Seeking Exterior Restoration Help

[rludtke]

Hi Folks,

I want to remove the oxidation from the sides of my boat (my black finish looks gray in some areas). I've read some of your posts about wet sanding in the past. I think that I have no choice but to give this a try, as the polishes I've tried don't even touch the oxidation. So I am looking for directions and product recomendations.

I also want to replace the waterline stripes and wave logo on the sides of my boat. The original was removed by a previous owner, but the ghost lines tell me where it should go. I don't wish to add the original rainbow color, but rather, I want to create a custom stripe and wave of the exact dimensions of the original but in a color that coordinates with my boats color scheme (I wish to either match the top deck color of light grey, or try to match the sparkly silver stripes in the gelcoat on the side of the boat. I haven't decided which yet, and want to look at samples.)

My original wave (based upon the ghost marks) was 25" long x 6 3/4" tall. The wave was not made of solid segments like the wave that is commonly seen today, rather each wave segment was made with 1/4" lines, and was open in the center of each segment. The original was clearly a one piece sticker, but it could have been made with 1/4" tape. The wave then connects to the 1/4" pinstripe that is spaced 1/4" below the main stripe of 3 1/2" width.

Any ideas on how I could have this version of the stripes and wave recreated? Does anyone have the original artwork file, or could recreate it?

https://forum.supraboats.com/picture.php?albumid=4&pictureid=16

Thanks,

[rludtke]

Great pics ngavdba! Yup, that's the wave all right. My Comp had a narrower rainbow stripe than yours I think, but the wave was probably identical in size. Your wave might be light blue, but in some of the pictures it looks light gray, which would be absolutely perfect. Your stripes continue on to the stern, but on the Comp they end at the fwd end of the wave. That is a good looking Rider.

I decided to jump in, so I went to my NAPA store and bought some 600 and 1000 grit sandpaper, some Meguiars Fine-cut Cleaner #2, and some Meguiars Show Car Glaze #7.

I wetsanded using a sanding block the entire side of the hull with 600, then again with the 1000 grit, then rinsed and dried, and hit the area twice with the fine cleaner and my electric buffer. Then I switch buffer covers and buffed some more to remove the polish residue. Changed the buffer from the terry to the wooly style, and applied and buffed the glaze.

The boat looks fantastic. Unfourtunatly I only had time to complete one side, and my buffer quit working. I'll try to finish this project tomarrow.

[ngavchris]

Don't forget pictures.

[rludtke]

Here you go! These are before and after pics taken this morning. The Right side was completed yesterday, and the Left side was not yet started. Both sides are now complete. Its a new boat!

[bdumas35]

Good job!

Love the lines of the Comps. I'd leave her naked.:wink:

[rludtke]

I know what you mean Budmas. But I also can't help but think it needs a little something at the waterline. I am considering making my own version of the wave, only much smaller, perhaps only 8-10" long, and only 3" tall or so, along with smaller stripe, perhaps 1 1/2", in a medium gray. I just want a subtle accent line.

[Blackntan90]

She does look really good w/o the stripes, But I know what you mean about having something to break-up all that black. I used a 1/2'' black refective stripe, it looks grey,or silver, or dissapears sometimes- depending on the way light hits it- I really like it, but it may not be for everybody

[Salty87]

i like 'em clean too but normally there's white below the waterline. is yours bottom painted or is the gel that color?

i agree that it needs something. maybe a dark blue line or something subtle. kinda similar to BnT's setup.

got a better after shot?

[rludtke]

i like 'em clean too but normally there's white below the waterline. is yours bottom painted or is the gel that color?

i agree that it needs something. maybe a dark blue line or something subtle. kinda similar to BnT's setup.

got a better after shot?

The entire hull is black gel, whith the exception of the two metal flake stripes near the cap split line. I really like the metal flake stripes, but am pretty sure it would be overkill to try and duplicate that in vinyl at the waterline. The Upper deck is light gray, and the interior apholstery is medium gray, and the carpet is a few shades darker. I like this overall grey and black motif, and so I think about bringing one of these shades of grey to the waterline stripe to break up all of the black.

Blackntan, your idea sounds interesting, I need to investigate.

I am considering making a much smaller version of the wave, as I am starting to think that a 25" X 6 3/4" graphic near the stern is actually too big for the low gunnels. I think a graphic scaled down about 50% would be just about right, combined with a water line stripe.

I am spending the last week of July camping with the boat on a lakeside resort in eastern washington, so my focus now is on preparation. When I get back I think I'll generate my own graphic art version of the wave to try as a prototype.

[Blackntan90]

Let me see if I can find a decent pic of the stripe I put on mine to give you an idea- but I agree that it may 'hide' a little too much for your color scheme..In this shot you can see how it changes with light&angles of how it is veiwed- it also makes the overlay 'skull' stripe I put on disappear.

[rludtke]

Here is an attempt to illustrate what I think I want. The first is the Comp side view with a scaled down wave and a simplified stripe in a medium gray. The "B" variation has a solid wave.

The C version has an even smaller solid wave.

I am begining to think I prefer the C version.

Whadyall think?

[rludtke]

Let me see if I can find a decent pic of the stripe I put on mine to give you an idea- but I agree that it may 'hide' a little too much for your color scheme..In this shot you can see how it changes with light&angles of how it is veiwed- it also makes the overlay 'skull' stripe I put on disappear.

I think I see several stripes, can you point me to the stripe you are referring too?

Is the Supra script a metalflake? That looks cool.

[rludtke]

So I wet sanded both sides of the boat with 600 grit, then again with 1000 grit. Then I rubbed/buffed with a polish, and then with a glaze.

Now, a week later, I can see the oxidation return. It isn't as bad as before, but quite obvious. My hunch is that I didn't sand it all away. This is frustrating.

Perhaps I should have started sanded with 200 paper? it looks like I will have to start over. I don't have time to re-do before I leave with the boat on my camping trip this weekend, it will have to wait until I return the following week.

I would appreciate any advice on what to do next.

[Blackntan90]

I think I went on the Mquires website- lots of info about what products to use. I would look at what I got for my oxyjob- but I am 3000miles away! I know that they number everything, depending on how bad the oxidation is. And yes, that is metalflake in the Supra decal- I saw it at my dealer- I think he just gave them to me...the stripe I am talking about looks almost silver in the pic because of the flash from the camera- but any light source will make it change from black to kinda silver because of the reflective properties of the stripe.

[rludtke]

So I wet sanded both sides of the boat with 600 grit, then again with 1000 grit. Then I rubbed/buffed with a polish, and then with a glaze.

Now, a week later, I can see the oxidation return. It isn't as bad as before, but quite obvious. My hunch is that I didn't sand it all away. This is frustrating.

Perhaps I should have started sanded with 200 paper? it looks like I will have to start over. I don't have time to re-do before I leave with the boat on my camping trip this weekend, it will have to wait until I return the following week.

I would appreciate any advice on what to do next.

It turns out the oxidation I thought I was seeing was actually a build up of the glaze or polish on the boat - maybe both. I had rubbed the finish to what looked like a mirror polish, but days later a haze appeared all over the boat that looked a lot like the original oxidation. What a pain! I rebuffed both sides tonight to get the luster to return again. I don't know what to expect tomarrow, maybe the haze will return. I clearly don't have the patience for this kind of detail work. I may need to hire this out to someone who knows what they are doing...

[wotan2525]

That's really strange that the finish is "gassing out." What did you use for wax?

[chrisk]

Yeah I was going to say you probably need to finish it with a wax to prevent the water from messing with the other compounds you used

[rludtke]

Thats interesting. I used the Maquires glaze thinking it was equivelant to wax. I did not wax... ...yet.

[wotan2525]

I think this is the problem. Maguires glaze is intended to be used on car paint (which has a clear coat over it.) You used it on fiberglass which has a gel-coat on it.

I'd give it a thorough washing with dawn and then hit it with some 3m cleaner wax and hope it seals it up. Good luck!