wieland77

iTrader: (1)

I have a 1987 28' Saber that has had it deck repainted, at some point in time, with base coat clear coat. From the rub rail down is all still original and the red is getting to the point where its just about gone, the black behind the red is starting to come through and you have to wax it about every week in order for it to stay looking red. Also, the clear on the deck is starting to peel (one spot rapidly where it must have not been preped very well) and a couple small spots here and there.

Since this is the first Saber made I want to keep the original color design. I could probably hold off a year on the hull but the deck needs to be fixed and since im going through the trouble, might as well do the whole thing. What do you guys recommend for paint? I am going to do the prep work and have my body shop guy do the spraying. The boat does not stay in the water accept for a weekend. Would base/clear on the deck and sides be the way to go and gel on the bottom? I would only be doing the deck and sides and do the bottom at a later time (probably hire out that job). Also, would you guys recommend painting all red and using paint for the black stripe or graphics?

Wetsand with 800/1000 the whole thing or DA? There really isnt any major scratches or damage that need to be fixed, just needs a face lift. Thanks in advance, MIKE

johnny g

I had a Stryker that was almost the same scheme, black and red. I also had the same oxidation / fade problem. I wet sanded the entire boat and shot it with clear. It was amasing how beautiful it turned out. I sold the boat two years later so I cant tell you about longevity. Clear coat is cheap!

wieland77

iTrader: (1)

YA,

I could probably just clear the deck but the sides would need to be resparyed with color in order to get the red back. How many coats of clear, and what kind did you use? Thanks, MIKE

johnny g

Its been years ago, I couldnt tell you what kind or how much. But I did the whole boat and it was amazing. Try it on the sides on a test area. Worst that could happen is that yould have to sand it off.

Rookie

iTrader: (4)

Not saying this the best way or the right way, but it worked well for me and I am very pleased with the results.

1. I washed my boat with a degreasing dish detergent. (Palmolive)
2. Wiped boat down with de-waxing and prepping cleaner.
3. DA'd the red stripes off of boat. (smooth)
4. Washed boat again with dish detergent and instead of a sponge I used scotch bite pads and scuffed the whole boat up. Rinsed
5. Wiped boat down again with de-waxing and prepping cleaner.
6. Had a professional shoot the boat in Dupont Chroma One single stage Acrylic Urethane paint.

I chose the Chroma One cause I did not want to mess with Imron or Awlgrip and my Dupont rep said it was a rock hard paint that will flex (or stretch) with the fiberglass 1" over 22'. He said that it will be good in water for a few days or the occasional week with no problems. He did say he would not recommend any type of paint under the water line for extended period of time.

The boat has been painted for about 5 years now and I love it.