DIY re-painting

[Jimmy9190]

The paint on the roof of my truck is starting to come off. It has areas of what looks like little white spots in both front corners up by the top of the windshield, and in the center section at the top of the windshield. There is what I can only describe as a "streak" of the same thing going down the center section of the roof. There are also 2 small areas of the top of the door frame at the roof line with the same thing happening.

I think this is the beginning stages of paint delamination. I don't know why it is only on the roof and high sections of the doors. I want to try to sand and re-paint it myself and have seen some promising articles online and at the Duplicolor website. I'm thinking of taping it off, sanding and repainting those areas with the spray can Duplicolor paint and then going back with a spray clear coat. It's on the roof, so it's not like it has to be super-perfect. I just don't want it getting any worse. I could do the entire roof if I need to. The paint on the rest of the truck is fine and still shines very well to be 10 years old.

The Dr. MLK holiday is coming up next weekend and I would have 3 days off for the job. Is this something that I can do at home in my own garage or am I wrong in thinking I can do this with some 600 and 800 grit sandpaper and a few cans of spray paint and spray clear coat?

As always I appreciate any help here.

 

[flacoman]

Jimmy: You can fix it , but you will need to re-prime also.
That Florida sun cooks the clear and eventually turns the primer to powder. If there's any chalky stuff it's gotta go!
HTH
Jorge

 

[John_K]

My old Dakota is doing this. The method you describe is what I do every fall, it seems to help but it is still getting worse. Those white flecks just get bigger no matter what I do.

John

 

[demarpaint]

If you can get down to the raw metal, apply a good primer, then paint and clear coat you will get the best results. Remember any primer and paint is only as good as the surface it is going over. Since you have a paint that is failing, anything you apply is only as good as the surface it is applied to. HTH

 

[ryan2022]

Yep, you can do it yourself, although Id advice against using spray cans on it. Despite what others say, with the advancements in spray paint, you can get a durable finish, but you will get some streaking and tiger striping.

If you want to go with cans, I would only do it, if your truck is a VERY light color. Also, look into RM two stage clear coats. You'll need to go to a body shop supply store to find them. Its a two part clear coat that mixes in the can when you push a button and shake it. You have about 2 hours to shoot it, which is loads of time for a few coats.

Otherwise, rent the compressor and look into buying a cheapy gun. A large enough compressor is the key here. Read the package of the gun, and make sure youve covered its requirements for air flow. Also, I would suggest doing a two stage paint over a single stage. SS is cheaper, but is tougher to spray evenly. PLUS, you cant wet sand SS, but you can wetsand Base coat/ clear coat. Just make sure you dont get too many runs in the base, and put enough coats of clear on that you can sand and buff to a nice shine.

For wet sanding, I would start with 1500 grit, then to a 2000, and maybe finish with 2500. Also, a cheap simonize rotary buffer would be a good investment for $80 or so.

If you find a body shop supply place, you can usually get paint mixed by the quart. This should save you some money.

If youre not overly concerned about durability, look into Duplicolor as you mentioned. They only have 5 or 6 colors, but theyre really easy to use, and their customer service is really good. Theyre laquer paints, but newly formulated. They are FAR less toxic than the old laquers. I beleive they are approved in most if not all states, where the old ones werent. Might want to check that though.

Whatever you use, if youre spraying a large area, use a proper respirator. You can find them at Home depot for about $35.

Laquer is also the king of the wetsand and buff finish. If I was on a tight budget, and didnt need it to last forever, I would go with them. Good luck! Check out this site. www.autobody101.com

It'll give you everything you need for info. OR PM me if you have any questions with paint, or garage prep.

Its not that bad, and a little addictive once you get into it!

 

[hate2work]

Nice post, Ryan

The best advice I've ever received about painting anything is to spend 90% of your time doing prep work and the other 10% painting.

 

[XCELERATIONRULES]

I would get a gun and compressor and shoot some real paint.
If your temp's are under 75,don't even bother.
Rattle cans won't get a great finish,and they are expensive for the amount of paint you get in a can.

 

[Jimmy9190]

Wow. Thanks for all the help. Truck is silver, Bright Silver Metallic as Dodge calls it. That autobody101 site is the best I have seen so far, I took a quick look at it but am at work and wil check it out better at home.

I believe I can do this with acceptable results. It's mainly on the roof and a little spot on each upper door frame, so it's not that noticable and it doesn't really have to be 100% professional quality. I am really just concerned with stopping any further deterioration and delamination in the paint. The Florida sun is brutal on car finishes, and I wax it 4 or 5 times a year. I use Meguiar's Gold Class which seems to hold up well and last a long time. Some paint just seems to last longer than others I guess. I can't really complain, the truck and its paint are 10 years old now.

Thanks again for the help. I'm going to try to get some before and after pics and post them here.

 

[DieselTech]

Those older dodges had horrile paint. I see them everyday, the green is really bad about it.

 

[JakeR22]

I'd take it to maaco.

I had them paint an old S-10 for me about 5 years ago for $250, their cheapest option. It's been setting out year round since, and the paint still looks good.

 

[lipadj46]

I would love to get a compressor and paint gun setup but you need a very large compressor to run an HVLP gun properly. The problem with premixed spray cans is they can't have the catalyst in them to harden properly and will never be as tough as the real deal.

 

[willix]

The oxydized clearcoat can be sanded off. And a sealer/primer needs to be used or the top coat is likely to be soaked up by the remaining unoxydized clearcoat and will swell in those areas, look like [censored]. Rattle cans are out of the question.

 

[ryan2022]

Originally Posted By: hate2work

Nice post, Ryan

The best advice I've ever received about painting anything is to spend 90% of your time doing prep work and the other 10% painting.


Yep, youre right about that. Once your fingers start to bleed, and you have about a pound of sanding dust up your nose, do about twice that amount and you'll probably end up with a good finish! lol.

 

[ryan2022]

Yeah it is a great site to use. Theyre all really nice guys at autobody101.....almost as nice as the BITOG folks.

 

[mechtech2]

Either sand and paint the whole roof, or take it to a pro. Wait for sales, and even then, bargain a bit.
You need a kinda rough surface for the paint to adhere to - not slick or smooth. 3-400 wetsand paper is about what I'd use. But do the bodywork . Any pits or flaked off areas will show, and you should fill and smooth them first.

 

[flacoman]

Dangit! Now I have two forums to keep track of!
Seriously though , great site