Guys I have a 2001 ZX200. I haven't taken as good care of it as I should have over the years and the Gel coat is basically gone. I am thinking of spraying it with an Automotive clear coat paint. Your thoughts?

First try wet sanding with 600 then 1000 grit, if you get good results from that then buff with 3m compound and finally wax. Harbor Freight has an inexpensive buffer if you need one. I brought back an 88 Skeeter before selling it in 2012. Good luck.

Definitely give the wet sand and polish a try. I did this to an 85' Ranger that the previous owner neglected badly and I thought was going to need complete new gel coat. I started with 1000 and worked up to 2500 then used the high speed buffer and Meguiars 50 to polish. It'll never be new again but it made a huge difference and the wax seals the surface to protect what's left.

Is an automotive finish designed for marine use?

I would try the wet sand buffer if I could go back Friend of mine has been in Auto repair for over 20 years The nose of my boat faded because the sun beaming in under the garage We wet sanded the entire boat He sprayed Auto Clear coat on it and man it looked brand new ..... for about 6 months then it started peeling That was 2 years ago and it's still peeling Looks like 💩💩💩 Some people say they've had great luck with it But I wish I'd never done it

Do NOT use auto clear. It will start peeling up in a few years if not sooner. Check out bbc, they have a restoration section with a ton of info

http://protecproducts.com/

Buy their $60 restoration kit that has everything you need except for a buffer which is optional anyway but nice to have around. Follow their instructions word for word and you'll be amazed at the results. I refinished my old 1996 Skeeter that had been stored outside uncovered for about 10 years before I bought it and was blown away with how it looked afterwards. When I first got the boat it was so oxidized it was hard to tell if it was gray or green and felt like sandpaper if you ran your hand down it. When I sold it(the day I took this picture) the boat still looked great. Since then, I've helped two people do their boats with protec and they've both been very happy as well.

If you want your boat to look good again you should be prepared to work like crazy to get it to that point. It's not expensive but it takes A LOT of time.

Picture isn't showing up. Would love to see it!

oxidation is one thing, gone clearcoat is another.
if you can rub your finger and feel the flake (if the boat is metalflake) no amount of restore or compounding will help.

I could definitely feel the metal flake on mine, there were quite a few large spots that the metallic flake showed silver because of the abuse the flake took while it was exposed but the color came back around the flake, the added silver from the metallic flake just made it look a slightly different color if you look at it up close. Everybody told me there was no way to get the color back around that flake because it would burn the flake and cause all kinds of problems and would never be smooth again. I was turned away from a fiberglass shop because they said the only way they could fix it was apply new gel coat and I didn't have the money to spend on that as I was fresh out of high school. With lots of work it came out very good considering the shape it was in.

My Skeeter was very neglected and beaten down by sitting uncovered in the sun for years at my parent's house.2 Took me a few weeks in the evenings of wet sanding starting with 800 grit, followed by 1200 grit, then 1500 grit. Buff with a high quality cutting compound, which is usually about 2000 grit. Followed that's with polishing compound then I sealed with Starbrite marine polish with PTFE and high quality marine wax.

I'd venture to say my boat looks almost as good as new. It's under a high quality cover and carport now so it will never take that kind of abuse again. I plan on passing this boat to my son when he gets older and graduate myself to a bigger boat. It should still look great when I give it to him. Elbow grease and an electric HF buffer goes a LONG way!

Pro tec if its oxidation. Amazing stuff

Bump

I have been in the paint business my entire life. Here is the truth. If it is not down to the color and flake, yes you might be able to sand and buff it. If its just chalky from the wax in the gelcoat, you are golden, a sand and buff should get it back to shining. However if it is super neglected, you can put Automotive clear on it. The key is to sand the boat down with 180 grit. I know this sounds funny, but its a proven fact. Sand the boat down with 180 and clear it. Put 3 super heavy coats and it will last as long as you have the boat. Most folks are scared to sand it with rougher paper, however that is the key. I have seen boats last 20 years and still look as good as the day it was cleared. Prep it well and it will last. If not, it will peel. I would recommend PPG or Dupont clear.