Best way to restore colour gel coat

[Dave210TE]

Hi there i was just wondering what is the best process to being back the shine in my lime green 210, the green has started to fade a bit and i want it back looking like new again?

[mhaaland]

i just got done restoring my 98' Air and i used the wetsanding, buffing then polish method. Your boat is much newer so i would imagine you'd be able to skip the wetsanding.
For the buffing I used a Meguiars Fiberglass Restoration kit and used the oxidation, stain and scratch remover compound #49 then followed it up with the polish #45.
Some people on here have used the 3M "finesse It" compound for buffing.

[cain0725]

clay bar fix

Go to any auto store and buy a :claybar kit and follow the instructions,, very easy and will look awsome, wont harm your boat like wet sanding can if you dont know what your doing..

[hourglass]

i think i have 3M one step wax. it's a slight oxidation/wax compound. it turns out great just doing it by hand. i know west marine carries it.

[Dave210TE]

Ok guys thanks for the tips.

[GoBig]

For minor oxidation, no need for wet-sanding. You can get it pretty close to showroom with these 4 steps:

Step:
1. Wash boat
2. 3M Rubbing Compound (acts like wetsand, removes oxidation)
3. 3M Finesse-It II Glaze (removes the swirl marks)
4. 3M Liquid or paste wax (makes it shimmer!)

I did this on my '03 this year and the results are pretty phenomenal.

[bobchris]

Go to any auto store and buy a :claybar kit and follow the instructions,, very easy and will look awsome, wont harm your boat like wet sanding can if you dont know what your doing..

the clay bars will not remove oxidation read the instruction label

[xlair]

Yea a clay bar is absolutely the wrong thing to use, it won't do anything. You need to use a compound with a mild abrasive and a buffing wheel to bring the shine back w/the most effective results. It really depends on how badly oxidized or scratched your surface is.