My front storage compartment on my Triton TR196 starting to deteriorate. What is the best way to repair these cracks that are turning into holes? I have thought about just using two-part epoxy and working in or do I need to sand the smooth surfaces and use a fiberglass repair kit with the cloth? I I can't load pics because I get an error message of too many bytes?! I will try pics another way.
I've had a lot of success with PC-7 epoxy for repairs such as these. It bonds well, but reminds slightly flexible so it doesn't' crack. They make a marine version that is white, but it seems more brittle to me. You'll just need to touch up the PC-7 with paint when done. What I really like about this product, is after you put it down, and give it an hour or so to start setting up, you can come back with rubbing alcohol on your finger to smooth it out. No sanding required doing it this way. I have repaired several chips in gel coat with this, then just used some touch up paint to make the color match.
I can get 3M 5200 white locally and wondering if it is pretty much the same as PC-11 or PC-7? If I decide to use black carpet after epoxy what/where is correct carpet for a storage unit? Black would match both rod lockers. Preping to sell and want to make sure it is done right strong and looking good.
3m 5200 is a polyurethane adhesive sealant, where as PC-11 and PC-7 are two part epoxies. It's like the difference between caulk and body filler. Gel coat is a hard surface, so I think an epoxy like PC-7, or marine tex, makes a better cosmetic repair than a caulk type product would. I also personally wouldn't want carpet in the compartment, so some of your potential buyers may not either. I think it would be easier to add carpet if a buyer wants it than to remove it if they don't. Also, carpet might make someone think you're trying to cover up more extensive damage. Just my $.02, but I assume that's what you were looking for here. I had a similar issue where the gel coat was chipped in the cooler on my boat. Just about a dime sized chip, and PC-7 worked great to fill it in, then a little touch up paint and it was like it never happened.
Thank you for the replies. What would be the recommended paint to use over the pc-7 that will not flake off? I'm assuming would have to paint the whole storage unit so it all blends together?
Front storage repair - cracks/hole
2004 Mercury 200 EFI
Reply With Quote