86 Bronco II... G-Unit

[Uncle Gump]

Damn it Dale... that isn't how this works!

 

[RumPunch]

Best practice I know for legit bedliner (not Walmart stuff) is a razor blade... Cut and peel, but that always just has more liner going over it. Like if it bubbles when you're spraying etc. I would imagine that would take some pretty serious follow up body work of your painting... May honestly be easier finding a donor body..

 

[Uncle Gump]

I think the plan is to apply another coat of bed liner over what is there. I just need to clean up the existing enough so the next coat has a decent chance of looking ok.

The last thing I will do is replace the body. This one is pretty darn clean.

 

[RobbieD]

It might be worthwhile to hit up some shops that do bedliner, for a quote and possibly some free advice on how they would approach doing your truck. Even if you're planning on doing a DIY re-covering of the bedliner finish yourself, you might get lucky and pick some tips, or insight, from someone that has done a lot of it.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Ya know... that is going to be part of my research. I did spend time this morning looking on the internet... lots of people have lots of ways of doing this. I still can't get my head around the hammer and chisel approach. I can't see any good coming from that honestly... at least with myself swinging the hammer.

I am losing sleep over it though... I have to do something with it. I can't even walk by it to do something else to it with out wondering how on earth I'm going to deal with it. I saw a video with a fella that used a product called Citrus Strip Gel. His results were pretty damn good... but he could have been dealing with some rattle can liner from Walmart too. I may buy some and do a test spot... but I really don't want to fully strip the truck.

I just need to focus on the mechanicals for now... I would just like to form a plan on how to deal with it after I get moved.

 

[RustyShackleford94]

Dont hammer and chisel it lol. Best bet would be peeling off what you can and sanding the rest.

 

[Curious Hound]

Let the truck rust out from underneath it.

 

[Shran]

I would be real curious what bedliner product was actually used. If it was just a roll on one and poorly done it probably wasn't prepped very well either, so that may work to your benefit to remove it. I know there are products out there that will remove it...especially the cheap bedliner...just can't remember what exactly.

Regardless I still think you got a heck of a deal. It's solid and you would have spent 5x more building the truck yourself from scratch!

 

[Roert42]

Sometimes it's better to go all or nothing on these types of things. Strip it, paint it, put it back together. A lot of work, but in my experience there is a good chance of making it worse when trying to fix something like this. Cosmetic stuff is usually 80% prep work, if you try and clean it up on the back end it makes a mess.

 

[RobbieD]

I am losing sleep over it though... I have to do something with it.

A VERY large mudhole?

I can't even walk by it to do something else to it with out wondering how on earth I'm going to deal with it. I saw a video with a fella that used a product called Citrus Strip Gel. His results were pretty damn good... but he could have been dealing with some rattle can liner from Walmart too. I may buy some and do a test spot... but I really don't want to fully strip the truck.

Whoa! Take a deep breath.

At our ages, we're supposed to enjoy things, and try to not stress out on stuff. If I may suggest, just start driving it and do focus on the mechanicals, first, while you "think" (not stress) your way through the body finish plans. B2's are a BLAST to drive (even mine, a lowly '90 2WD stock street truck), and thus they're great therapy.

Some thoughts here, on possible approaches to yours.
IF the current bedliner chips off easily, a chisel can be used by hand only to effectively strip the truck. This option is good only if the current bedliner has poor adhesion to the paint or primer under it, and it's not as bad of a job as it sounds.
IF the current bedliner is well adhered, at least you'll have a good base. In this case, I'd go over it with a DA palm sander, to flatten the texture some before doing a good, new bedliner finish. Although I do have an air DA, my favorite sander is an electric Makita quarter-sheet DA sander.
AND, don't rule out a stripper, until you've tried it.

You're likely needing to experiment some, to get a better idea of what you have, and where you can go with it. But, I definitely think, that when you do do something with the finish, it'll be one totally sharp truck.

 

[Uncle Gump]

@Shran I still think it was a pretty good deal too. When I get past the crappy bedliner... and look at other stuff I find something that makes me smile a bit.

@Roert42 I know how messy it can get not doing it the right. I only want to do this once.

@RobbieD Driving it sounds like good therapy to me. The mailman just showed up with the title. I think I'm gonna drain the fuel and go get a new fuel filter today. Then put some insurance on it and head to the SOS tomorrow transfer title and get plates for it. Then drive it a little around the neighborhood. I know that will take my mind to a different place.

 

[bobbywalter]

Hydro blast it

See if there is a portable around you. Probably 1000 bux.

 

[bobbywalter]

We did bob's cr 80 and some of Jim's suspension with it ....works titties and ice cream.... I changed work shifts twice or all of the chassis of trs 2 would have been done ..

 

[bobbywalter]

They can do it right in the driveway.....


Dustless sand blasting. The house I was renting in pa...the neighbor around the block had a unit....if we would have extended our work contract he would have done both of my buggies.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I'm not ruling anything out right now... thanks bobby

I did text the PO and he said he thinks it was Durabak liner... with the smooth finish. He rolled it. I dropped an email to Durabak and explained my situation. I'm going to see what they have to say. I know their site says you can rough up a previous Durabak coating... prep it and recoat.

I also went through the info dump of paper work he sent. I was glad to see the rear disc conversion information. It was a TSM kit... uses early 80's GM Toronado/Riviera/Eldorado rear calipers. At least i will have a clue if/when I need parts for it.