Buffing up an old beauty...how to...

What color? How bad is it now? Pics?

Thanks for the quick reply. Ivory, and it more or less like an old

somewhat neglected boat. No real gouges or scratches ...just old

and faded. I't looks in this pic or most any pic that it just needs a

real good going over to be more presentable.

You could go with a clay bar treatment that serves to get some of the crap out of the paint.  This will make the surface very smooth to the touch.  Also, you can use a polish (notice the small "P").  I think I used a Meguiar's product that had a very mild abrasive then wax after.  As always, wash the car really well first to get the big crap off.

 If you need a more aggressive clean you could wet sand with like a 2000 grit sandpaper then polish, wax etc.  I prefer to see what results I can get with the least invasive process first.  You can always go more aggressive if you have to later if the results you were hoping for are not achieved.

Good luck, Frank

The most effective way to get old wax off is to

wash the car with Dawn dish washing soap. Then

clay bar the car.  I'm now using Meguiar's polish

for boats.  It's made for fiberglass and gel coats

followed by a good wax, PS21 and you're done.

I've had great success on my DD's using Griot's machine polish system.  It's thorough & safe.

I think the first question should be; "is it gel coat or has it been painted?"

 

If it's only Gel coat, then visiting a local Marine supplier might help, especially someone dealing in used boats as they have to make them look new to resell them.  There are a LOT of products out there for boats living under harsh conditions to remove oxidation and restore a shine.

 

http://www.westmarine.com/polishes-and-waxes

 

If it's been painted, then MaGuire's (Mother's, too) has a whole line of multi-step products to clean, remove oxidation and restore a shine on painted surfaces, along with the aforementioned clay-bar treatment (which works wonders).  The issue there is that with older, thinner paint, you have to go carefully and not burn through to the primer.

 

http://www.detailing.com/store...shing-compounds.html

 

Either way, I would suggest getting an inexpensive buffer to help with the elbow grease, as removing oxidation can be a lot of work. Worth it in the end, but still a lot of work.

 

Here's a decent, amateur detailing thread that talks about using Maguire products:

 

http://www.autogeekonline.net/...-approach-paint.html

I got some polishing compound and a random/orbital machine from Sears. Put a terry bonnet on it and have at it. Do all the flat areas with the machine and don't put any pressure on corners or edges. Really no big deal to do, just takes some time. It is amazing what comes out of the paint.

 

I really think that the clay bar is good, but David is beyond that and needs a more aggressive approach.

 

After you buff that $hit out, wax it and enjoy, David!

Thanks for that, Lads. Found a local kid off for the summer and he's onto it. Got the buffer and will get him the tools. He's a keen little bugger and liked the car. For laughs, check my OFF TOPIC THREAD  on the subject.

Have him be very careful using the buffer. There is a right way to use it. If you use it the wrong way it is VERY easy to burn the paint.

 

Best of luck,
Ted

If it is gel coat I just went thru that process and the diff tween how it looked and how it appears now is night and day.  Not a lot you can do with old, thin, tired paint but gel coat responds to treatment regardless how old.