1988 boat detail questions

[ChevyZ71LTZ]

Ok, I'm going to attempt a boat detail this spring on a 1988 Stingray. To my knowledge, it hasn't been detailed in the past 10 or so years, however, it has been barn kept and could be in much worse shape than it's in.

I already have hundreds of dollars in products, and I know I do need some boat-specific products, but I'm not 100% sure on what I should get. I know boats are a pain in the rear end and I'd like to get away with as few steps as possible. I just prefer cars, but I'd like to clean up this boat for my Dad.

I have a Meg's DA with their finishing and polishing pads, plus I have the 4 inch LC CCS pad kit, which I know will come in handy for the boat.

Lake Country 4 Inch CCS Pads 6 Pack - Your Choice!

I was thinking of investing in the 6 pack 5.5 LC CCS pad kit, not for use only on the boat, but vehicles in the future. Many people have said how much they like the 5.5 inch instead of the 6.5 inch saying they rotate easier. I have used the gray LC CCS 6.5 inch pads and I love them. Is the 5.5 inch kit a good investment? Which pad selection would you recommend for the boat and future vehicle details?

Alright, so now for some pictures:






So, you see it could be in much worse shape. Now judging by the pictures, do you think I could get away with using say, Meguiar's Flagship Premium Cleaner/Wax or should I go with something more like the Meguiar's Fiberglass Restoration System? I know you need to correct the defects, feed the gelcoat with polish, then protect. I know the restoration system would make it look better in the long run, but it's quite a bit more work and I'd prefer to spend my time on cars.

Meguiar's Boat Cleaner and Wax, gel coat cleaner wax, Meguiars Flagship polish wax, meguires, maguires

Meguiars Fiberglass Restoration System, boat restoration kit, boat polishing kit, meguiars boat polishes

Or maybe should I go with something different all together?

I've read just about every post on here about boats, but I guess I'm just looking for opinions and feedback on my choices.

Thanks everyone...boy am I glad I joined this forum!

[Setec Astronomy]

Wow, you certainly waited a long time to post those questions! Oh wait, I think I misread something....

Ok, sorry--welcome to the forum!

[Mike Phillips]

I have a Meg's DA with their finishing and polishing pads, plus I have the 4 inch LC CCS pad kit, which I know will come in handy for the boat.

Lake Country 4 Inch CCS Pads 6 Pack - Your Choice!

I was thinking of investing in the 6 pack 5.5 LC CCS pad kit, not for use only on the boat, but vehicles in the future. Many people have said how much they like the 5.5 inch instead of the 6.5 inch saying they rotate easier.

Definitely get some 5.5" pads for hacking on that gel-coat. I see some oxidation so get some foam cutting pads, like the yellow and the orange. Gel-coats are thick unlike clearcoats on cars, so you have lots of material to work with and practically zero risk. (Just couching my words for the DO people).

A lot of people don't think there's any difference between auto and marine products and in some cases that might be true, but when it comes to anything that cleans or abrades the gel-coat then usually in the Marine world the products can be and are more aggressive. These products are safe for use on most Marine applications but would be too aggressive on a clear coated car.

For removing oxidation using a Meguiar's DA Polisher, you definitely want some 5.5" thin pads and some 4" spot repair pads. Lean towards the cutting pads because you're going to need them but do get some polishing pads and a few finishing.

When any pad becomes wet with product, which happens as you use it and it's breaking-in, the aggressiveness lessens even with a cutting pad, and for removing oxidation with a DA style polisher you're going to want some aggressive action from your foam for the initial passes or steps.

So, you see it could be in much worse shape. Now judging by the pictures, do you think I could get away with using say, Meguiar's Flagship Premium Cleaner/Wax or should I go with something more like the Meguiar's Fiberglass Restoration System?

The Meguiar's Flagship Premium Cleaner/Wax is supposed to be more aggressive than the M50 Cleaner/Wax and the M50 was no slouch... so from the looks of the gel-coat in the pictures, using this one-step product with a foam cutting pad for the initial or first step after washing should remove the oxidation, restore the gloss and clarity and leave it protected.

You should do a Test Spot with any product and pad combo before going over the entire boat and make sure the results you expect and hope for are what you're really getting.

After using any cleaner/wax you can of course re-do the boat with more of a finishing wax if you like...

[Flash Gordon]

1988 boat = Ratory

My wrists hurt just thinking about this job

G L,

Flash

[Perfections]

I can't see the pictures, cleaner wax is great at pulling out mild oxidation, if you wanna buy a marine compound, Meg's one step compound works great, reminds me of m105 but with a tad more working time, haven't tried the Meg's flagship cleaner wax but the regular Meg's marine cleaner wax is pretty awesome stuff and is easy to remove and even works decent by hand, so my guess is the flagship is even better, usually for speed I use the rotary, but here lately I've been playing around with the new Meg's mf da cutting pads and they've been rocking so that might be another option for pad selection since you only have a da

[ChevyZ71LTZ]

Wow, you certainly waited a long time to post those questions! Oh wait, I think I misread something....

Ok, sorry--welcome to the forum!

LOL! Well, I'm fairly new to the whole paint correction deal and now I want to try my hand at gel coats. Sort of looking forward to it, sort of not...

Definitely get some 5.5" pads for hacking on that gel-coat. I see some oxidation so get some foam cutting pads, like the yellow and the orange.

Ok, I plan on getting the 6 pack of the 5.5"....what would you recommend for a good combo? Say two yellow, two orange, two gray? I most likely will only be doing the boat once a year, focusing the rest of my efforts on the 5 cars of the family, plus any occasional jobs I get on the side (it's just a hobby...or an illness depending on how you look at it...)

For removing oxidation using a Meguiar's DA Polisher, you definitely want some 5.5" thin pads and some 4" spot repair pads. Lean towards the cutting pads because you're going to need them but do get some polishing pads and a few finishing.

You say "thin" pads here. What is the difference between the 5.5" CCS pads (besides the fact that they are Collapsed Cell Structure) and the 5.5" flat pads?? Of everyone that has used both, which do you prefer and why?

The Meguiar's Flagship Premium Cleaner/Wax is supposed to be more aggressive than the M50 Cleaner/Wax and the M50 was no slouch... so from the looks of the gel-coat in the pictures, using this one-step product with a foam cutting pad for the initial or first step after washing should remove the oxidation, restore the gloss and clarity and leave it protected.

Good. That's what I want to hear. At this point I'm sure anything is better than nothing, but I don't want to spend my entire summer on this old boat either.

You should do a Test Spot with any product and pad combo before going over the entire boat and make sure the results you expect and hope for are what you're really getting.

Oh yes, I learned the value of a test spot last year!

After using any cleaner/wax you can of course re-do the boat with more of a finishing wax if you like...

Um, probably not, but you never know. Maybe some Collinite 845...

Thanks a bunch Mike!

1988 boat = Ratory

My wrists hurt just thinking about this job

G L,

Flash

I wouldn't mind trying a rotary on it, but I can't justify buying a rotary for just this one boat. Plus I would have to invest in rotary pads, etc, etc. If I did buy one, I would only use it on the boat because I'm much too nervous to ever try it on paint. Just not enough justification for being a hobby detailer.

I hope I'm not getting in over my head. Seems like it's going to be a pain in the tush, but thank God it's only a 19 footer...but still...

I can't see the pictures, cleaner wax is great at pulling out mild oxidation, if you wanna buy a marine compound, Meg's one step compound works great, reminds me of m105 but with a tad more working time, haven't tried the Meg's flagship cleaner wax but the regular Meg's marine cleaner wax is pretty awesome stuff and is easy to remove and even works decent by hand, so my guess is the flagship is even better, usually for speed I use the rotary, but here lately I've been playing around with the new Meg's mf da cutting pads and they've been rocking so that might be another option for pad selection since you only have a da

I wonder why the pictures aren't working for you?!

Thanks for the info!

If anyone else has anything to add, the information would be much appreciated!

[Flash Gordon]

I wouldn't mind trying a rotary on it, but I can't justify buying a rotary for just this one boat. Plus I would have to invest in rotary pads, etc, etc. If I did buy one, I would only use it on the boat because I'm much too nervous to ever try it on paint. Just not enough justification for being a hobby detailer.

I hope I'm not getting in over my head. Seems like it's going to be a pain in the tush, but thank God it's only a 19 footer...but still...


If anyone else has anything to add, the information would be much appreciated!

Go to Harbor Freight and pick up a Chicago ratary for $29.95. Your going to kill yourself trying to do this with a DA/Hand

[BillE]

Just to add...no pics for me either.

Bill

[RTexasF]

Same here, no pictures at all.

[tuscarora dave]

Go to Harbor Freight and pick up a Chicago ratary for $29.95. Your going to kill yourself trying to do this with a DA/Hand

I totally agree here. I could see spending all summer using a DA polisher on oxidized gelcoat. Harbor Freight also has a decent 5" rotary backing plate that will work with any of your DA pads which will work fine on the rotary by the way. No need to purchase special rotary pads however I would suggest getting at least one 6.5" Purple Foamed Wool pad for this project. This project would be a good way for you to get accustomed to using a rotary.

$30 for H.F. rotary, $6.99 for backing plate... that's not much to have to justify for. IMO that's less that one hour in labor costs and if it saves you 20 hours in labor it's more than justified. Good luck and have fun with it.