www.iFourWinns.com

I have a 1994 258 Vista which is faded. Any ideas to make it glisten once again? Also, the "Four Winns" decals on both sides of the boat in the aft need replacing. I have found them on the Four Winns web site (I am going to order them) - how do I remove the old ones?

Thanks in advance for the ideas !

ken

Heat is the best way to get the decals off. A hair dryer and a lot of patience. A heat gun will be faster but you need to be very careful with it.

Faded gel coat is best handled with a rotary buffer and the right compounds. If you don't have experience doing it (I don't either), seriously consider paying someone who knows what they're doing to bring it back, then you can keep it that way. Might be easiest to just take the whole thing to a FW dealer, let them take off the old decals, buff out your gel coat, and apply the new decals. Drop off "old boat," pick up "brand new looking boat."

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Ken,
I was watching shipshape on saturday and they were fixing up an older boat, for the gel coat they used this product called poliglow. Maybe someone on here has used this product and can give you first hand info on how this product works. The boat looked amazing. I listed the website below
good luck
Matt


http://www.poliglow-int.com/poliglow.phtml

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2005 Horizon 200 LE - Volvo Penta 5.0GXi 270

Seems like a good product.

The gel coat on my boat is pretty faded so I might order this stuff and try it out. 65 bucks for the kit isn't too bad.

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1987 Four Winns 170 Horizon
Tow rig: 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 QC Hemi Sport.

I'd bet your gelcoat hasn't faded, it's probably just oxidized. A buffing pad and a rubbing compound designed for gelcoat is the way to go. Last season I cleaned up an old bowrider before selling it - it had some serious oxidation.Never did anything like that before, but used the tutorials (and some of the products) from here: http://properautocare.com/gelcopadkitf1.html

It cleaned up real nice, and I gained enough experiance that I wouldn't hesitate to buff out any issues my beloved Horizon might develop.

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2007 Horizon 200
4.3L GXi/ SX 225 HP

I had a professional do my old Thompson. Well worth the $. Ken, where are you located? If West Michigan, I have a guy for you.

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2001 Horizon 260 - 7.4 Volvo GSI DP

I did my entire boat this off season while in storage. It was oxidized and needed to be rubbed out, then waxed.

Recommended by two boat detailers I met this year, this is what I used.


Apply with buffer, and keep going over it until the area you are working on is rubbed off. The boat will lookpretty good after only this step.

Next, Apply this wax.

Apply with buffer, remove by hand or with a buffer. It will shine like new when you are done.

It's hard on the arms, but worth doing yourself.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Hey Cap'N Morgan, did you use a special buffer or pad, or a regular buffer and pad that you would for a vehicle?

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1996 Horizon 203 Coast Runner
w/ 150 Johnson O/B Ocean Runner
Galveston, Texas

I just bought some of this from a recommendation from my friend. Can't wait to try it. Looks like it should work well.

Nice to see we are neighbors too!

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- Denis

2007 Horizon 210 SS
320 HP 5.7 Liter / Volvo Penta



2004 Chevrolet 2500 HD Extended Cab / 6.0 liter
2005 Harley FLSTNI - Aped
2008 Harley FLTRI

Howdy neighbor,
Dennis
Please let me know how the poliglow works, I would love to hear first hand how this stuff works.
Matt

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2005 Horizon 200 LE - Volvo Penta 5.0GXi 270

I was just browsing threw...I had a pro do mine, after figuring up how much time it was going to take me to refinish mine, and I think it was money well spent! (and I would have never got it looking this good..tell me what you think!) Good luck, post some pics when you get it finished!