My restoration on 92 Cajun 2000 Espirit Travis Edition

I bought this boat a few years ago. I am the 4th owner. I don't know the 1st one, but supposidly he left it out in the sun. I know the other two. They are coworkers. The 2nd owner kept it in his garage; washed and waxed it regularly(helped, but a little too late.) He said it was always dull, but tried to keep it from fading more. He was getting a divore and needed to sell. I didn't have the money for what he was asking. So, that is when my other coworker decided to buy it. It was his first boat ever. Never drove a boat. Just wanted one. After a year or so, he kept saying how he wasn't using it anymore, and how it was in his way, so I offered him a silly price... 2Gs ...and he took it. http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/emthup.gif http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/emthup.gif http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/emthup.gif

After I bought it I found this site and joined. I knew my boat needed some carpet, seat, and gelcoat work, but thought I needed a new clear gel coat. I needed some money to do all of this, and could wait for it to get worse to worry about it. I asked a few questions about my motor, and that was about it til the other week. I was just looking around and found http://www.bbcboards.net...94223.I read it and got excited. I went to Harbor Freight Tools and bought a power polisher. I already had some 3M Restorer and Wax that I had tried by hand, but didn't work. It helped, but needed sanding(I didn't know then).

Anyway, here we are. My helper and I started pulling off all of the hardware from the boat: didn't really have to pull off the front seats, except the kinda just came off. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/doh.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/doh.gif
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/

Here you can see the severe difference between the original clearcoat, saved from the sun by the trolling motor, and the sun-eaten clearcoat:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/
Under the windshield
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/
Where the walk-thru windshield folded back and blocked the sun:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/

Some others before:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/

WOW!!!! http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/eek.gif What a difference!! And this is only using the compounding wax. Only thing is if you look close enough you can see where the trolling motor was. Do I need to sand some more or will the High Gloss Polish and Caranuba Wax I still have to do get rid of it. ???? http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/doh.gif
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/
And here, you can still barely see where the walk-thru windshield line is still there. I don't know. I may try to compound a few times in those areas?????
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/

Some more:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/

You can really see through the gloss if you look straight down into it. I can see a few spots I quite didn't get all of the oxidation out. Also, I can see, in a few areas, some tiny spots(like paint overspray). I am not sure what that is, but it bugs me. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/mad.gif Should I worry about it? I tried to sand it out, but didn't want to go too far down so I stopped.

All in all my boat had quite a bit of sun damage, and I am surprised how it came out.

I am blessed to have my son want to help. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/praying.gif Thank you Lord
He can't wait til I get home so WE can work on the boat. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/smile.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/smile.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/crying.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/crying.gif

Hope you enjoy. Will post more as progress continues.


Modified by Get Me Outside at 6:53 AM 7/17/2008


Modified by Get Me Outside at 6:54 AM 7/17/2008

Wow. Its looking good so far. Keep us posted. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/boardstuff2/beers.gif

That is looking great. It is an older boat, don't worry about some of the minor flaws. They come with age and add character to the boat. It looks 100 times better than it did when you got it.

I have the same problem on my boat in a few spots, mainly where the old boat letters were. I can't get the color difference out, no matter how hard I work at it. I actually think it is in the flake and not the gel coat from years of weather and sun.

Be careful, don't sand or buff through the gel coat trying to get everything out.

Looking good Warren http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/emthup.gif

Keep it up man.. http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/emthup.gif

Great looking boat. I have owned two Cajuns - Great rides http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/emthup.gif http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/emthup.gif

Just a little update...

Earlier you saw this<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Get Me Outside &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">And here, you can still barely see where the walk-thru windshield line is still there. I don't know. I may try to compound a few times in those areas?????
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well, I decided to go a little deeper for shits and grins... http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/praying.gif ...viola http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/glasses.gif just needed to get more of the old oxidation out.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/

Here are some pics of how bad my oxidation (gelcoat damage) is:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/
And if you notice in this one; you can see the spots I told you about(middle to bottom left). I tried to get them out as well, but didn't want to go deeper. It looks like little pits where the wax gets caught which makes it look like white pits. You didn't see them as much when I sanded them more. Soon as I waxed...poof there they are. This spot was really damaged, I think it turned out 100% better than it was. I will just have to keep it waxed so it doesn't get damaged any more. Even thought of putting a step plate there. This is where everyone steps getting into the boat from shore. I will think about it. Also, I am going to see if Mequiars has a black wax. Maybe that won't show off the pits or the cracks (shown in previous pic)
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/
I am not sure if I just had a bad case of oxidation or what, cause I ended up starting with 400 grit wetsand moving to 800 to 1200 then to 2000. In the bad areas this worked great. In the not so bad areas I didn't work the 400 a lot.

P h e w... I hope this lasts. I worked my butt off on this with a few http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/embeer.gif s. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/Laugh.gif

Here are a few progress pics: Before and Afters:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b8...D480/ry%3D320/

Thanks for all of your advice on this. http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/bows.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/bows.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/bows.gif As you can see, my boat is better for this.

Great Job http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/bows.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/bows.gif

http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/emthup.gif what a differance. your buddy sorry he sold it now? http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/Laugh.gif

Excellent Job. http://xs-s.com/zf/images/smile/emthup.gif
I've said it before and I'll say it again.....The Bassboat Restoration forums are the best on this site.;

Looks great!! something to be very proud of. Doing it yourself always makes your proud to go to the ramp. Get yourself some bassboatsaver and use it when you leave the water, put a couple coats of wax on a year and she'll always look that good. Those places where the wax got into will dissappear with bassboatsaver...had the same problem on a champ. Had a few stress cracks and the wax would get into them...used bassboat saver and they went away....just cleans it out but you gain protection at the same time. GREAT JOB!! http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/eek.gif

Thanks, I am proud of it. I will have to get some bassboatsaver.

Great job, Warren! http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/bows.gif http://www.bassboatcentral.com/smileys/bows.gif

Looks Great Warren, What waxing compound did you use, I have been using The 3m stuff but I'm not happy with it. I'm trying to avoid sanding but I might have to.

Ernie
1980 Cajun Brute
Rude 150 XP