Nice job!
I had a situation a few years ago where I'd been working on a car for a couple of mos and suddenly realized that the thing was going to be street-ready sometime in December... too cold to paint without a heated booth, and there was no way I was going to put it on the road looking like this^^^
A gallon of Rustoleum satin black, my trusty Binks Model 7 (non HVLP) and a noisy 30 gal Craftsman compressor helped me lay down a paint job that looked damn good til I finally sold that car 7 yrs later

I've laid down expensive bc/cc paint before... this stuff, thinned w acetone, was actually FUN to shoot. Laid-down nice and flat, no need for blocking. It was just a good time all around.

 

That is extremely cheap. Just the base coat on my truck is $450 per gallon. This is why people get charged 10k for a paint job. Nicely done!

 

 

 

I don't think rustoleum is going to have the strength of a proper 2K urethane base coat. (nowadays most cars are 1K base and 2K clearcoat). Having hardener in the paint is what makes car paint ...car paint. It is what makes it strong and resistant to the elements, and especially even more so , rust.

I want to be frugal like the next guy but 2K paint isn't that super expensive, if it *is* , then just choose a cheaper color (some colors cost more than others). I don't think $500 for a base coat is a bad price if you have quality paint IMO.

 

I think these guys are just showing what can be done on the cheap, and they're doing a great job. I'm sure they're not going for durability because you're right, the paint will not last long, and will not hold up to the elements.

 

 

AMEN Brian1080!! The whole reason i rattle caned my trucks is because they are used off road more than on. i dont want a $1k,2k or 10 k paint job. After beating thru the brush and trees to get back to my hunting spot its scratched to heck or running thru the mud pits at the local mud parks. I pull out a can or 2 and its repaired. It saves the body from any more rust and keeps it looking decent. (A 50 foot looker) . I use the trucks for What they were designed for work and play. Eventually i will turn them into trailer queens or a mall crawlers. Until then a $5.45 can of rustoleum works wonders and keeps the trucks looking decent. I also am not crying over my scratched up paint job that cost me a fortune.

 

Just as a note - 2K means the TYPE of paint, not the cost. It means the paint is 2 stage paint, a base and a hardener. 2K paint isn't that expensive to be honest, especially if you get more basic colors. A "1K" paint means a single stage paint. The rustoleum rattle cans would be considered 1K paint. a 2 stage paint ("2K") would be much more durable, look better, and probably even go on smoother. I wouldn't be surprised if you could paint your truck with a 2K paint for only about $500 total with all materials needed if you used a basic simple color. I think its worth checking with a local auto body supply store to see how much it would cost you.

You can actually have them put the paint in rattle cans for you, but that becomes more expensive, ends up being $25 or so per can (the can has a hardender capsule inside, you activate it with a button on the bottom of the can, wait 5 minutes, and then spray the paint) - paint technology today is pretty amazing.

Again, I don't disagree with painting it yourself with some basic Wal-Mart cans, and your paint does look pretty good - I just wanted to throw the info out there that I don't think it would cost that much more nowadays to use a 2K (2 stage) paint and get even more durability.

Of course , it's hard to beat a $5-7 spray can price though lol

 

I found at Tractor Supply store Majic brand oil base (rustoleum is oil base) you can use their hardener with or with out. Comes in many colors and a high gloss clear.
Thing is you need a spray gun to apply it.
I used it with hardener on my 81 F100 frame and suspension parts in black.

Dave ----

 

We painted my cousins truck outside last summer. Had to do it when the sun was low.
I grabbed a couple gallons of rustoleum white, hardner and thinned with mineral spirits(gives it a little shine).

Turned out really well. Nobody believes him it is rustoleum. He hunts and 4x4's with it and is holding up really well.

I have done a few trucks like this, surprising how well it holds up.

 

I wasn't aware they have hardener for rustoleum - that's cool. Where did you get that? Is it just a generic enamel hardener of some type?

 

 

it was just a hardener I picked up at a paint shop here. Was $20 I think.

I did a lot of research online years ago on some painting forums and that seemed to be the way everyone had the best luck with rustoleum. Worked well.