Crazy Amos
New member
- Oct 20, 2010
- 1,060
- 0
I am currently working on an old mid 90's something Dodge Conversion van that has a raised fiberglass roof to accommodate the TV and VCR in the interior.
The roof is extremely oxidized with hairline cracks running all over from the expanding, contracting and flexing. The brown metallic paint is EXTREMELY thin due to the lack of protection all these years. It reminds me of a leopard to be honest; there are dark spots and light spots all over so I need to be very gentle with it. I knew going in that it wasn’t going to be fun, but had no idea it was going to be this bad. Picture a dried up pond.
The problem I am having is this; I can’t do ANYHTING to it! My original plan was to use some 205 with a white LC pad to at least smooth it out and give a little bit of a shine allowing it to reflect SOME light. It has no reflection the way it sits.
Getting to “the problem”
As soon as my pad touches the paint, the polish is gulped by the paint leaving behind a white haze similar to dried wax on plastic trim. (I can’t even get 2 passes in after spreading it) The polish (liquid) is absorbed through the cracks, and I’m thinking at a microscopic level, into the fiberglass. The only way to quickly remove it is to use a QD that provides enough moisture to allows the paint to release the residue.
After some thinking, I decided I would soak it with 4 applications of Megs #7 to quench its thirst by replenishing some of the oils and reducing its absorbency, hoping to then rework the 205. The #7 worked to a degree; the paint is darker and bolder but didn’t provide the shine most people relate to #7. The paints feels soft-er, and more slick leading me to believe the oils were absorbed.
After that I decided to top it with some 845 hoping to get the littlest bit of shine I could be happy with because I really don’t want to polish it. Well, the wax didn’t do much at all.
So now, I have a test spot with 4 apps of #7 and a coat of 845. Should I attempt to rework the 205, or go with what I have? If it doesn’t work, I will have to reapply the #7 4x’s and then add another coat of 845. But if it does, I will have more work to do. I really like the idea of just applying the #7 and topping it off-at least it will be sealed.
This is taking way too long!
What do you guys suggest? I am all ears.
I am only doing 1 step on the panels; 1 coat of an AIO and 1 white pad, but replaced when needed.
I would like to keep the roof process to a minimum.
Thanks in advance everyone.
The roof is extremely oxidized with hairline cracks running all over from the expanding, contracting and flexing. The brown metallic paint is EXTREMELY thin due to the lack of protection all these years. It reminds me of a leopard to be honest; there are dark spots and light spots all over so I need to be very gentle with it. I knew going in that it wasn’t going to be fun, but had no idea it was going to be this bad. Picture a dried up pond.
The problem I am having is this; I can’t do ANYHTING to it! My original plan was to use some 205 with a white LC pad to at least smooth it out and give a little bit of a shine allowing it to reflect SOME light. It has no reflection the way it sits.
Getting to “the problem”
As soon as my pad touches the paint, the polish is gulped by the paint leaving behind a white haze similar to dried wax on plastic trim. (I can’t even get 2 passes in after spreading it) The polish (liquid) is absorbed through the cracks, and I’m thinking at a microscopic level, into the fiberglass. The only way to quickly remove it is to use a QD that provides enough moisture to allows the paint to release the residue.
After some thinking, I decided I would soak it with 4 applications of Megs #7 to quench its thirst by replenishing some of the oils and reducing its absorbency, hoping to then rework the 205. The #7 worked to a degree; the paint is darker and bolder but didn’t provide the shine most people relate to #7. The paints feels soft-er, and more slick leading me to believe the oils were absorbed.
After that I decided to top it with some 845 hoping to get the littlest bit of shine I could be happy with because I really don’t want to polish it. Well, the wax didn’t do much at all.
So now, I have a test spot with 4 apps of #7 and a coat of 845. Should I attempt to rework the 205, or go with what I have? If it doesn’t work, I will have to reapply the #7 4x’s and then add another coat of 845. But if it does, I will have more work to do. I really like the idea of just applying the #7 and topping it off-at least it will be sealed.
This is taking way too long!
What do you guys suggest? I am all ears.
I am only doing 1 step on the panels; 1 coat of an AIO and 1 white pad, but replaced when needed.
I would like to keep the roof process to a minimum.
Thanks in advance everyone.