Rattlecan Ranger Reclamation

[Lefty]

Was that a shingle? I thought it looked like a rubber chicken that melted.

It looks like a rubber chicken, doesn't it! I think that is an amalgam of plastic poop made from the melted garage door opener.

 

[Lefty]

A solid color is so much easier to work with when it comes to matching and blending. When I replaced the passenger door and repaired the tailgate on my ‘98, it was all rattle can, wet sanding from 320 grit down to 3,000 grit, polishing compound, and waxing. If you didn’t know what was replaced, you could tell the difference.

Now when I installed the windshield visor on my 2011, the metallic paint was a real nightmare. I had to keep painting, wet sanding, clean, and wet the surface to see what the finished product would like about 4 or 5 times before it came out right.

Next time, if there ever is one, I’ll pay someone to do it.

No question about it, metallic paints are the hardest to blend in. It is probably better to repaint and entire panel. But yes, I would rather pay somebody else.

 

[Lefty]

I am amazed the truck survived. I'd like to see more pics from different angles to see the new paint please.

I will post more and better pictures as soon as we start another panel. This is what the Ranger looked like on the very next day. The two doors were going to be replaced anyway. We had scored some at a U Pull yard. Fortunately they had been

stored in my garage

 

[Lefty]

I had never heard of "Clay Bar" until now and you mention it twice.
I hadda look it up.
Now I know, Thanks.

If you have never clay barred your truck, you should try it. Clay bar everything too: headlights, tail lights, third brake light, glass. Do the wheels, but do them last. That clay bar will be very dirty afterward. Throw it away.


By the way, after clay bar, the next step is to buff/polish. I bought a cheap machine from Harbor Freight. It doesn't do as well as the recommended brands but it is good enough. It will renew the finish and remove the years of scratches and swirl marks that show up in the old paint job. The buffer makes a difference. It will also flatten out a rattle can paint job. Make sure to wait at least 24 hours for the paint to set up.

Here's a photo of my own Ranger after buffing the factory finish.

 

[sgtsandman]

When I clay bar, I use Dawn dish soap first to thoroughly clean the truck ahead of time. Even then, you will be surprised how much stuff a clay bar pulls out of the paint.

 

[Lefty]

When I clay bar, I use Dawn dish soap first to thoroughly clean the truck ahead of time. Even then, you will be surprised how much stuff a clay bar pulls out of the paint.

Yes, always good to wash, then maybe use a chemical spray-on product to decontaminate, then clay bar. You can use a clay bar maybe once or twice a year. There's all kinds of pollutants in the air, but the worst is brake dust which gets on every outside surface. You can buff and polish after that. Buffing does wear down the finish, so do it less often. The last step is to wax or apply a ceramic coating.

These days there are some really crazy products. The most exotic are true ceramic coatings that come in a bottle and probably last years, but a little one ounce bottle can cost as much as $100.00. Other so-called ceramics come in spray bottles which cost maybe $45.00, but are watered down with other chemicals. They will not last as long, maybe a year here up north in the snow and salt. I use Turtle Wax Graphene Flex which costs $17.00, makes for a very good shine, is easy to apply, and also protects for about a year. That last step, "wax," preserves all that hard work.

I probably would not really care as much except I have a black finish which requires extra TLC.

Google "Pan the Organizer" just for fun. He describes the whole of automotive detailing along with all of the options and nuances, probably explaining more than you want to know:

Pan The Organizer - YouTube

 

[Ranger850]

When I clay bar, I use Dawn dish soap first to thoroughly clean the truck ahead of time. Even then, you will be surprised how much stuff a clay bar pulls out of the paint.

I was told, by a Paint & Body guy, that Dawn Dish soap (specifically) is the worst thing you could put on a painted car. It will break down the clear/protective finish and over time get some ugly paint peel. It is good for stripping off layers of road grime and build up. Maybe the clay bar & wax afterword oppose that effect. I usually use the car was soap from "Chemical Bros." with decent effects without worrying if I'm damaging my car. I also don't wax very often but wash every 2-3 weeks.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

I was told, by a Paint & Body guy, that Dawn Dish soap (specifically) is the worst thing you could put on a painted car. It will break down the clear/protective finish and over time get some ugly paint peel. It is good for stripping off layers of road grime and build up. Maybe the clay bar & wax afterword oppose that effect. I usually use the car was soap from "Chemical Bros." with decent effects without worrying if I'm damaging my car. I also don't wax very often but wash every 2-3 weeks.

The body guy is saying that Dawn will attack paint, or at least clearcoat. He's saying it's as bad as brake fluid, hmm. I wonder about that, but I guess any chemical is bad news if it stays on long enough. But it's well known that Dawn and its clones will strip wax off a car. Don't use it to clean after your recently applied nice Turtle Wax job.

 

[Ranger850]

The body guy is saying that Dawn will attack paint, or at least clearcoat. He's saying it's as bad as brake fluid, hmm. I wonder about that, but I guess any chemical is bad news if it stays on long enough. But it's well known that Dawn and its clones will strip wax off a car. Don't use it to clean after your recently applied nice Turtle Wax job.

He did't say it was as bas as brake fluid, just that washing your car with Dawn Dish Soap is bad for it, over time.

 

[Lefty]

I spent a few years inside a paint booth, but that was a long time ago. A lot of what I'm posting is not at all exotic. It's really just down and dirty painting: in a hurry, under the worst of circumstances, and on a very tight budget. These are fotos of a tail gate we pulled from the junkyard. We sanded off the rust and filled the holes just like any body shop would do.

The process for us is 2-2-2. We started with a 220 sanding, then wiped down the surface with alcohol and a paper towel. I know about tack rags, but we were going fast and cheap. Alcohol flashes off fast and allows us to spray before too much dust settles down. We sprayed on one coat of primer, sanded lightly again, then wiped down and sprayed the second coat on.

The next part was two top coats. I rather like three, but two will do. We sprayed the first top and let it dry. Here's a picture of what it looked like. It's kind of dull really. There's a few dry spots too. Also a few rough spots we missed.

We wet sanded the whole thing especially the trouble spots, and finished with 1,500 and 2,000 grit wet sand.

Next was an alcohol wash down. Then a top coat spray.

It's not great. It's far from perfect. The worst part is pollen dust in the paint. I would have preferred to spray right after a little bit of rain. But that wasn't going to happen for a while. A buffer and some polish will correct most of this. We will be happy with this: nice and glossy and no dry spots. Another light sanding and a third coat would have made this all look brand new, but that is not our goal. This is a work truck. It will look just fine from maybe 5 feet away.

Two clear coats come next. They need not be too think. The paint job is no longer porous. Less and less liquid is needed on the surface.

We have had great luck with Rustoleum automotive paints. You get a lot more bang for the buck as well as a nice wet look.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

He did't say it was as bas as brake fluid, just that washing your car with Dawn Dish Soap is bad for it, over time.

That makes more sense. Dawn is designed for dishes and pots and pans, not vehicle finishes anyway. I heard many years ago not to use Dawn on cars. Besides, most cars don't have baked-on grease or tomato sauce.

 

[sgtsandman]

For what it’s worth, I’ve never had an issue on multiple vehicles. I also don’t use it on a regular basis. Maybe once or twice a year when I’m going to do a good detail job and removing all the wax and road grime is exactly what I’m looking for.

Then I clay bar, wash with a proper automotive wash and wax.

The rest of the time, it’s a car wash that applies wax while doing the washing.

Now keep in mind, this has all been with vehicles with modern paint. Your ‘69 Mustang may be a different story.

 

[Lefty]

The body guy is saying that Dawn will attack paint, or at least clearcoat. He's saying it's as bad as brake fluid, hmm. I wonder about that, but I guess any chemical is bad news if it stays on long enough. But it's well known that Dawn and its clones will strip wax off a car. Don't use it to clean after your recently applied nice Turtle Wax job.

The "body guy," whoever that is, is entirely right. It is better to use car wash soap if you wash on a regular basis. Yes, that car wash soap is better. I mix the soap with water according to the directions inside a pump-up garden sprayer. I spray

the truck down and wash it with with a microfiber mitt.

To minimize rubbing, I rinse, then blow dry with a battery operated portable blower, then wipe with a little detail spray and a microfiber towel. I'm done in about 8 minutes.

 

[Lefty]

I'm sorry but there will be no more posts about the rattlecan Ranger. My friend just sold it to another guy for $7,000. We didn't even finish the tailgate. It's gone. He came by this afternoon and picked it up.

My friend did exceptionally well. He bought it for $2,800 last year. Altogether he spent less than $500.00 for a junkyard tailgate, three doors, a bedliner, some sandpaper, and spray paint. Maybe there's a lesson to be learned in this: that a little spit and polish goes a long way to increase one's investment. People see shiny and they buy.

 

[Saddle Tramp]

Damn!

Congratulations but damn!

I'm shocked and impressed.