. We were thinking about using aluminum sheets on the fiberglass or replace the fiberglass. Have any of you had your siding replaced and/or do you have any opinions on aluminum or fiberglass?

Time to find a hail storm !!!!!!!!!!!

[scenic route]

If the delamination isn't too disagreeable to you, I say ignore it and enjoy the Alfa. I'd have to agree with a k that the repair will probably be cost prohibitive.

Side panels are usually laminated, bagged and heat cured in an autoclave. One would have to rout/plane the outside layer(assuming that only one layer is involved) of the delamination to get a smooth surface so a new layer could be bonded. If you were to just resurface with a over-layer of aluminum, I would think the 'bulges' would eventually show up again, if not immediately.

I've seen a few Alfa's with a delamination problem when we were looking and although I'm not sure of the process Alfa used for the panels, it would seem to be an expensive proposition for a good repair. Being that there is some structural integrity involved, professional help would be needed for a good bond. $$$ Good luck, Bob

[Parkerrs]

Originally Posted by scenic route

Side panels are usually laminated, bagged and heat cured in an autoclave.

Not neccessarily. I've toured two different manufacturing plants, Newmar being the last one I was at. At both of these facilities adhesive is spread on the outer frame work and then the fiberglass sheet is placed upon it standing up. At this point they use large and long aluminum C channel screwed to the sides to hold it in place until it cures. After curing the routing of openings takes place and any holes from the C channel attachment are filled and repaired.

I used to run a 50ft. autoclave in an aircraft manufacturing plant here in Ga., it's an amazing machine which creates the ultimate bonding process. I haven't seen one in use in other types of manufacturing probably due to the operating cost and labor cost involved with the machine. It had to be pressurized with CO2 to prevent an explosive hazard and it takes an awful lot of steam (cost) to heat a 20' diameter and 50ft. long steel tube to 265 degrees for one hour at 45 psi. That's why airplane parts cost so much, also we had to ultrasonic and X-ray test each bond. Non-destructive testing was what that was called.