customtouch

I have to agree with FX 10 here! In 85% of the cases, paint is the best option all around on a restore! With (reasonable care) it will outlast the gel! (Day Tripper) I think you would probably be happier with the results of a (GOOD) re-paint job from the chine up! I don't recommend painting the very bottom of the boat! You could get away with a good single stage white paint, but if you plan to keep the boat for a long time, I would recommend a good base coat clear coat system! To have someone do it (RIGHT) it will probably run somewhere between 5 and 8 grand, depending on what shape the gelcoat is in!! I am sure you can find people to do it cheaper but you will probably get what you pay for. Do your homework on the person or shop that paints it!! THERE IS A DIFFERENCE!!!!!! Hope this helps!

DayTripper

Thanks to customtouch and FX10 for your comments. I don't mean to high-jack the thread but was curious about this topic. I have not been happy with my yellowed gel since I bought the boat used.
I have a friend with a shop big enough to paint the boat in but he has never done a boat. He has painted lots of hot rods and bikes and has had his paint on magazine covers including Easy Rider's bike of the year a couple years back. He is damn good with an air brush as well and is looking forward to doing this as his first try.
I'm comfortable with his skills we just have to adjust them for boats instead of cars by making the right choice on materials and steps in the process.
I have found lots of info on other threads here concerning this topic and feel we will be ready to give it a try soon.

Thanks again for all your help.

Tripper

Audiofn

Daytripper:
If you plan to trailer then there is no doubt in my mind that you want to paint that thing. If you plan to leave it in the water because you are on a fresh water lake or what not then I would gell below the waterline and paint above. You will get a much easier to keep up finish IMO. I plan to leave my boat in from time to time so I went with Gell on the bottom and sides and will use paint for the deck and cockpit.

Jon

cuda

Paint is paint, the paint doesn't know if it's going on a boat or a car. The whole trick to it is the prep. Hours and hours of pure drudgery prepping, for twenty minutes of fun with the spray gun.

I never held a spray gun in my life before I started this project. As you walk around the boat, you can see where I got better and better with the gun as I went. By the time I got to the transom, I swear you could not pay for a better job. In this picture, it still looks wet, but it is completely dry. It looks like you could stick your arm down in the paint. I was very happy how this turned out, and as I said, I am a complete amature, anyone that knows their way around a paint gun should have no problems. This is a polyurethane, no clear.

kennyo

Cuda, when did you have time to paint with your "active" social life?

cuda

Work, work, work, that's all I know!

james_smith13

im in the process of painting my boat, im wondering if a gel coat is better than a clear coat. im new to this and i dont know if im getting the short end of the stick when asking paint booths her. Question im asking is if i paint a fiberglass boat then spray clear on it instead of gel, will it be ok or am i running the risk of failure?