Fiberglass restoration

I just bought a 1978 Ranger Bassmaster Classic boat (supposedly 1 of only 48 made). It has been completely redone except that the fiberglass sparkle finish is rough and dull.

Does anyone have any tips on restoring the finish?

I have seen a product from Bass Pro Shops that is supposed to help but of course this boat is 33 years old. I have also been told to use a buffer and buffing compound.

Any help is much appreciated!!!

[Travis C.]

Cool a Ranger Classic boat..that was the 8th BASS Classic in 1978. In the early years the fisherman on some classics were flown to the locations without knowledge of where. So it is very possible it is 1 of 48 since they would have to had everything waiting on them once they arrived. Plus it could have been a way to level the field and get people to come compete.

You're talking about the flake in the paint when you say sparkle...right?

If its an old boat, I doubt buffing will do it or buffing it alone would. Becareful going that route a buffer can quickly burn a paint job just as easily as helping it. Since it feels rough already the clear may be worn off in spots allowing you to feel the flake in the paint.

You may have to do something to get the clear off then reapply the clear coats over top. If the boat has been in the sun a lot over time then I'd say the UV rays have worn the clear making it seem dull or even burned it almost away in places where its rough.

Check with some painter's who specialize in boat/car paints but from the experience I have had painting cars it's probably just going to need getting that beat down clear coat off, scuff some paint so the new clear sticks and several coats to seal/protect again. Hopefully you won't need to do anything to the original paint.

[Travis C.]

We are planning to do the same to an old 1970's Bomber boat my grandpa has. My late grandfather worked for Bomber designing boats years ago and they mixed a special green w/flake on this boat then put it on the showroom floor for demo. As it turns out my other grandfather went in looking to purchase and ended up liking/buying the boat. As far as we knew of they never mixed the color again as it wasn't well received. Hard to explain the color in its prime as it was almost like new summer grass the bright really green color with silver flake. Very interesting to say the least but not that bad to look at as one would think.

Good luck on your project.

Thanks Travis!! I am going to be very careful with the finish as I don't want to burn it.

It is really cool to think this boat was involved in such a major event. It still has the original Bassmaster Classic lettering on the side.

Pictures of Ranger Bassmaster Classic boat

[Travis C.]

Nice boat. The carpet work looks great.

Everything looks pretty orignial except I see they upgraded the 30 or so lb thrust trolling motor. I doubt it did anything much in the wind anyways. Oh how tech has advanced.

[Cornbread]

That is in good shape, The guy in back didn't get much thought back then did he!!

It is really a blast from the past!

Going to take her to Priest on Saturday morning. Looking forward to some crappie....if not, then will look for the hybrids. It should be a great weekend for fishing with the front coming through on early Thursday.

[Ken C]

Been there,done that, with an old 1640 Procraft. If the finish is rough, you will probably need a new gelcoat. Let a "GOOD" body shop painter look at it. With that boat, it would be worth the time and trouble. Also. contact Ranger and talk to someone there. Just my $.02.

Originally Posted by Ken C

Been there,done that, with an old 1640 Procraft. If the finish is rough, you will probably need a new gelcoat. Let a "GOOD" body shop painter look at it. With that boat, it would be worth the time and trouble. Also. contact Ranger and talk to someone there. Just my $.02.

Thanks for the info. I have a friend who manages a body shop and am going to let him take a look. I am also going to contact Ranger with the vin number and see if they can give me any info.

It does not have the original motor. It now has a Mercury 1500 inline 6.

After the fog cleared Saturday morning, I got it up to 50 mph on Priest before backing off. It was running at 4700 RPMs and I am sure I did not have it trimmed right.

After thirteen years outdoors, our RV’s fiberglass outer skin was looking a little bit faded when we purchased it. This comes as no surprise. Unfortunately, a good RV paint job will easily run five figures, and we’re not about to deface the rig by doing a rattle-can and housepaint job on it (not that backyard paint jobs aren’t cool, but many RV parks won’t allow you in if you look too much like a hippie bus).

Fortunately, there are products that promise to renew the luster of old fiberglass. PoliGlow and NewGlass2 are the first names that come up when doing a search online. Both products started as primarily nautical products, used to refinish the hulls of boats, but RV and boat fiberglass aren’t all that different so the market is starting to cross over.

Though representatives of both companies insist that their formulas are completely different, PoliGlow and NewGlass2 work similarly. Both products are applied like a household varnish, returning a “wet-look” shine to the exterior fiberglass. As it ages, fiberglass oxidizes and loses its gloss. After a thorough cleaning, PoliGlow and NewGlass2 promise to restore this gloss, with a shine that is easily renewed and will last for up to twelve months in most circumstances. Think of it as varnish for your RV, and you won’t be too far off the mark.

To test the restorative properties of each product, we did one side of the Incorrigible with PoliGlow and the other with NewGlass2. Both products were applied on the same weekend, with partly cloudy skies and seventy-degree temperatures.

The process is nearly identical for both products, and took much less time than I expected. The basic ingredient is elbow grease; first, the exterior of the RV must be cleaned with an aggressive cleanser (PoliPrep for PoliGlow, and Pre Treat for NewGlass2) and allowed to dry. Then, the “varnish” is applied with a sponge pad (also provided) in several successive coats. The first coat of the restorative smoothes over the oxidization in the fiberglass, and the subsequent coats restore the shine to the finish. Each coat dries quickly, so four or five coats can be applied in an hour. Working in sections, I found that NewGlass2 got the faded surface of the Incorrigible shining nicely after five or six coats. The slightly more viscous PoliGlow worked faster, bringing back the shine after three or four. PoliGlow also resulted in a smoother finish, though from five feet away the shine on both sides is identical.

[Buccaneer]

You can wet sand it with progressively finer grit and do a great job bringing back the shine. Check out www.bassboatcentral.com and the bass Boat Restoration forum and you can get some very good information - http://www.bbcboards.net/zeroforum?id=19

Thanks to everyone for the advise and links. I think this info will help me to bring the finish back

[joshuaallen23]

I have a boat that looks exactly like this one. Did you ever find a way to restore the finish? Mine has the dull red finish but is in otherwise good shape. Memphis

[tkwalker]

Try using a 2000 grit sand paper on a foot or so wet sand using a spray bottle .. ... Then buff out with 3M glaze filler .. (Not sure that is correct name, it's pink .. if interested I'll dig it out from my shop and tell you the exact name)

This what the pros use ... This is great if it has been exposed to sun for long length of time ... but it has to be maintained ... <'TK><