Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 13:17:54 -0700
Reply-To: Zoran Mladen <zmaninco@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Zoran Mladen <zmaninco@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Cleaning the poptop roof
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
I will second that...Penetrol works great.
----- Original Message ----
From: Todd Last <rubatoguy@COMCAST.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 1:16:21 PM
Subject: Re: Cleaning the poptop roof
I have not done this myself, so use at your own risk.
I hear that using Penetrol can help bring back the luster on fiberglass. It is commonly used on fiberglass boats.
The caution here is to never put it directly on a badly oxidized finish - take the oxidation off first with a good fiberglass cleaner.
Here is one report from a fiberglass boat club site
"
After a lot of research I found out you can save old faded fiberglass hulls. I've learned that even the most faded rough feeling ugly sun burned hull can nearly always be saved - as long as the colors are in the glass and not painted. The same restoration stuff (almost) that is sold by dealers for a hundred bucks can be formulated at home for under $20 (including scrub pads etc).
The Secret "They" Don't want you to know: A paint additive Penetrol (about $8.00 a pint) is designed to soak into surfaces and "reliquify" old dried out subsurfaces to make new paint soak in and adhere better. It's also nearly the same "rust magic" stuff we used to pay a fortune for a while back! It soaks right in starved fiberglass - taking years off right before your eyes.
First you have to scrub the hull - really scrub not just wash. You want all the old wax, mildew, stains, paint rubs, etc, etc, off. Those cheap green pot scrubbing pads (Scotchbrite)in the kitchenware department will do the trick. I also used some of that automotive purple stuff cleaner (really strong) that runs about $5.00 a gallon in auto stores (Walmart?) to get the mildew and years of grunge off the hull. Then scrub again to be sure (you don't want to seal in stains!) with plain ole Borax moistened with white vinegar paying close attention to rub rails, marks, and stains. White surfaces can then be brightened and cleaned with plain old bleach and water (3 or 4 tablespoons to a quart of water, wear gloves, don't wear good clothes). Old numbers and stickers you don't want can be removed with a heat gun on low or a hair dryer on high, remove remaining adhesive with WD-40!
Once she is clean, real clean, eating off clean, then apply the Penetrol to a cloth and wipe it on. Let the the first coat soak in like you would Armour-All on tires (don't wipe it off. She might take two or three passes to finally fully saturate dry fiberglass if she is an oldie, be patient you are fixing years of abuse.
Once that is done you have to scrub again. You don't want the Penetrol on the outside to remain as a dirt magnet, you are only interested in keeping the Penetrol that has actually soaked into the fiberglass! Once the excess Penetrol has been removed, it's time to put on a couple of coats of high quality marine wax - a buffer will really save your back and shoulders for fishing.
Now, if you were doing a high dollar bassboat or other expensive boat with exposed metal flake on the top surfaces you would sand it smooth with super fine grit (400-1000)sand paper then rub it out with waxless rubbing compound and apply the Penetrol like above. Once she is clean again finish up topside with an Emron clear coat (sprayed on) and after it is fully cured, wax.
I cringe at the fine boats I have not bought for peanuts because I did not know this. Even with Emron you are looking at less than $250 to bring back a worthy boat. So there you have it, the secret is out!"
regards,
Todd
'88 Westy
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "P. Brattan" <pbrattan@GMAIL.COM>
> My fiberglass roof is beginning to look dull. What should I put on it
> to restore its luster?
> Thanks.
> Patti
> Burgundy 90 Westy Automatic
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