Paint recommendations

[CrabGuy]

Decided to finally figure out how to repair the top of my cab. The base coat is gone in two spots. The clear coat isn't peeling on the cab; it's just like it was never even applied. The paint on the rest of the truck is in great shape. I have a feeling the PO never once polished or put anything on the roof though. The truck has sat outside it's entire life so it's not surprising. I'll probably just use a rattlecan from Duplicolor, PaintScratch, or Eastwood followed by a compatible clear coat with a hardener. I don't expect show quality but would like it to look decent. Luckily the cab top has clear edges to mask off so I'll do the entire top. Any preferences or tips as to surface prep, prime entire area?, and application. I do have a HVLP siphon gun but bulk paint is even more expensive than the spray cans it will take. Thanks

 

[franklin2]

It's difficult to get a nice smooth finish with spray cans. The paint is mixed very thin so it sprays out of the can, so it's hard to get a nice thick shiny coat. What I have done is put it on as heavy as I dare, and then after it dries wet sand it smooth, and then put some more coats on it. If you get the color looking consistent, then you can move to the clear. Same formula, spray it as heavy as you dare without runs, and then wet sand after it dries. Your final operation will be a wet sand if it's still rough, but trying not to break through the clear, and then hand rubbing to bring the shine out.

 

[Blmpkn]

Rattle can touch up jobs like that can come out looking really nice as long as you put in the bit of elbow grease they require. I've seen my buddy do it time and time again.

Franklin2 is pretty spot on in the procedure. I wouldnt tape anything off though... just go to napa and get a can of that paint code made, scuff up the area to be painted with some scratch-brite, clean, paint, sand, clear, sand, light polish

 

[Uncle Gump]

Alternative solution... maybe. I just kinda like roof graphics.

 

[Shran]

Are you SURE that's not oxidized clear coat...? It looks exactly like that to me. I don't know what color primer us under your base but I would imagine gray - I am only seeing two colors there. Clear coat often gets crispy and turns white like that.

Before you get crazy with spraying color on there, I would advise you to pick one small white spot and carefully wet sand with 1500 or finer paper on a foam backer pad. You don't need to do much but watch the color of your sanding slurry... if it's white, you're simply removing clear coat. If it's blue, STOP, that is base and you don't want to sand through that. If you are just finding clear coat, you could focus on those big white areas and sand them down to where you have a feathered edge of clear coat around the base coat, then shoot a couple coats of clear over that and then blend it into the remaining clear on the rest of the roof. I would mask off all of the truck except the roof, you don't want overspray on other panels, but you do want plenty on the roof and having some overspray on the whole panel will help you blend it vs having hard tape lines to remove.

I am not a painter and that's probably not the "right" way to do it but that's how I would do it. I know some pro body guys that would do it that way, my work truck was fixed using that exact method plus a little base coat when I hit a deer. Main thing is not to sand through your base coat.

 

[CrabGuy]

Are you SURE that's not oxidized clear coat...? It looks exactly like that to me. I don't know what color primer us under your base but I would imagine gray - I am only seeing two colors there. Clear coat often gets crispy and turns white like that.

Before you get crazy with spraying color on there, I would advise you to pick one small white spot and carefully wet sand with 1500 or finer paper on a foam backer pad. You don't need to do much but watch the color of your sanding slurry... if it's white, you're simply removing clear coat. If it's blue, STOP, that is base and you don't want to sand through that. If you are just finding clear coat, you could focus on those big white areas and sand them down to where you have a feathered edge of clear coat around the base coat, then shoot a couple coats of clear over that and then blend it into the remaining clear on the rest of the roof. I would mask off all of the truck except the roof, you don't want overspray on other panels, but you do want plenty on the roof and having some overspray on the whole panel will help you blend it vs having hard tape lines to remove.

I am not a painter and that's probably not the "right" way to do it but that's how I would do it. I know some pro body guys that would do it that way, my work truck was fixed using that exact method plus a little base coat when I hit a deer. Main thing is not to sand through your base coat.

I'll give that a try first but it does make sense that there is no blue base showing through. The areas started off pretty small over a year ago and just get larger. If that works out OK I will probably then clear the entire top since there isn't any 'shine' left like the rest of the truck meaning it's next to fade out. Thanks, your suggestion might save me a ton of work. The difference in gloss and ability to buff between the hood and roof is very noticeable using the same products

 

[55trucker]

What you have there what the paint on my roof started doing approx 20mths ago, that's delamination of the clear coat. that's how it started, eventually all the clear just peels off.

Paint is expensive here, so my next move is to visit the local 3M vinyl shop & have the roof covered in what is very close to the original Medium Platinum Metallic.

 

[franklin2]

A previous poster in this thread said something about masking. That reminded me to mention you should get a old blanket or something and lay on the hood before you start spraying anything. Over spray can land on the hood and make it rough, and you will be wet sanding that off next. You don't want to make more work for yourself. Of course I would mask and tape off the windshield, but just laying something on the hood should be good enough for it.

 

[CrabGuy]

I'm probably an over masker and even hang a drop cloth wall around my work area and garage floor. When I painted my peeling window trim in place I masked the entire truck. Plastic drop cloths
and blue tape are cheap insurance. I have a large TV in the garage I want to keep over spray free


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