88 Four Winns Exterior Resto Project

[BLinindoll]

Hey guys. I'm fairly new to the forum. Just thought I'd post my exterior restoration project. It is a 1988 Four Winns 200 Horizon with a 4.3L OMC. Just bought the boat a few weeks ago and it had/has some serious oxidation. I didn't take pics before my initial attempts, but you can get an idea of how bad it was...

This is how it sits now, after I have already been over the whole thing with a heavy 3M rubbing compound and commercial buffer, then polish. it's a lot better then it was, but no where near good enough.





After about 4 hours of sanding this is where it sits. I started with 800, went to 500, then to 400, then to 320, then finally to 220 before I really started getting through the oxidation. My arm feels like it is going to fall off, which is why I am taking a break and posting. I am using a rubber block with a garden hose to wash all the crap off often.




Any tips or tricks to making this go fast/easier?! I thought about, and am seriously considering, taking out the DA. Thoughts?

 

[Driven1]

Re: 88 Four Winns Exterior Resto Project

A DA, jitterbug, or small electric orbital will work fine. You just have to be aware that it's going to work a lot faster. You need to be careful not to go too far with it, especially on corners or sharp edges. It's probably best to do those by hand. Gelcoats aren't all that thick in some cases. Once you've gone through the gelcoat there's no real good fix for it. Matching gelcoat colors is nearly impossible. You'd probably want to start off with 320 to get the worst of the oxidation off and then start working in the other direction with your grits of sandpaper back up to as high as 1500 to get that nice gloss. A good buffing with polishing compound and then wax. Put on the sunglasses!

 

[ne7800]

Re: 88 Four Winns Exterior Resto Project

it's looking good keep up the good work

 

[sundowner205]

Re: 88 Four Winns Exterior Resto Project

I have an '89 Four Winns Sundowner....BLACK, white and yellow....most of the hull is black - on my boat your red is my black. Anyway...the boat was in great condition when I bought it. All except the gelcoat was oxidized heavily in some areas. In addition, the previous owner removed some "splash" style Four Winns decals from the hull which left some ghosting on the gelcoat.

I found this stuff called Presto Gelcoat Rejuvenator. I did some research, well, alot of research, and found that the stuff had amazing results and many happy customers....it's really simple to apply, and one LIGHT coat lasts the entire year. It is not that cheap, I paid around $48 shipped for the bottle on ebay, but it is well worth the money and effort applying it. Here's a link to it on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PRES...9457345QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p4506.m20.l1116

Looks like the guy raised the price a bit, but in my opinion it is definitely worth the time and effort you will save doing all of that sanding, compounding, and buffing. I bought the same 4oz. bottle and didn't even use half of it on my boat which is 21 feet. If you do decide to use it, do not apply it in direct sunlight!...It will harden the second you pour it on the paper towel!

 

[BLinindoll]

Re: 88 Four Winns Exterior Resto Project

I have an '89 Four Winns Sundowner....BLACK, white and yellow....most of the hull is black - on my boat your red is my black. Anyway...the boat was in great condition when I bought it. All except the gelcoat was oxidized heavily in some areas. In addition, the previous owner removed some "splash" style Four Winns decals from the hull which left some ghosting on the gelcoat.

I found this stuff called Presto Gelcoat Rejuvenator. I did some research, well, alot of research, and found that the stuff had amazing results and many happy customers....it's really simple to apply, and one LIGHT coat lasts the entire year. It is not that cheap, I paid around $48 shipped for the bottle on ebay, but it is well worth the money and effort applying it. Here's a link to it on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PRES...9457345QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p4506.m20.l1116

Looks like the guy raised the price a bit, but in my opinion it is definitely worth the time and effort you will save doing all of that sanding, compounding, and buffing. I bought the same 4oz. bottle and didn't even use half of it on my boat which is 21 feet. If you do decide to use it, do not apply it in direct sunlight!...It will harden the second you pour it on the paper towel!

Yeah, I thought about trying a chemical product... after I was already well into sanding, lol. I decided I will finish sanding the boat like this so it is totaly uniform.

I have the next 2 weeks off of work due to knee surgery for a torn meniscus, so I think I will do the hand method. I am going to be pretty borded sitting at home getting paid