My 2007 Malibu boat is starting to show its age. While the gel coat still looks new thanks to regular polishing, the vent covers—common on these boats—were faded and falling apart. Fixing them turned out to be easier than expected, so I thought I'd share the process.
The vent covers are made from stainless steel mesh, which is epoxied inside a stylized stainless steel frame. Most, like mine, use black mesh instead of the raw stainless steel. I decided to restore the black mesh.
Here’s how I did it:
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Remove the vents: They’re held in place with just 6–8 screws.
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Repaint the mesh: I used a automotive paint that holds up well in the sun. Specifically, I went with a two-part SprayMax 2K paint that activates when mixed (purchased on Amazon). I've had good luck with it in other projects.
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Clean the frame and mesh: After removing the mesh from the frame, I used a wire brush, sander, scraper, and acetone to remove the old glue/epoxy from both the frame and mesh. I sanded the backside of the frame to ensure it was flat—this step is critical for proper adhesion later.
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Polish the frame: Use a polisher to clean up the stainless frames, but be careful not to bend them or let the polishing pad catch the edges. Make sure to put a soft towel beneath the frame during sanding (on the backside) and polishing (on the front) to avoid scratching the surface. Scratches are not your friend on a mirror finish.
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Reattach the mesh: Apply epoxy to the frame and clamp it in as many places as possible. Since these are odd shapes, it takes a bit of work to get it just right. Let dry overnight before you start bending them to put back on the boat.
Reattach the vents, and they’ll look brand new!
Hope this helps someone visualize the process—it’s really quite simple.
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