Penetrol for faded fiberglass

tommybro31

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
May 28, 2009
Messages
30
Hi, I thought I would share my experience in renewing my faded fiberglass.

I have a 79 Renken fiberglass hull. It was faded pretty badly. It took me hours to coumpound and wax the top to where I thought I had the shine back. Well i was talking to my father-in-law who is a painter about an easier way to get the shine back. He went over to is truck and pulled out he Penetrol and I tried it. It worked like a charm on the bottom half, came out better than the top. You just wipe it on with a rag and wait a little bit, then buff it off with another rag.

I do plan on following up with a good coat of wax once I get a chance because I have heard that it can be a dirt magnet if just left alone, but this may be a quick fix for some people.

I'll post a follow up on how it does long term but I am VERY HAPPY with it so far
 

Bob_VT

Moderator & Unofficial iBoats Historian
Staff member
Joined
May 19, 2001
Messages
26,019
Re: Penetrol for faded fiberglass

The finish does not last. Most people compound and must resort to wet sanding to restore the gel coat.

Good luck with the experiment long tem. Some "shady" dealers used to use that treatment on older boats too.
 

tommybro31

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
May 28, 2009
Messages
30
Re: Penetrol for faded fiberglass

Yea, I have read it does not last long but I am hoping that with a coat of wax over it, it will last a little longer. I spent hours doing the coumpound thing and like 10 min with Penetrol for the whole boat.

I know there is no easy fix for this sort of thing but with hope it will last a few months.
 

Bob_VT

Moderator & Unofficial iBoats Historian
Staff member
Joined
May 19, 2001
Messages
26,019
Re: Penetrol for faded fiberglass

Hey if it keeps you happy during the summer you are okay. Read up on re-finishing and restoring the gelcoat. Wet sanding is amazing and many people here are anti-wax
 

Mark42

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Oct 8, 2003
Messages
9,334
Re: Penetrol for faded fiberglass

If it doesn't work, wash it off well and apply a coat or two of MopNGlo, Future or Armstrongs CVT floor polish (available at Home Depot). All are basically the same thing, an acrylic polish that holds up well. Same ingredients as PolyGlo (or so I'm told). They are not water soluble, but can be removed by washing with an amonia solution.
 
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