Yellowing

[FatBuoy]

Any fiberglass pros out there? I have researched the heck out of this topic and have so many mixed answers it's not funny. I can't get a definitive, but have an educated guess.

The body has a yellowish tint to it, as can be seen as compared to the steel cab. It's just old, so yellowed a bit over time. It's not terrible, but if there's a fix with some elbow grease, I would tackle it. Like I said, information is all over the place. And I'm talking everything from bathtubs to boats to RVs. A detailer promises he can get it out by buffing, but that scares me a bit as I don't want to start thinning the gelcoat, and I'm not sure it would work anyway. And if it did, would it be temporary and inevitably yellow again in the short-term? It seems that most of the solutions out there on the market are for stains, not yellowing overall.

Anyone know if this is just a product of age, with no real fix, short of painting or wrapping it? The fiberglass itself seems to be in great shape.

I suppose another question would be- were they like that brand new, or did the cab match the body well? I would assume it did.

[SMan]

The van bodies from Ford come in a "Fleet White" for lack of a better term. I doubt that any gel coat would be a match. Mine isn't. My cousin was the original owner and it didn't match when new as I saw it within a few days of its purchase.

That said I have tried a number of products to improve the look of a 16 year old Gel-coat. What worked the best for me was buffing it out with 3M Marine restorer and wax. I used an older Black and Decker buffer/polisher with a wool pad. I was very happy with the result. I am sure a professional detailer has product preferences that may be superior.
Note on my Premier I have a combination of decals and gel-coat.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014 ... UTF8&psc=1

[chin_k]

I think the cab and the coach match color when new. Mine is pretty white until I used the Wet Look finish to make it shiny, but that added some yellow tint to the color. I did not mind it that much, however. Eventually, I will have the whole rig painted, but right now, I just working on the inside first.

Edit: SMan said it does not match, so forget my first sentence.

[cidevco]

In the trade it's called Gelcoat Poisoning. The reason for this as touched on by the last writer is that you or someone in the past waxed the gelcoat. Most waxes are silicone based and the chemicals in the wax discolors the gelcoat. The only remedy for this is to color sand the gelcoat to remove the yellow. There are many gelcoat polishes out there that do not contain silicone and will bring back the shine with a lot of hard work and a very good electric buffer with a wool pad.

[chin_k]

So the Wet Look buffering compound contains silicone, and it cause the gelcoat to be tinted yellow? I did not know that, otherwise, I may use some other product and see if there is a better alternative. I knew silicone is bad for some application, but did not know that it causes yellowing. So my current dilemma is that I need to reapply the Wet Look again (some people recommend do it annually), and I wonder if I should continue to use it (don't want to waste the rest of the bottle....) or it will make it more and more tinted?

I guess one of the lesson from this forum that I learn is to stay away from silicone...

[FatBuoy]

In the trade it's called Gelcoat Poisoning. The reason for this as touched on by the last writer is that you or someone in the past waxed the gelcoat. Most waxes are silicone based and the chemicals in the wax discolors the gelcoat. The only remedy for this is to color sand the gelcoat to remove the yellow. There are many gelcoat polishes out there that do not contain silicone and will bring back the shine with a lot of hard work and a very good electric buffer with a wool pad.

Interesting. So there’s hope? I haven’t come across color sanding in all of my research. Is it the same as wet sanding? Do you mind expanding on the process a bit more? And is this a permanent fix, assuming you don’t go back with a silicone based polish or wax?

[cidevco]

Color sanding or wet sanding is the same. You use 400 - 1200 or better wet dry sanding paper with water. Keep the sand paper as flat as possible and be very mindful of corners since the gel will be thinner on that edge. If you are adventureous using an electric buffer with automotive butter creams/coumpounds will save your arm as well as speed up the process. REMEMBER THOSE CORNERS the buffing creams/compounds cut faster and polish at the same time. Practice on flat areas first to get the feel of the buffer and cutting ability of the compounds.