2003 fiberglass TC not looking so good …now what?

Rotary polisher and heavy cut compound followed by the same with polish. Although it’ll probably look so much better after compounding you may stop there.
Then I e heard that Zep floor polish works good for preserving the shine. Couple different camps on that stuff and I haven’t tried it myself yet.

If you really like it. Have it painted. Use a good sealer on the fiberglass and then whatever color for the paint. Wax will only last for a short time then it will go back to being chalky.

Go to a saltwater boat repair shop and find out what they use. You can't find any better.

Get a scotch kitchen pad and some bar keepers friend or bon ami. Scrub off the old oxidation. If the surface is still white, you are in luck. Prepare the entire surface, then apply several light coats of Zep acrylic floor finish. You should end up with a decent shiny finish that will last for years with minimal upkeep.

bgum wrote:
Go to a saltwater boat repair shop and find out what they use. You can't find any better.

Any autobody or marine compound and polish will work about equally. It’s all basically the same thing. The same 2 quarts of 3M compound and polish have done paint (urethane or acrylic enamels, lacquers), gel coat, filon.
Unless it’s completely burned up and doesn’t have any competent gel under the oxidized stuff I couldn’t imagine going through the cost of painting it, when a cut and polish will bring it back to original condition.
Yes, a new quality urethane enamel clear coat over base coat will likely last longer than the gel if not maintained again. But 5 grand minimum for a quality spray job vs a couple three hundred even if you have to buy the polisher pads and material…idk.
Even if you can’t do it yourself you could likely get it fully cut and polished for well under $1000.

Wow! That’s is interesting. Will definitely look into that. Thank u

JimK-NY wrote:
Get a scotch kitchen pad and some bar keepers friend or bon ami. Scrub off the old oxidation. If the surface is still white, you are in luck. Prepare the entire surface, then apply several light coats of Zep acrylic floor finish. You should end up with a decent shiny finish that will last for years with minimal upkeep.

dodge guy wrote:
If you really like it. Have it painted. Use a good sealer on the fiberglass and then whatever color for the paint. Wax will only last for a short time then it will go back to being chalky.

This is the best long lasting solution

IB853347201 wrote:

dodge guy wrote:
If you really like it. Have it painted. Use a good sealer on the fiberglass and then whatever color for the paint. Wax will only last for a short time then it will go back to being chalky.

This is the best long lasting solution

The economics of it, aside, of course….
I was sorta thinking that someone who is rocking a 20 year old truck and camper combo may not want to spend as much to make it look nice as it is actually worth as it sits.
Especially when there are other good options.

Although this assuming the OP isn’t going to paint it themselves since they were looking for the easy button.
Maybe y’all don’t understand what it would cost?
Heck, just the prep work to paint would be roughly equivalent in time/cost as buffing it out. (Assuming it’s saveable).

campingwiththoreau wrote:
Wow! That’s is interesting. Will definitely look into that. Thank u

JimK-NY wrote:
Get a scotch kitchen pad and some bar keepers friend or bon ami. Scrub off the old oxidation. If the surface is still white, you are in luck. Prepare the entire surface, then apply several light coats of Zep acrylic floor finish. You should end up with a decent shiny finish that will last for years with minimal upkeep.

You will be able to find many threads on this approach. As a quick summary:
You need to be careful about surface prep. Remove all oxidation, dirt and old waxes. If not the finish is likely to flake over time.

The Zep finish will not start out as shiny as a carefully done wax job, but it will last for a very long time. My original Zep finish is now about 7-8 years old and still looks great. Every year or so, I wash and then apply another very thin coat to renew the gloss.

There are several versions of Zep acrylic floor finish. Any will work but the "wet" look version will have the highest gloss.

There comes a point in time when the gelcoat has become so deteriorated that it cannot be restored.

Oh sure it can be compounded & resealed with any number of DIY products but they will not last very long.

The only restoration method, not cheap, that will last is a thorough preparation and recoating using a product such as Awlgrip or Emron

These are extremely tough marine epoxy products that, finished with a couple coats of clear coat, will last for many years without the labour needed to keep gelcoat looking good.

I stress again, this type of coating is not cheap, but the results achieved by a professional, WOW.