oxidation on gelcoat

I have a mid '90s built CMC in black.The paint/gelcoat is looking rather
tired and needs a good cleaning.
I've tried a small spot with 3M Marine rubbing compound but it seems a bit harsh and left the finish looking duller than before..

Any recommendations on products to use for this?

Matt Preslaski

2000 boxster
1957(1996) CMC speedster

Wow! Panama City! I can see why you have surface oxidation in you Gel coat with the Sun you get down there.

I would be surprised if McGuire's 3-step finish restorer wouldn't work. It has an oxidizer remover (#1), then a surface polisher (#2) and then a Carnuba wax coat (#3). That usually works every time.

Of course, West Marine, your local boat supplier, has some stuff that works well on the Gel coat on my boat here in the Ocean State; West Marine Fiberglass Color Restorer (P/N: 492546) which takes off the oxidation and does a light polishing in one step, followed by West Marine's premium Polymer Polish (p/n: 4926450. Both should be applied with a power buffer, and don't do too large an area with that polymer polish or it'll dry like steel and you'll have to go over it again with the same polish to get it to loosen up and polish out.

good luck......gn

I would pay a pro to buff it out. Costs a little more, but you do get what you pay for and your less likely to damage what little finish you may have left.

Matt,
Most all of the marine products are lees than great been there a few times, I have found that a trip to a body shop is the fix :
sanded with 1500 soap and water then a buffing and it looks like glass "no pun intended!" Last time I had one done they charged me a very reasonable $125

West Marine is where they recommended the 3M marine rubbing compound.

I'v always hand polished cars in the past, I'v taken some pretty bad paintjobs and made them look great in the past. An old 928 won 1st place at the local car show a few years ago.

So I have a little experience with the work, but don't have experience with the sort of finish on these cars.

Basically my speedster is looking like an 1990 corvette. good but not so good if you know what I mean.

It's a 10 foot car. So it looks great from 10 feet away.

I'll try the Maquire's product.If you think it'll work on this finish.

If anybody else has any ideas throw 'em my way

Thanks

Matt Preslaski

Matt,

It may be more work than you want to do right now, but I used clear top coat on an older oxidized metal flake fiberglass dune buggy body and it came back better than new. I liked the 70's feel to the impregnated flakes and didn't want to respray.

A clear top coat would be easier to mask and need less disassembly, prep, and cause less overspray in the jams and such than a color spray would. And the top coat could be sanded out to a glass finish, but if you had to pay a shop to do it . . . well it might be too much for you right now.

If you can splash a coat yourself, do it! Looks NEW and lasts for life.

Luck.