Thanks guys. I'm pretty happy with how it's looking so far. Yes i did all the sanding with a $50 makita palm sander. And just with my fingers in many places. I will use a sanding block to sand between coats.

 

Yeah did the rear wheels last year and never got the chance for the fronts. But i will as a part of this project now.

 

Cool man...will be doing the same when the weather breaks next year!!!

 

Thanks. Yeah the weather is not my friend right now . Just waiting for the it to get back above freezing for some more coats. should be soon. I know it's not ideal. But hey, it's a rustoleum paint job after all. I have a 125,000 BTU diesel heater to get the panels warm before the paint hits them. Winter wrenching in Canada without a garage (that my truck fits in)

 

Be careful with the diesel fumes and paint, they don't mix well!!!

 

Thanks i got respirators for the paint and let the tent air out after running the heater before i go inside.

 

No, I literally mean the diesel fumes reacting with the paint itself, not you breathing it. When you run the diesel heater, chemicals get into the air and on the truck, hopefully you won't experience a bad chemical reaction in the paint...I have several times with diesel heaters.

 

No, I meant the chemical reaction between the diesel fumes and the curing paint...even if you let the booth air out the body of the truck will still have the diesel fume on it. Just wipe it off with wax and grease remover and let it dry right before you shoot the paint (we poor folks use alcohol) and that will help

 

For sure i agree. I like to pre-heat till the panels are warm. Then stop the heater, wipe the entire truck with mineral spirits and microfiber cloth, then paint. No more heating. It would be nice if it were warmer out but at least the paint hits a warm surface. I wouldnt run the heater after that because of the soot it makes and also it spreads dust around. The reaction you mention doesnt surprise me either.

 

Alright, so it's now been 4 months since I started, and I FINALLY go the last coat of paint on. Here are some pics of the progress. I will post pics of the final coat soon.

1st colour coat (there were 2 of primer)


1st colour coat


3rd colour coat (no sanding on any of the coats, 5 coats total)


3rd colour coat


3rd colour coat

 

Looks pretty good!
You said its a rustoleum job? is that smoke gray? I'm thinking of doing the same to my truck and was interested in what it might look like.

 

yes it is rustoleum gloss paint. they don't sell the the smoke or charcoal grays in canada so i made my own by mixing black into the plain gray.

 

Looks good, what hard work looks like. Hope it all dried well in the cool climate, won't hurt to keep the propane heater going.

 

Finally I'm done! Still have to put one door handle on. I also got new tires in the last photo. 37" Goodyear OZ's. Just need to swap in my 4.10's and the turbo kit and I will be about done with this beast.

 

Really looks good. Glad to see somebody put money in these old but great trucks. your turbo set up will really make it nice.