So im looking to spiff up my jeep a little in terms of paint. Main issues are the front grill, hood and roof.

Front grill: How would i go about prepping this? can i just sand it up and respray it with color matching paint or is there special steps as it seems to be fiber glass? Also i heard of people using a heat gun and using sewing thread to take off the emblems and speaking of emblems any place where i can get factory emblems? Im mostly looking for the 4x4 sticker, jeep and 4.0 for the back.

Hood: As per usual of alot of jeeps and cars in florida the clear coat is peeling and damaged. Can i simply just use rubbing compound on it and remove the hazed up clear coat or would i need to sand it down, prime and respray? Im just trying to spiff not go full out show room quality work. Just something thats atleast a 5 footer and doesnt look like a genital wart going down the road.

Roof: yeah its rusty..... With the ends of the rain rails looking a little to rusty and looks to be rusting through. I know i will need to sand this. How does the roof racks come off and what steps would i have to take to redo the roof? It is my main concern as every few months it looks to be getting worse I will have pictures in a moment. and also an auto parts store can match factory paint codes right?

 

may explain the water leak in the back.....









Seems to me that ill need to do some bondo work too.

 

Sand it down and spray the whole Jeep with Raptor liner and you won't have to worry about it again. You can get Raptor liner in black or tintable so you can make it whatever color you want. It is easy to spray and is very tough once fully cured.

 

EEVVEE, I'm going to say this as gently as possible: That paint is FUBAR and nothing you do to it is going to make it look good from 5' away.

If you plan on keeping that Jeep and don't want to sink alot of money in the finish by a professional, go to your local paint & body shop and show them what you're working with and get their advice on which grits you'll need and sand it down and refinish it in either a liner as suggested or a light-colored primer. But, before you do the finish, take care of the rusty spots.

The rack hardware is accessed by removing the headliner. The strips on the roof are held on with adhesive.

No special treatment of the header panel (what you referred to as the grill) will be required as far as sanding. Sand it as you would the rest of the vehicle, just be a little more careful since it's probably somewhat brittle due to age.

Username jessenator has been working on vinyl decals and emblems I believe. He may be able to help you there. IDK if those are still available through dealerships or not. A blow-drier for heat-gun and fishing line or light-gauge wire will help remove them.

 

I kinda figured as much with the paint... Eh worth a shot i was living a crazy mans dream lol. I was gonna try to atleast make it a little better because i am gonna repaint it but that will be a year or two before so and will be silver instead of black. Thats why im not gonna rhino line it. I have thought about it yes but i plan on keeping it for a while if not forever. I cant just get rid of the damn thing. And before some suggest maaco ill just stop you there with that paint special they have. It is utter JUNK the paint even maintained will just end up falling off basically and they will do a very sloppy job prepping and masking off stuff. Yes you can do it yourself but if you dont cover EVERYTHING they will spray it as what happened with my friend... Sprayed radiator, engine, interior, steering wheel and many things. Im just gonna professionally paint it. And since you need to take the headliner down may give me a chance to maybe redo my headliner or get new since the dome light tab is ripped and wont stay up. And if taking those little strips off what adhesive should i use to put them back? And the rusty spots actually just became top priority seeing as that hole is now there *grumbles* florida is harsh on paint especially abused paint.

 

Understood. If you're going to paint it silver maybe consider just applying a white or light-grey primer after taking care of the rust. That way at least it wouldn't look like a "genital wart" until you do get it painted in a year or two. Lol!

And, just my two cents, but not painting it black is probably the better option for you in the long run. Black is higher-maintenance and absorbs more light (i.e. heat) and since you live in Fla...

 

Actually kinda ironic about lighter colors in florida. I had work on 2 cars today same exact ones one was black the other was white. The difference in temp was very noticeable. And both were 2017 honda civics so not much variables to consider as they looked taken care of properly. But the white was very cooler compared to the black. And i dont know why i just love an xj in silver for some odd reason. dunno why including the bumperettes and plastic trim painted as well. Also any recommendations on body filler. Like specific bondo or such i have limited knowledge and rarely worked with it. Only time i used it was on my dads hood of his car but i only watched. Also gotta really work on the rear quarter panels the wheel wells have daylight coming through!!!! I swear rust is cancer..... I may go back to ecco wheels as well too always liked them. And also i got ALOT of dent repair to do my mom liked to make it a habit and rest her car door on it and get in and out of the car while leaning on the door and putting beautifully sculpted deep door dings with the fantastic little grey marks as well. Her response to it was its a beater..... B**** >.>


Edit: Also the drip rails would i be better off with a dremel and a cutting wheel? Like i said MINIMAL body work in my life only big thing i ever did was replace my floor pans but only peeled away the old metal and sent it to a shop to weld in the new pan oh and am very good at taking out spot welds too....

 

For the rain gutter channels a 'wire wheel brush' in a drill works well. Can get the wheels in steel or brass.
To fix peeling clear coat, I removed the loose stuff then hand sanded the edges of clear to feather it down. Sprayed thin coat of primer, then metallic black, then clear. All rattle can product and the results are decent. In the right light I can still see the edges of clear coat but it is minor.

 

Hijacking the thread for just a wee bit. How much raptor liner will one need to purchase in order to spray their entire cherokee?

 

8 liters would be enough for 2 good coats with some leftover. You could probably get by with 6 liters but if you order 8 you would have some leftover for touch up if you need it.