To paint or not to paint...that is the question

[jtellor]

hi ive got an 83 enchanter with a 200 hp merc...bad ass boat as it is...but heres the thing...i have a reputation of not being able to leave things alone...i bought this boat for 3500 bucks with no intention of doing anything to it besides a little interior work...(the boat is in great condition for its age) but lately ive been thinking other wise....next year im contemplating on repainting it all black and having this guy i know painting some true fire on the front and sides... but the paint now is decent and if buffed out would probaly be great...so tell me what you all think...heres a couple pics...they are kinda crappy but its black with silver metal flake....http://s223.photobucket.com/albums/dd103/jtellor/

[hotdaddy27]

I like it the way it is..:cheers

Sweet boat from what I can tell by the pics.

[BullittBen]

Looks great now to me, but if you aren't happy, spend under $100 for the Aqua-Buff stuff and it'll look as good as new paint and hold up lots better. I wouldn't paint a boat (and cover up the gelcoat) unless it really looked bad.

[Boston Predictor]

I wouldnt paint it. It looks great like it is. Spend the paint job money on something better:cheers

[hotdaddy27]

I wouldnt paint it. It looks great like it is. Spend the paint job money on something better:cheers


Yeah, what he said.

Metal Flake is cool, and buy something that makes you go real fast!:banana:

[175checkmate]

Boat looks great. I would do the buff and enjoy. Are you running a jackplate?

[CHECK16]

Boat looks great in the pics.I voted NO on the paint.Just my opinion.:cheers

[cmpulse170]

What all others are saying, use aqua buff and keep the same color. The boat looks good like it is.

[TheNerd]

I have to agree with everyone else, No paint. The original finish would look much better than a painted boat. If you are itching to change the boat up a bit, think about some new gauges, steering wheel, stereo, jack plate, things like that. But thats just my opinion.

[Big Red]

I would leave it alone. But if you paint it I would never paint it black. It will burn the crap out of you when you touch it. I have 2 black stripes on my boat and it will burn the hell out of you in the summer. Black seats are a no no to.

[jtellor]

thanks for all the input...im kinda thinking im gonna keep the stock paint now...and for black being hot ....i know....and the seats are black and gray too...also to answer the question about the jackplate...its no... I just got my boat like 6 months ago so i dont really know too much about them...can somone fill me in??? im probably going to be using it alot for pulling tubes, maybe a wakeboard..but I am a speed junkie so anything that helps me go faster im up for...so give me some ideas im always open for suggestions...thanks

[themcguires]

jtellor,

have the exact same boat except mines an 85 and has differant seats. its a cool boat, ive never seen another like mine. im looking into a new paint job on mine. the gelcoat is fading and no amount of buffing will clean it up. i called checkmate and they gave me a guys number. so hopefully soon i get an idea what it might cost. i would like a red and silver gelcoat with the same pattern as before. im sure this would cost more than the boat is worth.

[Mark]

Dude, the colors are awesome. Aqua-buff will fix 'er right up.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a183/iammarcuse/st86.jpg

[stclairriverblaster]

sorry for hijacking the thread.

will aqua buff bring this back.?
its almost like the clear is gone... i really wanna keep it stock gel.


http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa295/stclairriverblaster/forsale021.jpg

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa295/stclairriverblaster/forsale020.jpg

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa295/stclairriverblaster/forsale019.jpg


btw that outboaRD is for sale :bigthumb:

[dogschool]

I had a 24 ft formula with similar oxidation on the paint and I used the
Meguiars 3 step process and it brought the paint back to life!!
I was pleasantly surprised and highly recommend it - it works!

[F150GT]

You might be able to save that one, can you feel rough texture when you rub it like the cleare is so thin the flake is coming thru? When you wax it does the finish look smooth like your car just dull. If its not thru the clear I'd try a spot on the rear and see how it goes, if its to far gone reclear it and shel look like new again.
F150GT

[Mark]

sorry for hijacking the thread.

will aqua buff bring this back.?
its almost like the clear is gone... i really wanna keep it stock gel.


btw that outboaRD is for sale :bigthumb:

YES

[ross]

i have not used aquq buff yet but i do know that wet sanding it WILL work... start with like 600 or 800 grit and then you will want to buff and then wax ... the guys on here told me to use aqua buff also but i havent had a chance.

[stclairriverblaster]

well what you see in the picture is from buffing... with some preety heavy duty stuff..
im hoping the aqua buff will bring it back. if not ill have to reclear it. although it looks grey. now

[play2win]

You keep that metal flake, that would be a crime - it is beautiful (I am partial b/c I own an 82' that is identical). Check my website, or e-mail me if you need tips on re-doing the interior back to what it was originally

[play2win]

wet sand, then buff to see what happens - if no good (like mine was), wet sand and clear with dupont clear. Mine would have looked 100 times better if I had a professional spray her. just my 2 cents

[play2win]

riverblaster, i would send you a pic of my bow in 3 sections, original, wet sanded, and then buffed - so that you can believe it. Oh yeah, I am still clueless how to put pictures on here after 5 years. What can I say, I am young guy stuck in an old guys mind

[175checkmate]

play2win, since you are a supporting member its not too bad.
Hit the reply button like you normally would to post a reply.
You will see the normal white box where you type your message.
If you scroll down a bit you will see the "additional options" box
See the the box that says "attach files" there is a button " Manage attachments.
Hit that button.
It will bring up a box.
Top box is "upload from your computer.
Hit the browse button.
Hitting the button it brings up "my documents" ( on my computer) then find the picture file you want to post and double click the file.
The final step is to hit the upload button.
Then when your done with your message. Hit .. Submit reply.

[F150GT]

The beuty of useing clear is your sprayed finish dosnt really matter if you plan on wet sanding and buffing the clear when your finished, Put plenty of clear on when spraying and then you can make it a professional job like a show car. I'v seen guys ROLL on clear and then wet sand and buff and look perfect, you just need to get enough material so you have plenty to work with. There arnt hardly any body shops that dont have to rub there work to get it looking OK.
One percaution, If you use real high solids clear dont wait to long to sand & rub, it gets hard as hell real quick but the finish holds up alot better.
F150GT

[pony3xp]

You only get one chance for good metalflake..(unless you are real good!).
Don't cover it up until you exhaust all options.....