gel coat or auto paint

[YDOC462]

alright guys i need some help. brought the boat down to body shop yesterday and picked out and priced some paint. the cost is way more than expected ( of course i probably picked out the most expensive lol) like many on here, im trying to rebuild within a budget, got me thinking of other directions to go with painting the boat.

i would like some form of red metal flake. my plan was to use duretec finishing primer. (polyester if gel coat/vinylester if auto paint)

from briefly searching looks like gel is more afordable and from what ive heard easier to apply, with a lil more sanding and buffing to shine it up.

i feel comfortable with applying the auto paint but not sure about gel coat process.

any thoughts, opinions, facts, or info on applying gel coat would be greatly appreciated.

[p man]

I am no expert but I know the following:

When you said gel requires "a lil more sanding and buffing to shine it up" what you should have said was " a metric sh!t ton more sanding and buffing to shine up" lol

other then that Gel will hold up better in the water where as paint wil hold up better in the sun.
If the boat isn't going to sit in the water for weeks at a time I would have no issue with painting a boat.
My 2 cents

[jacklake2003]

I recently prayed my Viper with white gel coat mixed 50/50 with the Duratec gel coat addative. I used a 2.2mm tip with a HVLP gun I purchased at Harbor Freight. This was my first real experience with spraying. It came out quite well. The Duratec additive thinned it down and allowed the gel to "flow." Any areas of orange peel was due to my inexperience. It took a little bit of work with wet sanding and buffing, but nothing like what it would take if it was straight gel (without the Duratec).

If I had to do it again I would use the same set-up, although I would put it on a bit thicker. I got a little thin in areas. I'll try to attach a picture.

[redneckcustoms13]

mine has been painted 1994 chevrolet cavalier blue since 2003 and lives out doors under a cover unless its in the water. the paint looks just as good now as it did a week after it was painted. Its nothing more than a PPG automotive grade paint with a good PPG clear. it has a few cracks in it now where the boat has flexed the bow covered area but they are very small and hardly noticeable if i do not point them out

[vincmm]

did you use the PPG auto paint on the hull?
curious where the fles was occuring?

[Hippie459MN]

I will be using automotive paint on mine as it will not live in the water (Dont live on a lake) and to also keep cost down some. I am going to do the same a chet did and go with a flat/satin white on the bottom of the hull. Water doesnt like to stick to smooth surfaces as well as the smooth shiny finish. and for the top just a good gloss white eventually. Maybe this spring if I plan everything right. Big maybe. lol

[YDOC462]

did you use the PPG auto paint on the hull?
curious where the fles was occuring?

Going w auto paint. Flex from what I've seen usually occurs around winshield on top of gunnels and around splashwell.( On viper/vking/vulture models)

Ground out all stress cracks, glassed where necessary, and covered w duretec vinylester primer. Hopefully they won't pop up again. I was told after the first layer of primer let sit out in sun for a day or 2 then sand and primer again. (Allow fiberglass and primer expand and set good.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[vincmm]

I will be using automotive paint on mine as it will not live in the water (Dont live on a lake) and to also keep cost down some. I am going to do the same a chet did and go with a flat/satin white on the bottom of the hull. Water doesnt like to stick to smooth surfaces as well as the smooth shiny finish. and for the top just a good gloss white eventually. Maybe this spring if I plan everything right. Big maybe. lol

would the paint be affected if left in water for a week...like staying on vacation?......wouldn't think so just curious, becasue we don;t the boats out nightly

[77viper]

I can't remember the time I was told with mine but it was less than a week something like 2-3 days max and I used a epoxy with Teflon in it used on racing sailboats. I have never had mine in the water for more than a few hours, heck most of the time I'm driving it it's out of the water LOL

[bigboy]

I recently prayed my Viper with white gel coat mixed 50/50 with the Duratec gel coat addative. I used a 2.2mm tip with a HVLP gun I purchased at Harbor Freight. This was my first real experience with spraying. It came out quite well. The Duratec additive thinned it down and allowed the gel to "flow." Any areas of orange peel was due to my inexperience. It took a little bit of work with wet sanding and buffing, but nothing like what it would take if it was straight gel (without the Duratec).

If I had to do it again I would use the same set-up, although I would put it on a bit thicker. I got a little thin in areas. I'll try to attach a picture.

How much did you use to regell the bottom?

I wonder is the layer you spray on as thick as the original layer or less thick?