Pop-top gel coat maintenance

I suppose there could be a problem whacking on these various ointments, this includes me with my T Cut and then Carnauba paste wax, but where the temporary stop gap of your choice gets into the substrate and stops a wrap or respray from being able to hold on as the ointment sweats out the next time there's a prolonged hot spell... obviously I'm not talking about this year. :cautious:
 
I suppose there could be a problem whacking on these various ointments, this includes me with my T Cut and then Carnauba paste wax, but where the temporary stop gap of your choice gets into the substrate and stops a wrap or respray from being able to hold on as the ointment sweats out the next time there's a prolonged hot spell... obviously I'm not talking about this year. :cautious:
A good clean/degrease would solve that issue I'd have thought.
 
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IMG_5119.jpegJust applied the polytrol stuff. I applied with a cloth adding a little at a time working it in. I’m not sure if this is going to be successful as if I try and buff it with a clean cloth it just seems to come off!
 
I tried that and tbh everything I’ve done with it since first applying seems to make it worse not better! :rolleyes:
 
I wonder if you are applying it to paint rather than gel coat. I have never used it on paint so don't know what it is like then.
 
View attachment 251879
View attachment 251878Just applied the polytrol stuff. I applied with a cloth adding a little at a time working it in. I’m not sure if this is going to be successful as if I try and buff it with a clean cloth it just seems to come off!
You've achieved a big colour change @cgtmiles... even if you're not enamoured with the finish. I've just tried that Polytrol stuff on my faded rear bumper protector and the colour hardly changed, even after a couple of coats. I intend to keep applying more coats, but I don't hold out any hope of getting back to black. :unsure:
 
You've achieved a big colour change @cgtmiles... even if you're not enamoured with the finish. I've just tried that Polytrol stuff on my faded rear bumper protector and the colour hardly changed, even after a couple of coats. I intend to keep applying more coats, but I don't hold out any hope of getting back to black. :unsure:
It does look good I just don’t think it’s going to last and where will it go when it comes off?! I actually used the cloth to do the wing mirror mounts, the rear bumper protector and the bike rack and it seemed to work quite well. The general appearance and consistency is very similar to the tyre dressing I have which I generally use for this purpose.
 
I wonder if you are applying it to paint rather than gel coat. I have never used it on paint so don't know what it is like then.
It’s not painted, I’m too tight to pay for that and the converter was definitely too money grabbing not to charge me extra for it ;)
 
Mine is painted so I suspect that’s why the finish wasn’t so good. Anyway I have a pretty much full pot of Polytrol FOC if anyone wants its, I'm in Oxford.
 
View attachment 251879
View attachment 251878Just applied the polytrol stuff. I applied with a cloth adding a little at a time working it in. I’m not sure if this is going to be successful as if I try and buff it with a clean cloth it just seems to come off!
Back looking like the first picture again but this time with a sort of film causing it (I guess where it didn’t absorb). I had a go at removing it this morning firstly by just buffing, hard work. Then using the meguars polish and wax, that seem to do it but the end result is really being just back where I started (although as I’ve only done a small test patch I now need to do the whole roof again!). I think (hope) leaving it caked on overnight some goodness should have been absorbed in but I think it’s a wrap for me!
 
Fingers crossed it doesn't affect adhesion of the wrap!
 
Back looking like the first picture again but this time with a sort of film causing it (I guess where it didn’t absorb). I had a go at removing it this morning firstly by just buffing, hard work. Then using the meguars polish and wax, that seem to do it but the end result is really being just back where I started (although as I’ve only done a small test patch I now need to do the whole roof again!). I think (hope) leaving it caked on overnight some goodness should have been absorbed in but I think it’s a wrap for me!
This mirrors my experience of using Polytrol, not sure if I applied it when the roof was too hot, but it left a sticky mess that I couldn’t get off. I’ve left it for a few weeks and it’s no longer sticky, just looks patchy and Matt. When I get more time, I’ll go over with a cutting compound to see if I can remove the patchy surface
 
I reckon a wrap as if like some of us you've got Flexi panels on a poptop roof painting around these will leave parts of the roof unpainted and taking the solar off to paint the whole roof opens another can of worms.
In my case a shiny chestnut brown metallic vinyl wrap would be great.:thumbsup:
 
Sounds like a bargain:cry: compared to other must haves like air suspension or retro fitting VW factory led headlights... I mean you can't take it with you and it's really cheap compared to when you have to replace your EGR, DPF and turbo or any other consumable parts like the tyres...
 
So my polytrol attempt in June went reasonably well but I admit I did apply it to a warm roof. Probably too warm.

Then last weekend I washed the van using BH Touchless and AG Polar Wash. and funnily it’s very quickly gone back to being a flat mess.

I’m reasonably new to these 2 products having used them both 3-4 times since Nov. So it might be a massive coincidence but I think one of these products is responsible for stripping the original protection of my gel coat.

Having been fine for a couple of years then becoming very flat soon after a wash. And then Meguiars which rectified but didn’t last. Then Polytrol that looks good 6 weeks later. And then immediately flat after a wash.

Any thoughts about how harsh these supposed kind cleaning agents are? Touchless is 10.6 I think - so alkaline - but isn’t on the van for more than a couple of minutes.

Can any others with flat gel coats link to similar cleaning products?
 
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