TOPIC: How do I get rid of old yellow decal stain?

I've finally been doing some work on the Thunderhawk Sr. Mainly wetsanding and gelcoat repairs.
Today I peeled off the old Larson "teardrop" decal that had been on the boat since 1959! I noticed a lot of discoloration on the gelcoat underneath where the decal had been, but figured it would just go away with wetsanding.

No such luck! I realized I can wetsand until the cows come home (or until I hit bare fiberglass) and it wont get rid of the stain.
Then I used Starbrite Hull Cleaner which has gotten rid of tough stains in the past (rust, water stains), but no success.

Reluctantly I dipped a cutetip in bleach and did a tiny test spot, but didn't see anything happen. (I wiped and rinsed shortly after as I'm not sure what bleach will do to gelcoat)

The new decal will not be the teardrop kind, so the stain would show. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to remove tough stains?

Is it a stain or is it caused by UV light?

Is it a stain or is it caused by UV light?

That was my first thought too, Todd. Probably "unfaded" gel coat behind the sticker. It could be stained from the glue, have you tried just a dab of acetone or mineral spirits on a rag?

If you can't get it out, (gel may be stained permanently), I know where you can find the exact replacements for the teardrop decals:
www.garzonstudio.com/boat/larson.html

Peggy,
You should really use the proper decal that Mark suggests! IMHO

It would take care of your issue and the boat resto would be correct.

Dean

The discoloration of the gelcoat is definitely a result from the decal adhesive.

Bummer, I REALLY wanted to go for the whole kit 'n kaboodle 1959 fin deco as shown in the original brochure, pinstriping and all. I know the final production boats were not always identical to the brochure pics: especially not the California made Larsons but...it looks way cooler imo. (As in this pic)

I always felt the teardrop sticker didn't look right on the CA-made T-hawks (personal opinion). Too much "coverage", don't you think?

I've seen the Garzon decals, but they seem to use black where the original decal had chrome outlines. I ordered some original ones through Larson 10 years ago for the All-American, but they were pretty pricey.

Just another snag in Project Thunderhawk Sr.
Sigh...

Dario (Garzon Studios) will work with you on changing colors, or custom design whatever you want it to look like. His prices are very reasonable, and he's great about doing your stuff whatever way makes you happy. The quality on his work is also top shelf, IMHO. I understand your desire to achieve the look you want. Good luck with you project, keep us posted.

If you have a removable part that you could take to have color match gel coat mixed seems to be your only solution. If you don't feel comfortable applying yourself you might find a reputable boat repair shop that is experienced in gel coat repair. It is a small enough area that it shouldn't hurt the pocketbook that bad. I also like the logo you want to switch to.


A friend and infrequent poster here,bham-rick, took his hatch cover to Fiberlay in Seattle so that they could mix up color matching gel coat. They did a fantastic job of matching his original gel coat. This was his 1st experience with applying gel coat and he would have to point out the areas he did.

Melanie