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harleyrea
Samba Member
Joined: October 12, 2006
Posts: 39
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 Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:34 pm Post subject: refinishing the body |
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| I have a older manx style body. I'ts in good condition and it seems to be pretty thick. The old metal flake gel coat is faded and when you run your hand across it you can kinda feel the metal flake. What is the best way to refinish it a guy at work say's he can respray the gel coat then alot of wet sanding. I'm dumb to the paint world and need help from someone thats been in my shoes here. |
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Elwood
Samba Member
Joined: September 25, 2005
Posts: 249
Location: USA, As if theres anywhere else.
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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Duratec clear is the way to go if infact the gel just needs to be cleared. No cracks or anything.
If your wanting to get it done for you ask around at boat shops they should be able to tell you who does the bassboat flake in your area. |
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rterfert
Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2003
Posts: 1419
Location: Yuma Arizona
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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Here is a before picture something like you described.
This is after a clear coat paint job tinted with a touch of Porsche red in the first coat....
$50 in paint materials and the initial 220 wet sanding.
after the clear coat and Without any sanding or buffing.
If I was going to keep if forever....I would OPT for the clear gel coat. |
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Oil_Eater
Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2006
Posts: 433
Location: CT
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| Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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| rterfert wrote: |
This is after a clear coat paint job |
Just curious if this is:
[list]clear sprayed over gel coat a two part paint job (base covered by clear coat)
If it is just clear shot over faded gelcoat, I can't believe my eyes. 
Jay |
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harleyrea
Samba Member
Joined: October 12, 2006
Posts: 39
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| Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 5:30 pm Post subject: gel coat refinish |
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| There are a couple of places that will have to be repaired so just a clear coat won't work. My concern is preping for paint. How difficult is it to sand down to a paintable surface. The car still has it's original gel coat and has not been painted over yet. |
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Elwood
Samba Member
Joined: September 25, 2005
Posts: 249
Location: USA, As if theres anywhere else.
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| Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:14 pm Post subject: |
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Not difficult to sand at all. It's only gelcoat.
It's not anything special, just scuf it and put down a good primer, paint away. |
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rterfert
Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2003
Posts: 1419
Location: Yuma Arizona
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| Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 10:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Oil_Eater wrote: |
| rterfert wrote: |
This is after a clear coat paint job |
Just curious if this is:
[list]clear sprayed over gel coat [list]a two part paint job (base covered by clear coat)
If it is just clear shot over faded gelcoat, I can't believe my eyes.
] |
Yes just sanded with an electric finish sander and wiped down with the same paint thinner as used in the painting process...
then the first clear coat was tinted with 2 cap fulls of Porsche red to a quart of mixed clear....Second coat was just sprayed with clear.
Definetly added to the Value |
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rterfert
Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2003
Posts: 1419
Location: Yuma Arizona
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| Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 10:11 pm Post subject: Re: gel coat refinish |
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| harleyrea wrote: |
| There are a couple of places that will have to be repaired so just a clear coat won't work. My concern is preping for paint. How difficult is it to sand down to a paintable surface. The car still has it's original gel coat and has not been painted over yet. |
IF you can hide the repairs with some stripes like I did here
You might be able to just clear it.
I had to get creative with the stripes on mine to fill all the holes that were left from the previous owners additions to the rear deck. |
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MalibuLX3
Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2005
Posts: 839
Location: Ventura, CA
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| Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 11:00 pm Post subject: |
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Did you wet sand that, or is that just dry sanding? Also, what grade sand paper did you use?
_________________
1978 Westfalia |
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Oil_Eater
Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2006
Posts: 433
Location: CT
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| Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 6:17 am Post subject: |
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| rterfert wrote: |
Definetly added to the Value |
Although my body is not as faded as yours, I'm wondering if it won't regain some brilliance like yours did with a clear coat. I guess I'll have to speak with a local body shop to get a professional opinion on the matter.
I know this is off topic, but it looks like you may have used vinyl paint to go from tan to black. if you used vinly paint, have you had any issues with it? cracking? wearing down? sun faded? etc.
Thanks,
Jay |
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rterfert
Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2003
Posts: 1419
Location: Yuma Arizona
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| Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 8:52 pm Post subject: |
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| MalibuLX3 wrote: |
| Did you wet sand that, or is that just dry sanding? Also, what grade sand paper did you use? |
This thread is looking more and more like I started it 
Actually I basically washed the car/body with water and 220 wet and dry sand paper (the black stuff) Then brought out the finishing sander out to do a final once over as my hands were getting tired of sanding by this time 
I used the electric sander so I could lean on it a little more if I had a few ruff spots...After it dried I wiped it down with lacquer thinner to get the residue off and sprayed it. |
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rterfert
Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2003
Posts: 1419
Location: Yuma Arizona
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| Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:04 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="Oil_Eater"]
| Quote: |
| Although my body is not as faded as yours, I'm wondering if it won't regain some brilliance like yours did with a clear coat. I guess I'll have to speak with a local body shop to get a professional opinion on the matter. |
A good cheap test to see if the clear coat will make a difference is to wash a small section (IF it looks good wet) after it dries rattle can some clear on it (IF it looks good) sand it down lightly and clear it.....IF you have faded areas I would tint the first coat to blend those areas in.
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| I know this is off topic, but it looks like you may have used vinyl paint to go from tan to black. if you used vinly paint, have you had any issues with it? cracking? wearing down? sun faded? etc. |
Yes vinyl dye is what it is called (the old color was 1969 something avacado green) Black is much nicer...After a week it was good and dry with no rubbing off (Mind you I was not useing it for a month after paint and sold it shortly after that)
The product I used was VHT Vinyl Dye Bought it at Checker Auto in the paint section and would use it again. |
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Rbake
Samba Member
Joined: October 10, 2004
Posts: 112
Location: Central Texas
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| Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 10:35 pm Post subject: |
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what rterfert did was take a decent gel coat, prepped it for clear (which is the same prep for "paint") put some stripes on to hide body work, then cleared it, w/a tinted clear coat...then a clear coat.
it looks great!! don't get me wrong, but if you are taking the time to prep a body for clear, it's exaclty the same as prepping a body for a base coat/clear coat paint job. Just relace the "tinted clear coat" stage w/a Base coat stage.
If it's scuffed enough for clear, it's scuffed enough for base. You could prep your current gel coat for a new clear coat... but at that stage, you might as well shoot a new base on before the clear to be sure that it looks even in color and consistent in color.
The only benifit of clearing over an original gell coat is that you don't have to buy a base coat paint!! The prep work involved is the same, you might save 50 bucks in paint. |
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rterfert
Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2003
Posts: 1419
Location: Yuma Arizona
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| Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 5:57 am Post subject: |
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Pretty much the same work But I didn't have to sand and paint the inside (the gel was really good inside the tub being covered all these years) also the end result still looks more like a factory finish.
Now when you get to the really damaged 50 grit sand paper bodies.....
Painting the whole car with a custom look is the way to go.
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