wny_pat wrote:
Rascally Road Warrior wrote:
Automotive products do not work well on gel-coat. Zaino is for clear-coat.
they use it on Vettes don't they!
Corvettes use what is called a 3rd generation fiberglass. Some body shops will used gel-coat while doing some repairs to the body. It is suppose to make for a better finish, but again, it is used by body shops for smaller repairs. Most vehicles that were built before the mid 80's had a single stage lacquer finish (single stage paint). Clear-coat became more of an industrial standard after the mid 80,s (2 stage paint).
Gel-Coat was never used or applied from the factory on Corvettes. It started out with 2nd Generation Fiberglass and then moved on to the 3rd Generation. According to the Corvette Black book, the first clear coat paint was in 1981 and only on the Corvettes built at Bowling Green.
There are some vehicles on the road toady that when you walk around the car, you'll see it change colors or it may have sparkly highlight. This is an expensive paint job as there is the first stage (base coat), then there's that special paint that dazzles with colorful effects (expensive), then it's all topped with a clear coat paint (clear coat/third stage paint).
Most all RV's (with the exception of aluminum) are fiberglass. The more expensive RV's are topped with a clear coat layer, and unless you have a Newell or Prevost, that clear coat layer is skimpy. In other words, clear coats on most cars on the road today are only as thick as a post-a-note. The more expensive automobiles such as Rolls Royce apply extra thick clear. The clear coat that is used on most full paint RV's are actually thinner than you average car which is why it's so very important to keep these rigs protected with a good synthetic wax.
Gel-coat (non-painted RV's with vinyl stickers) is a hard polyester resin coating that is applied over structural fiberglass to provide a smooth, glossy protective surface that improves appearance. The outer surface of a fiberglass panel is normally a special resin called gel-coat.
Rule No. 1:
Don't use automotive sealant or polishes on gel coat finishes. There are exceptions but if the manufacturer doesn't specifically recommend their product for gel coats, don't use it! Use only polishes and sealant that are designed for gel coats.
Synthetic sealant has better bonding characteristics than carnauba waxes, better abrasion resistance and melting points in the thousands of degrees. Synthetic sealant will outlast carnauba waxes and will typically produce a brighter shine. Sealant should last 6 months or more. Carnauba waxes start to melt around 150 degrees f. Direct and reflected UV and thermal radiation is literally melting the wax off the finish.
. Gel coat is porous. Seen under a microscope, your RV’s flat, smooth gel coat surface is millions of tiny holes! These holes, or pores, fill with microscopic grime, which promote gel coat oxidation. Think of this oxidation as "plastic rust". The contamination in the pores is eating away the gel coat from the inside, filling the pores with a dull, chalk. As the chalk fills more and more pores, the entire gel coat surface will take on a dull, whitish finish. Carnauba waxes and automotive sealant do not remove pre-existing micro-contamination in the pores. Worse, they seal the contamination in place where it continues to oxidize from the inside, under the protective wax. Gel coat is a totally different animal then paint... it is porous so it sucks up product like crazy… when oxidized like that any and all automotive products are a waste of time and money... and conventional ways of detailing go out the window.
