Restoring and Polishing Gelcoat

Restoring and Polishing Gelcoat

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I have a 94 BAJA which has purple and black waving stripes running the hull. Last yerar it was fine but over the past winter the colors, particularly the black, seem to have faded, fogged or slighlty discolored and i can't get them back even after I waxed the hull. At the waterline in particular the fading seems to have left a line below where it crosses through the black stripe.
I used 3M's combo wax and polish for mildly oxidized finishes with a power polisher and it seems to give me gloss but the dark colors still seem faded or slightly cloudy and I see some swirl marks. No problems on the white hull areas. Where do I go from here? Should I go more abrasive on the color or less? What products should I use?

Re: Restoring and Polishing Gelcoat

Are the stripes decals? If they are vinyl about all you do is replace them..

Re: Restoring and Polishing Gelcoat

Baja's graphics are in the gelcoat.
We have a 1994, has the same wave graphics but different colors.
Once a year I buff out the boat w/ rubbing compound and apply 3 coats of a good wax. It gets rid of any oxidation. If you are getting swirl marks you need to work on your technique. Hope you are using a DeWalt or Milwaukee 7" buffer and not one of those junk $29 orbital polisher specials.
If the oxidation is still there, you are not removing enough faded gelcoat.
Our Baja is as shiny as the day it came outta Bucyrus.