If the gelcoat is starting to fail, painting over it is not a good idea, it will continue to crack under the paint. Ive seen 2. LS4 finished in. Vorgelat that were painted without removing the gelcoat, both continued to crack under the paint needing complete removal and refinish. Vorgelat must be completely removed, schwaballac can be painted over fine before it cracks, which occurs much later than Vorgelat.