Opinion asked for restoration of 1988 25 ft. Bayliner

[Seamates]

Would anyone bother to restore a Bayliner? Everyone I talk to hate them and think they are junk. But I think it has nice lines and it is machanically sound. Boat has been in the sun too long and is heavily oxidised. Thinking of repainting it instead of trying to restore the fiberglass gel coat. What paint do you recommend I use and how do I prep the boat. Do I need to sand it down or just clean and paint. The gel coat appears to be in pretty good shape. No spider carcks. I have spray equipment and I have done well in the past with Enterlux Brighterside paint. Roll it on and tip it off with a brush.
Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Opinion asked for restoration of 1988 25 ft. Bayliner

Bayliner's get a bad rep because many were low cost offerings that were then treated as disposable boats. You might find an exceptional example that was welll taken care of & is in exceptional condition. I actually love some of the worst of the 80's & 90's hulls that are extremely prone to wood rot & water logged foam. It's all about time & money. 93Bayliner1800 is extremely happy with the results of his resto.

If you find a boat your really interested in, just protect yourself & your investment and know what condition it's in prior to it's purchase. Even a derelict example could be redone, you just wouldn't want to pay much up front for it.....

On a 25ft'r there is a whole lot of hull to examine & probe to attempt to determine the condition of the wood & foam below decks. And despite your best efforts, some areas will be un-inspectable.