Topic: Tail light panel

[AJ]

Starting to prep my tail light panel.  The library article has been helpful but i have a few questions:
1.  Will soda blasting diminish the texture on outside of panel
2.  Is there a technique to replicate/restore the texture appearance?  There?s a small area where texture was sanded smooth during apparent repair.
3.  Would the trunk facing side of the panel have been painted.  Or expected to be the natural pink color? 

Thanks,
Adrian

[69GT350H]

My trunk side is pink. I have tried to duplicate the texture with one of those textured pads from a seat repair kit using spot putty and the likes, unsuccessfully.

[Bob Gaines]

Starting to prep my tail light panel.  The library article has been helpful but i have a few questions:
1.  Will soda blasting diminish the texture on outside of panel
2.  Is there a technique to replicate/restore the texture appearance?  There?s a small area where texture was sanded smooth during apparent repair.
3.  Would the trunk facing side of the panel have been painted.  Or expected to be the natural pink color? 

Thanks,
Adrian

The soda blasting doesn't typically diminish the grain texture. Next time I strip one I am going to try the heavy duty easy off oven clean product like i have used numerous times on the fiberglass interior quarter trim panels so as to save the grain before painting. It should be just as effective at stripping while preserving the grain. The only process I am aware of is as all ready mentioned by using a graining pad over a skim coat.There is a learning curve. The entire backside of the tail panel is typically. Although the color is made into the fiberglass you can match up paint to accomplish a similar finish if needed to cover repairs etc.