Hello hello! I'm gonna be painting my truck come spring time, and I'm looking for pictures/suggestions of what color(s) I should go with. Also, I'm wondering about brands/types of paint you guys have used, longevity of the paint including any fading etc...

I know 90% of how well paint lasts is prep work, but I would still like to hear yalls opinions about the paint you've used. Quality, ease of use, price, etc...

Here are some pictures of White B****!







This one probably gives the best idea of the current color. It's more of an off-white, closer to a cream color than just white.




This is a photo from when I was fitting the new fenders on. The fender is snow-white, and the truck like I was saying is more of an off-white.




I have a few ideas churning in the old thinker, but I'd really like yalls suggestions.

At the moment the ideas are:
1) To keep it the same off-white color because I think it's kind of tough looking
2) A nice deep blue
3) Sort of a rough dark green

 

Are you painting the truck?
Have you ever painted before?
What color interior?

 

Yes, I am painting the truck.

Yes, I have painted before, but never a vehicle. In other words, I've painted machinery and other small items using a spray gun, but nothing so large in a single piece as a truck.

Interior is BLUE. Very Blue.

 

I have used paintforcars.com before. It isn't expensive, went on good. Lasted just fine.

As far as color, I would stay in the white family. It is a pain to do the door jamb and engine bay, under hood, etc.
https://www.paintforcars.com/kits_arcticwhite.html

 

I would suggest going to your local paint supplier and talk to them.
I sprayed Dupont for years but recently have gone to PPG and I will never go back. But that is all personal preference.

As for longevity? Base/Clear no doubt about it.

Do NOT use Single stage enamel. It is OLD technology from the 80s

 

The only car I have painted was 70 VW bus. Since I am not a painter I did shoot single stage. It wasn't perfect, but I could live with the results. It was bullet proof though. Even though it wasn't perfect, I had fun doing it.

 

Do you guys have any tips in particular? Anything specific to vehicular painting? Is there any difference in technique for spraying large areas like bedside or hood?

I will probably end up spraying the off white, to match door jams like you were saying. But I'll still have to spray under hood and fenders any way because they are all different colors haha

The truck is currently teal, snow white, maroon, and off white hahah

 

If you can find something to practice spraying first it wild help. Like paint bottom of hood and area you don't see. Watch videos on how to spray. Gun technique is important.

You can do it. You just can't
rush it.

 

I figured I'd practice on my old fenders and hood. I kept them just in case i needed them when I swapped everything over to the OBS clip. But I definitely will be reading up and practicing.

I hear the clear coat is typically the harder part to do well. Is that true?

 

You are not going to paint the vehicle as whole?

So just panel by panel?

If just panel by panel get medium or fast activator for the temp range specified

 

Also, you can "cheat" and do single stage in the door jams and underhood since they dont get the sun

 

Would you suggest doing it panel by panel? I was thinking that was the best way to do it, so I could correct any mistakes that I make.

I could do either way...

As for your "cheat", do you think it would be worth buying the extra paint, rather than taking the time to just do it with the base and top?

 

If I recall Eastwood Company has some decent videos and tips....may want to give them a look. I have never used their paints, only the frame coatings and tools..but they have some decent instructional stuff on the site.

FWIW, I use mostly DuPont..always have.

EDIT: Just a thought... prep work is EVERYTHING. What you do under the paint matters more than the paint. You can spray paint smooth as glass over a crappy prepped vehicle, and it will look crappy... seriously, prep work is EVERYTHING.

 

I agree completely. I'm going to be spending the winter doing all the body and prep work and will be spraying in the spring. What would you guys suggest as a good cleaning product for after the bodywork is done?

Thanks for all the replies BTW. I posted this here because not many people respond in the Paint/Body section!

 

It depends on exactly what you are doing and your time line and what color.

When I redid my 97, I painted the back side of each panel, then assembled the truck. Then painted the complete outside(caB, nose, doors, hood). I did this for 2 reasons. 1. So the paint matched. Variances in air pressure, temp and humidity all play a fact in how the metallic will spray, flow and lay down.(this was metallic silver and white) 2. It takes Far longer to do each piece separate.

NOW. I am in the process of redoing my Ranger. That I am doing in pieces. A couple reasons for this as well. 1. I have many "new" panels for the truck, and I wanted to drive the truck as long as possible before tearing it down. SO I did the new bed and tailgate 1st, then the hood and fenders, then the passenger doors and the drivers supercab door, then the grill and visor. All that is left now is the drivers door and cab. This is white so matching is not a real issue

The single stage paint for the door jams will be fine. It only gets sunlight when opening/closing the door, same for underhood. But the rest of the truck gets a Constant array of sunlight. Single stage also covers better. Typically one to twp passed with single. base clear will take 4-5