Lefty
Well-Known Member
Well, here I go again, this time painting a '98 Chevy diesel dualy, a massive beast a buddy bought for a couple thou. The drivetrain has got plenty of miles on it, but then again it's a diesel. It should last for a very long time. My buddy is a good mechanic but could use some help with the paint. This truck actually looks okay for its age. It's got no major rust issues. All in all, it's worth it to restore.
The trouble is that a new coat of paint is sure to cost about $11,000 or more. That's more than what he paid for it. That's the dilemma of buying used. No one wants to drop the big bucks on an old truck. So why not do it yourself? Painting is very time consuming. A lot of time is spent on prep. Taking it to a shop would mean that it will have to be sidelined until it's done.
The answer is to use rattle cans. You can drive your truck to work every day, but take the weekend to work on it yourself. Rattle can painting is convenient. You can work just one panel at a time.
Spray cans may sound like a cheap fix, but they are not, especially when done right. These days a 2K, two part epoxy coating on the market. It will set up hard, seal, and last as long as the original factory stuff. Granted, they are not cheap. Expect to pay a few hundred dollars a panel. It may cost less to use a gun. A gun is great if you got one, but even more time time consuming if you were spray just one panel at a time then clean the gun. This particular truck is as big as they come. I'm not sure what the final cost will be, It might be more than $1,500.00. It might be $2,000.00 but still that's a lot less than that paint shop price.
The body on the dualy looks pretty straight, but it's got 26 years worh of minor scratches, nicks, and dings, especially around the seven foot bed. It looks worse up close.
Another problem is that the previous owner used hardware store Rustoleum for touchups. Rustoleum might work well on lawn chairs, but it just doesn't last. It's soft and pourous. The brush guard was painted with it a few months ago only to have the rust return. Rustoleum is so soft that I rubbed some of it off with my hand. You can see where I rubbed it in the photo below. Note the white speckled part. Painting over Rustoleum is tricky too. Other paints don't stick to it.
Once again, no evaporative paints will last like 2K.
The next step is to go to a good automotive paint store. I like NAPA. Bring along the Vin number for the paint. Also get the batch number. It's more precise. You may have to call the parts counter at the dealership for that. The NAPA store will adjust the batch color formula to match the actual finish. Once they get the right mix, you can bo back to the store and they will always mix up the very same formula.
That's all for now. I've got to get on the phone and do some shopping. I hope this thread has been helpful
The trouble is that a new coat of paint is sure to cost about $11,000 or more. That's more than what he paid for it. That's the dilemma of buying used. No one wants to drop the big bucks on an old truck. So why not do it yourself? Painting is very time consuming. A lot of time is spent on prep. Taking it to a shop would mean that it will have to be sidelined until it's done.
The answer is to use rattle cans. You can drive your truck to work every day, but take the weekend to work on it yourself. Rattle can painting is convenient. You can work just one panel at a time.
Spray cans may sound like a cheap fix, but they are not, especially when done right. These days a 2K, two part epoxy coating on the market. It will set up hard, seal, and last as long as the original factory stuff. Granted, they are not cheap. Expect to pay a few hundred dollars a panel. It may cost less to use a gun. A gun is great if you got one, but even more time time consuming if you were spray just one panel at a time then clean the gun. This particular truck is as big as they come. I'm not sure what the final cost will be, It might be more than $1,500.00. It might be $2,000.00 but still that's a lot less than that paint shop price.
The body on the dualy looks pretty straight, but it's got 26 years worh of minor scratches, nicks, and dings, especially around the seven foot bed. It looks worse up close.
Another problem is that the previous owner used hardware store Rustoleum for touchups. Rustoleum might work well on lawn chairs, but it just doesn't last. It's soft and pourous. The brush guard was painted with it a few months ago only to have the rust return. Rustoleum is so soft that I rubbed some of it off with my hand. You can see where I rubbed it in the photo below. Note the white speckled part. Painting over Rustoleum is tricky too. Other paints don't stick to it.
Once again, no evaporative paints will last like 2K.
The next step is to go to a good automotive paint store. I like NAPA. Bring along the Vin number for the paint. Also get the batch number. It's more precise. You may have to call the parts counter at the dealership for that. The NAPA store will adjust the batch color formula to match the actual finish. Once they get the right mix, you can bo back to the store and they will always mix up the very same formula.
That's all for now. I've got to get on the phone and do some shopping. I hope this thread has been helpful