'97 Maxum Bayliner boat and 2 wheel trailer painting help required

[gica]

Like I said I am trying to get the trailer in better shape. It's a metal trailer and has some rust showing. I want to get rid of the rust as much as possible and recoat, primer and top coat. Want to roll it on. I thought about galvanizing compound but read it can be done on bare metal and not a lot of options on top coating. I want to use the boat in salt water also.
If possible same advice for the boat which is fiberglass. Want to do top and bottom, with straight paint or primer paint options rolled. Does it come out glossy on the boat? Can it be sanded and buffed if I use 2 part urethane? Thanks in advance for all the help.

Pictures of the trailer and boat
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/u8jimko1a95h072/AADmqvAdby5xKGZwGcc6wpaZa

 

[ondarvr]

Trailers like that don't last long in salt water, it won't make much of a difference in how you paint it, but it may look better short term.

​Try cleaning and buffing the gel coat first, you may or may not be able to make it look good again, painting would be the last option.

 

[chevymaher]

Actually the boat looks good. Mine looked worse. So bad rub your finger on it and it was on your finger. It got darker just from being pressure washed.

Gel coat is thick and tough. I sanded and buffed it looks like new now. Sanding was the key to getting rid of the fade and stains.

You Tube gel coat restoration. There is a old blue boat from the 60's. He sands it with coarse sandpaper then buffs. Amazng transformation.

Yours I would wet sand with 1000 grit and see if it needs more. Then use a buffer on it with Meguires ultra cut 105. Buffer on medium speed. The boat don't look bad really. At least the color stripe. Bottom looks like it may need more.

My trailer was already black. So POR15 Hot Rod Black are the best paints for the trailer in my case. Either are very durable and will hold up to water. They are for car frames in show cars. If they can deal with salted roads when it snows salt water is a breeze for it.

If you want white Use Epoxy primer first to seal it. Then what ever paint you want on it. The epoxy primer seals the metal and prevents rust. Definitely slows it way down.

If you don't have access to a good compressor and paint guns. A decent rattle can job. Rustolium paint for iron lawn furniture is decent. It has a white. It works with out primering the metal as well. Wal Mart sells it. But sand till the rust is just pits before you paint.

 

[ondarvr]

It makes little difference what paint is put on the outside of the trailer because it will rust away from the inside, what you do to the outside is basically just for cosmetics.

 

[chevymaher]

It makes little difference what paint is put on the outside of the trailer because it will rust away from the inside, what you do to the outside is basically just for cosmetics.

True. But no reason to look like trailer trash as long as the trailer is still sound and usable.

 

[ondarvr]

True. But no reason to look like trailer trash as long as the trailer is still sound and usable.

That's why in my prior post I said it would make the trailer look better short term.

​Using high end coatings won't extend the life of the trailer much, if any, and the rusty water from inside the trailer will still stain the outside as it drains out. Painted tube steel trailers like that just don't last long in salt water.

 

[gica]

Thanks for the responses. How thick is that gel coat? I have sanded it before.
As far as the trailer the POR15 Hot Rod Black is a sprayable urethane, I wanted something I can roll. The ZRC Cold Galvanizing Compound seems to be the best but it's for galvanized surfaces, anybody know if it works on mine?
What about this

https://www.amazon.com/Magnet-UCP93...004IQSF2C/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
or the:

https://www.amazon.com/POR-46004-St...rd_wg=lcBbn&psc=1&refRID=P67HA000PMY6QVFRX81N

on top of :

https://www.amazon.com/POR-15-45304...rd_wg=ZTQZC&psc=1&refRID=XT2WWZCC6VFD7BMEKZKX

 

[Scott Danforth]

a rattle can of rustoleum will look just as good as POR 15 until the trailer breaks from rusting from the inside the CRC cold galvanizing can be used as well

I wouldnt use POR 15 if they paid me and I used to be a loyal POR 15 user on all my hot-rods and restorations.

your trailer will soon fail anyway because it is a steel trailer used in salt water rusting from the inside out. so I simply suggest a few cans of rustoleum.

 

[chevymaher]

Thanks for the responses. How thick is that gel coat? I have sanded it before.
As far as the trailer the POR15 Hot Rod Black is a sprayable urethane, I wanted something I can roll.

It is pretty thick. Mine was obviously done before as well. I sanded and did the side and buffed it. Well I could see the old stickers and registration in the paint from fade. I picked a spot in the back under the swim deck that wouldn't show If I burned through. I used some 600 on it. Didn't even phase it. Then I did the whole boat with 600 then 1500 then 3000 before buffing. I would find a test spot like that and try a small spot. See what your has and that way you can get comfortable.

I do automotive painting. But am new to gel coat. I watched hours of videos on the subject. In one video they said auto paint is paper thin when done. Gel coat is about 1/8 inch thick they said. I got one good deep scratch that went through and it looks like it is that thick.

Rustolium comes in cans you can use a brush or roll on as well. I use a can like that for small touch ups on the chevelle frame. Paint the heads of new bolts etc. POR15 does come in a roll on variety as well.

I kinda shifted to epoxy primer and hot rod black on my chevelle. Left the POR15 myself Scott. But the reasons are for another forum. High humidity make it have pores in it when applied.

 

[gica]

I have had this boat since 2006 and it's a 97 model. The rust as you see it has stayed the same probably because I haven't taken it to salt water environments. But I wanted to start ocean fishing off Channel Islands or Catalina.
So Scott mentioned I can use the CRC cold galvanizing over the existing paint. Is that true? I was looking at epoxy primer also. I am trying to make the trailer look a bit better. I triple buff the gel coat on the boat. I am pretty familiar with painting and buffing cars also. Had a body shop for 10 years.
I just looked the trailer over again and there's only one spot that has more pronounced rusting toward the front as seen in the first picture.

 

[Scott Danforth]

cold galvanizing is simply a really zinc rich primer

then again, if you had a body shop for 10 years, you would know that

 

[gica]

Hotrod Scott, go easy on me professor here no need to sweat it: http://www.paintcenter.org/rj/Aug02h.cfm
In the shop all we used were ppg(concept, deltron and the cheap Omni) base, clears ans reducers/hardners, and I rarely painted, had a bad reaction to the clear smell, you know isocyanates. But if you say so. The self etching primers were SEM and the fillers were Valspar or Eastwood. I am sure in restoration you came across whatever you chose to use, doesn't mean it was better or worse it was just different.
For some reason the painter liked them. But as far as zinc being pary of it I don't think so they were conventional primers, but I admit I never really looked just mixed and shot, rarely, whatever the paint shop would bring. I loved the pearls I remember very few painters that new how to really match that without blending, DO YOU? Probably.
You still didn't answer the question I know the 95% cold zinc cannot be top coated with just any topcoat paint. So I asked if it could be used on top of just any paint, say like mine. But above is the info that says I cannot, so on bare metal only, dah. That sucks. Just trying to get some benevolent second opinion besides my own on what to use on the trailer before taking it out again, and no cans for me, this trailer has not seen salt in over 10 years. The paint looks like crap on the rusted areas the rest is pristine. So anybody else? Thanks in advance