On Dec 26, 1:07*am, Hagbard Celine wrote:
*If you want it to last, paint it the same way you would paint an
aluminium aircraft: strip to bare metal, etch the surface, conversion
coat with Alodine, prime with an epoxy primer containing zinc-chromate
then top coat with a 2 part polyurethane. The coloured polyurethane
topcoat can sometimes also be covered with a clear of the same type
(from the same manufacturer of course) for extra resistance to U.V.

*The most difficult thing would be to find a spray booth big enough to
take a glider trailer. Aircraft, boat and truck painters are the most
likely places to have one.

*All that aside, I do know a couple of people who just slapped paint
on their aluminium trailers using a roller. Of course these were old,
home-built box type trailers that they didn't feel justified in
spending a significant amount of money on. With a Cobra it's probably
worth doing right. If you do the stripping yourself and then do the
etching and conversion coating in the booth before handing it over to
a pro for the actual painting you could save a fair amount of money
while still getting a first class refinish.

*By the way, I still remember a guy who came into the paint store
where I used to work after painting his car with paint he bought from
one of our resellers. Quote: "Yeah, I painted my car with (two part
polyurethane paint) without using a mask..... I couldn't taste
anything for a couple of weeks, but it was no big deal..." Then there
were the guys who wanted to take the used 205 liter drums that had
contained methylene chloride paint stripper, wash them out and use
them to "Make wine in".

If the paint is just chalky then buff it out and wax.
The paint problems that would trigger a respray would be blistering
and peeling.
The paint you have if it is still sound would take much less labor to
buff and way than redo.
Also if the paint is sound then a scuff and paint is possible, since
tha majority of the work is in the proper preparation before paint.
All of that work will be many times the work of buffing and waxing.