'85 Bronco II Paint & Body Thread

[ford4wd08]

Well, I think I'm about ready to start looking into my paint and body work. I think I'm going to tackle this myself. I've never painted a whole car, but I've done some rattle can work and had good results. I think it is time to step up to the next level.

So first couple of things I have to deal with is surface rust and the few dents I have.

I am debating taking the rig by the local PDR/dent place and asking what they would charge to remove some of the dents. I think they would number 1 laugh at me lol. But, hopefully they can remove them and it not be a fortune. These guys working metal I'm sure are much better than I would be.

After that, I have found a guy who does mobile media blasting. I'm a thinking of getting him to do my roof and hood.

Then onto epoxy primer and some filler and body work of my own.

So here is my trouble. I have a small compressor, which I might upgrade, but no so sure yet. That will limit my sander and spray gun options.

I've been some reading and it does appear I can use a LVLP gun. Might take a little longer, but it saves product too from what I've read.

Found a gun kit on amazon that I might look into:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C4S99L2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_fBP4FbYP3P6VB

So my biggest disclaimer, I'm not a pro, I don't expect pro results. I just want to learn. I've found a local supply shop that is about 2 miles from my house. I'm going to lean on them heavily.

Any one have any words of encouragement? Lol

 

[MikeG]

Just a thought, is there a local high school with a vo-tech program for auto body work? A friend had his kid in one, said they were real reasonable for working on beaters if you weren't in a hurry.

 

[ford4wd08]

Just a thought, is there a local high school with a vo-tech program for auto body work? A friend had his kid in one, said they were real reasonable for working on beaters if you weren't in a hurry.

Man I wish. Unfortunately I'm not aware of any programs like that in our schools. I think it is a failure if this area!

I might look and see if any trade schools want a project lol.

 

[ford4wd08]

Here are some of the pictures in the current state. It doesn't have any rot anywhere, it is all just surface rust were the sun burnt the paint off and dents and dings.

 

[Grumpaw]

In collector mumbo jumbo, that is called "patina".

 

[ford4wd08]

In collector mumbo jumbo, that is called "patina".

You're right, but my wife absolutely hates the patina on my B2 lol.

I think I've got a solid vehicle to start with, now it is just a matter of time until I have it repainted.

 

[sgtsandman]

From everything I've been told, gravity fed paint guns are the best way to go. I haven't done more than the rattle can work myself either, with generally good results as well. Like you, this is a step above anything I have experience with. I'll be following with interest.

 

[Shran]

The hood and roof aren't bad, that surface rust sands off pretty easily. I think you should be able to get behind that dent behind the driver's side door and straighten it out fairly easily... I think the fender looks the most challenging to me but it's fixable. I'd invest in a stud welder/dent puller and a basic set of body hammers/dollies. You'll need at least some filler there too... you can use good old Bondo... I have started using 3M Platinum body filler instead though. Bondo cures with a sticky layer on top which clogs up your first piece of sandpaper, the 3M stuff does not and I feel it is just a better product overall. Bondo brand "glazing putty" is excellent for small dings and stuff.

As far as sanding equipment goes - haters gonna hate but I've done almost all of my body work with a DeWalt 1/4 sheet electric sander. It works great. I have an air D/A sander and a 6" electric D/A.... they both leave just as many, if not more sanding lines and pigtails. I keep it clean and use fresh sandpaper often... 3M Sandblaster paper is my favorite, lasts longer than anything else I've tried. You'll want some sanding blocks too. I have one small Dura-block and a piece of thick, soft foam that was originally packing material around a computer in the box it was shipped in.

I don't think you need to get crazy with spending money on painting equipment. #1 would be a good respirator. I have a 3M full face model. You can spend all the money in the world on the rest but none of it matters if you can't breathe or see what you're painting! #2 would be a bigger compressor with a good filtration system.

Beyond that... HVLP gravity fed guns seem to be the way most go these days. The nozzle/tip size is important - you want 1.3/1.4mm for base/clears, 1.7-2.0 for primer or thick paints. The purple Harbor Freight gun is an OK happy medium, it has a 1.4mm tip and seems to work well with the 2k primer I'm using but it's not very thick. You could get two and drill out the tip on one of them. I would recommend buying a metal paint cup with whichever one you get in any case, I think they're easier to clean.

 

[ford4wd08]

The hood and roof aren't bad, that surface rust sands off pretty easily. I think you should be able to get behind that dent behind the driver's side door and straighten it out fairly easily... I think the fender looks the most challenging to me but it's fixable. I'd invest in a stud welder/dent puller and a basic set of body hammers/dollies. You'll need at least some filler there too... you can use good old Bondo... I have started using 3M Platinum body filler instead though. Bondo cures with a sticky layer on top which clogs up your first piece of sandpaper, the 3M stuff does not and I feel it is just a better product overall. Bondo brand "glazing putty" is excellent for small dings and stuff.

As far as sanding equipment goes - haters gonna hate but I've done almost all of my body work with a DeWalt 1/4 sheet electric sander. It works great. I have an air D/A sander and a 6" electric D/A.... they both leave just as many, if not more sanding lines and pigtails. I keep it clean and use fresh sandpaper often... 3M Sandblaster paper is my favorite, lasts longer than anything else I've tried. You'll want some sanding blocks too. I have one small Dura-block and a piece of thick, soft foam that was originally packing material around a computer in the box it was shipped in.

I don't think you need to get crazy with spending money on painting equipment. #1 would be a good respirator. I have a 3M full face model. You can spend all the money in the world on the rest but none of it matters if you can't breathe or see what you're painting! #2 would be a bigger compressor with a good filtration system.

Beyond that... HVLP gravity fed guns seem to be the way most go these days. The nozzle/tip size is important - you want 1.3/1.4mm for base/clears, 1.7-2.0 for primer or thick paints. The purple Harbor Freight gun is an OK happy medium, it has a 1.4mm tip and seems to work well with the 2k primer I'm using but it's not very thick. You could get two and drill out the tip on one of them. I would recommend buying a metal paint cup with whichever one you get in any case, I think they're easier to clean.

My only thought is for what a stud welder cost and my time, I might be better off letting a dent place pull the dents and then I can do all the sanding and body work from there.

My wife knows a guy that owns the dent place. Maybe I can get a decent deal. I can always ask and if it is outrageous I can then pursue the stud gun.

I know the fender I can take off and get a sand bag and dolleys and body hammers.

Im confident I can do it. I'm thinking about buying a good electric sander and going to town.

 

[ford4wd08]

Bringing this thread back from the dead...

I had a local guy who works at the Chevy dealership that moonlights at his home garage give me a quote on painting my bronco back to what was from the factory..... $6,500.... That might be a fair price, but I can't just see dropping that kind of cash on this rig.

So... I'm going to do it. LOL

I've been doing a lot research and I've come up with this thread on another older ford:

my Rustoleum paint job - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

1973 - 1979 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks - my Rustoleum paint job - Since I've learned so much from FTE, I thought I would chronicle my effort repainting my truck. The idea here evolved from seeing how many have been successful in rolling with Rustoleum. Since I already had a compressor and...

www.ford-trucks.com

Yes you read that right, Rust-Oleum.

Before anyone starts I know there are much better products out there for not much more money, but not that Rust-Oleum is that eco friendly per say, but I feel like it is a safer product to use at home.

I like that it is cheap, will wet sand easy and can always be touched up. I know it doesn't have the best UV protection, but I'll wax if need be. That guys lasted pretty good in AZ, I think I can do the same.

And hell, I just want to see if it will work. It will for sure stop rust!

Anyhow, I plan on driving the bronco rest of this week to work, then in the garage it goes for body work.

A local yard has a fender with I might pick up and I'm going to get the trim removed to push the dent out on the driver's side.

Let's see if this experiment will work.

 

[Bird76Mojo]

For the time and money you'll spend on that fender, but a new pair of them. I just did. Like $165 shipped to me for a pair of repop 1st gen fenders.

Do the Rustoleum paint job, but add hardener, possibly Japan Dryer if needed, then several coats of 2-part clear for UV protection. It will look great if you take care of it. At least until the end of it's useable life. All of those products are cheap when bought over time..

Look up Paint Society, SprayWayCustoms, and GT's Performance on Youtube. All have tons of excellent tips for the budget guys like us.

As with ALL paint work, prep is KEY. Bad prep, bad results. I'll be watching your progress on this one. (ignore the wife lol)

Though you'll have severe sticker shock at the price, the Spraymax 2k clear in their rattle cans is SPECTACULAR stuff for smaller parts. No compressor needed, no paint gun, no clean up. I love the stuff. If you shop around and have decent Google-fu, you can snap it up for more reasonable prices.

 

[ford4wd08]

For the time and money you'll spend on that fender, but a new pair of them. I just did. Like $165 shipped to me for a pair of repop 1st gen fenders.

Do the Rustoleum paint job, but add hardener, possibly Japan Dryer if needed, then several coats of 2-part clear for UV protection. It will look great if you take care of it. At least until the end of it's useable life. All of those products are cheap when bought over time..

Look up Paint Society, SprayWayCustoms, and GT's Performance on Youtube. All have tons of excellent tips for the budget guys like us.

As with ALL paint work, prep is KEY. Bad prep, bad results. I'll be watching your progress on this one. (ignore the wife lol)

Though you'll have severe sticker shock at the price, the Spraymax 2k clear in their rattle cans is SPECTACULAR stuff for smaller parts. No compressor needed, no paint gun, no clean up. I love the stuff. If you shop around and have decent Google-fu, you can snap it up for more reasonable prices.

Where did you find both fenders for $165 shipped? Everywhere I have seen the fender might be $50, but it is over $100 shipping to get it to me.

I'm not sure about clear yet. My only hesitation is that it wouldn't be as easy to repair or fix.

I did take all the window trim off last night. Amazing the crap that hides under it!
Guess I better get a new windshield along the way as this one is delaminating.

Oh and paint society and gt performance are great. I'll have to look up the last one.

 

[RobbieD]

Your B2 is actually in pretty good shape. Stay focused on what you're working on and don't get in a hurry. It may take a while, but I bet that it turns out great.

 

[ford4wd08]

Oh and not to mention the guy who quoted me $6,500 wouldn't guarantee rust wouldn't bleed through in 5 years.... He knows what he is doing for sure. Just not worth the money in this case.

 

[Shran]

I painted my '86 and my old '85 F250 with Rustoleum. I will warn you that there are some serious drawbacks....

#1, it's a 1k product, so it's very susceptible to damage from other chemicals, like gasoline... so if the pump doesn't click off and overflows down the side of your truck a few times, you'll have a stain or paint peeling off. Happened to me
#2, Rustoleum has virtually zero UV inhibitors. If it's parked outside in the sun you can expect it to start oxidizing within months unless you shoot a 2k clear over it (but why would you spend the money on that and not on a base coat under it...?)
#3, Expect it to shrink and crack. Both of mine did that, but not everywhere, and it can happen to any paint job
#4, If you do top coat it with clear, it's no longer easy to touch up
#5, Read up on various Rustoleum products, some are better than others. I have used their Alkyd 7400 paint extensively on bumpers and stuff and it's excellent but it's also very thick and slow drying even if you thin it a lot.

I'm not saying don't do it, I'm just saying that to get a good looking paint job that will last, you are better off spending just a tiny bit more money on either base coat/clear coat 2k products OR 2k single stage OR just accept that you will always be dealing with at least some of those drawbacks I mentioned.

You will probably find that doing it yourself saves a lot of money in labor but the paint itself can be a relatively small expense - even a low end base/clear 2k might be half of your total expenses after you figure in primer, sandpaper, masking tape, solvents, etc. I am guessing 90% of that $6500 number is labor.