faded gelcoat, is there any hope?

[southernpride]

I recently purchased a 16.5' bass boat and the previous owner obviously let it sit out in the weather for sometime. The gelcoat has began to fade. It isn't real bad but I do want to repair it before it can get worse. I purchsed a bottle of rubbing compound and wax made specificly for faded gelcoat finishes, but try as I might, it didn't help matters much. Does anyone here know of anyway I can restore the original luster (at a reasonable cost). Thanks for your help!

 

[watermellonI]

Re: faded gelcoat, is there any hope?

Try doin a search in this forum I know I ve seen a few posts about finishes.
I m lookin at usin some 600 or 1000 grit wet sand to try to bring mine back, mine is mostly age not so much fade from weather.

 

[MikDee]

Re: faded gelcoat, is there any hope?

Yeah, my method is, let it sit in the sun to get warm some, then rub some ordinary cheap vaseline in by hand, it will soak into the surface, & the silicone, will restore the color, & sheen, by itself. Just use as much as you need, and wipe off the excess after it completely soaks in, (in a few days) this will clean the surface at the same time. Once it soaks in completely, and stops working, I like Gel Gloss fiberglas cleaner as the next step, to help cleaning, but it doesn't hold up well, so I try different waxes, & polishes over it you can try the rubbing compound, wax, or polish, you should have better results now, with less effort. By the way, don't let this secret method out good luck, Mike

 

[woosterken]

Re: faded gelcoat, is there any hope?

try soft scrub cleaner and a fine scotch brite bad,lots of water to rinse and then polish and finish off with a good wax like mcquires(sp)
woosterken

 

[cbavier]

Re: faded gelcoat, is there any hope?

I recently purchased a 16.5' bass boat and the previous owner obviously let it sit out in the weather for sometime. The gelcoat has began to fade. It isn't real bad but I do want to repair it before it can get worse. I purchsed a bottle of rubbing compound and wax made specificly for faded gelcoat finishes, but try as I might, it didn't help matters much. Does anyone here know of anyway I can restore the original luster (at a reasonable cost). Thanks for your help!

First you must use a Hull wash like Britestar to remove chalking and clean the Fiberglass pores. Caution it's acid, use a long handled Brush and rinse thoroughly. Then 3M Color Restore if it's bad part # 09089 this product contains NO WAX! or if it's not too bad you can use 3M Marine Fiberglass Cleaner and Wax part # 09009. But you still need to apply a coat of wax BEFORE putting the boat in the water.

Follow the instructions on the bottle exactly as described! YOU MUST USE A COMMERCIAL BUFFER! It will ruin a regular WAX/ Buffer like you buy at
K Mart's or Walmart's before you even get one side done.

Then leave Boat set after this for two-three days so finish can harden then WAX-WAX-WAX.
Use MC Guires Premium Boat wax or Nu Finish (the orange bottle at Walmart's) or use a good Carnuba wax NOT AUTOMOTIVE! It must state on the bottle for MARINE or Fiberglass BOATS.
Regular Car wax contains damaging chemicals to fiberglass.

First year Wax Spring- Summer- Fall
Second Year and subsequent years wax Summer - Fall

The wax schedule is assuming the boat is stored for winter inside or covered well.

Chuck's Fiberglass - Boat & RV Color Restore, Roscommon, Michigan

Probably if it's not too bad the second product Cleaner and wax will work for you. Nevertheless it should be waxed per instructions I just wrote. To give you an Idea I charge $22 a ft just to do the outside Hull and manage to keep boats lined up most of the summer. Of course I do them on my schedule.

Check out my work on my boat. http://www.flickr.com/photos/24589494@N00

I did four Boats last year. One from Toledo, Ohio...Now to keep peace with this Forum. I'm not advertising just showing you that YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF. Remember WAX-WAX-WAX.

After first Coat of wax is applied and hardens you will be able to wax your boat in about two hours or less.

 

[fishntoss]

Re: faded gelcoat, is there any hope?

Whatever you do to get the shine back.. it's gonna be work...

Hey Chuck... You might want to get some other pix to show off your work... I'm not being a butt####, but I couldn't tell any difference in the before and after pix on your boat..I'm sure you do good work and all, but you gotta something about the pix...:redface:

There is a product called... Poliglow... some like it some don't...

 

[cbavier]

Re: faded gelcoat, is there any hope?

Quote: Fishintoss "Hey Chuck... You might want to get some other pix to show off your work... I'm not being a butt####, but I couldn't tell any difference in the before and after pix on your boat..I'm sure you do good work and all, but you gotta something about the pix..." Unquote

You sure didn't look at them very close. The entire Boat was Chalked and faded. Those aren't shadows. Read the captions or comments on the Photo's, Before and After. I do have Pictures in an album of the other Boats I have done to show my prospects.

 

[southernpride]

Re: faded gelcoat, is there any hope?

Thank you all so much for help on this. Now if it will ever get through raining I might be able to try some of these tips. Thanks Again!

 

[woosterken]

Re: faded gelcoat, is there any hope?

SP,
check you PM box for more info

woosterken

 

[brownies]

Re: faded gelcoat, is there any hope?

New Glass II is a product that can be found on-line. Works as advertised, and will make it shine like new.
BUT, just like everything else I've seen posted above....it's not long lasting. One year later it will need it again or it will look worse than it does now.

I've sanded and clearcoated a few bass boats that had glitter finish. Never much cared for that method though.
I guess they looked much better, shiney again anyway, and it lasts. BUT, sanding seems to change the color of the glitter somewhat. I always thought even though it was shiney, it had a "foggy" look to it.
Never had anything but praise from customers, and it's not difficult to do.....I've just never been able to say that I personally liked the finished look.

 

[brownies]

Re: faded gelcoat, is there any hope?

One more note. You said reasonable cost?
I see a $22/ft quote up there and then a wax,wax,wax (four times a year, then twice a year).
IF you do it yourself, you can now consider yourself to be worth $22/ft. (a bit less due to lack of experience, then add some due to extra effort since it's YOUR own boat).
On a 16.5ft boat, Thats $363. AND, you are now committed to waxing it four times in the next year. Just a guess, but, wax,wax,wax sounds like work,work, work to me. (notice the redundancy of both).
OR, apply a value to those wax jobs.

Sometimes it's cheaper to get a more permanant fix even if it appears to more expensive initially.
Do what you do best to make money and pay somebody to do what they do best and make your boat shine...(for longer than 3months ).

 

[Mark42]

Re: faded gelcoat, is there any hope?

Here is a link to an article I wrote about how I did a low buck refinish to my 1965 MFG Niagara. Its easy, not expensive, and has held up for years with just occassional application of plain old Turtle Wax.

http://www.fiberglassics.com/mfg/restoring_glossgelcoat.htm

 

[cbavier]

Re: faded gelcoat, is there any hope?

Here is a link to an article I wrote about how I did a low buck refinish to my 1965 MFG Niagara. Its easy, not expensive, and has held up for years with just occassional application of plain old Turtle Wax.

http://www.fiberglassics.com/mfg/restoring_glossgelcoat.htm

Looks Great. It's a lot of work but very rewarding. Boat looks as good as new. That's why I said Wax, wax, wax, The first year and then keep it waxed a couple times a year after that. The pores of the Fiberglass must be filled with wax and permitted to harden. After the first wax. waxing is a breeze. I put the first coat on and take it off with the Commercial five speed buffer at slow speed. After that on with a buffer and off with a clean rag