Fiberglass conditions question

[Boler_YYC]

We recently bought a new to us 73 boler in “good” shape. Door is square, 10 year old frame, electrical, fridge stove replaced etc, batteries all receipt provided from the last 25 years. The bottom fiberglass was all repaired and gel coated when the frame was replaced.

The top has original fiberglass that I am likely going to work on over next winter in our heated garage. The upper fiberglass does have pitting/wear??, some spider cracking and strange dark patches. I’ve attached pictures. The spider cracking is all on the drivers side and the supports in the cabinets have been replaced with solid wood and seem strong.

Ideas on causes as to treat each would be appreciated. I am planning on removing side windows, patching and sanding but worried about how some of these look as I don’t want to miss something and have all the work be for naught.

Sorry if these are common issues I didn’t see anything that looks the same as these in other posts.

[Jon in AZ]

Barkeepers Friend might take care of those stains. It’s a mild, fiberglass-friendly scouring paste or powder. Go gently, because it’s still abrasive.

As to small pits and spider cracks, I just wax and ignore. They only affect the thin, outer gelcoat layer, so they’re basically cosmetic. I don’t want a garage queen that needs to be pampered. With a good cleaning and coat of wax (or two), they’re barely noticeable from ten feet away.

If you really want, you can grind, fill, and do gelcoat touch-up, but getting a good color match is tricky.

[Boler_YYC]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Barkeepers Friend might take care of those stains. It’s a mild, fiberglass-friendly scouring paste or powder. Go gently, because it’s still abrasive.

As to small pits and spider cracks, I just wax and ignore. They only affect the thin, outer gelcoat layer, so they’re basically cosmetic. I don’t want a garage queen that needs to be pampered. With a good cleaning and coat of wax (or two), they’re barely noticeable from ten feet away.

If you really want, you can grind, fill, and do gelcoat touch-up, but getting a good color match is tricky.

Thanks for the note. Sorry I didn't realize anyone had replied, as the email got caught in spam. So the dark shading that kind of looks under the surface isn't really a concern? We were given a boat cleaner and wax from the previous owner. We aren't looking for a garage queen; just want to keep up on maintenance, and it looked pretty weathered on the top half.

[Jon in AZ]

Given enough time, the roof can oxidize to the point there are pinholes in the fiberglass. It's not common, but it's been reported. Short of that, it can become rough and pitted to the point regular wax really doesn't do much.

Short of sanding and painting, Zep High Gloss floor wax is one solution to get a decent gloss and protect the fiberglass from further deterioration. You can search old thread for pros and cons and information of how to get a good, long-lasting result. Zep and its associated stripper is available at home improvement retailers like Home Depot.

[Roy S]

Hi Jason, my recently purchased Trillium has the same issues, as the others have said, I'm not worrying about it. I'm using a boat cleaner, Collinite no.920 and then going over it with Collinite no.885 Fleetwax. I've only done a couple test spots so far and it seems to work great. A lot of my friends with boats swear by it.