Not sure how, what, when, what color, but It has been on my mind for a while.

last car I painted was almost 20 years ago, and it was an '70 f100 my grandpa gave to me and my older brother (who was 16 at the time and could drive). we did a pretty OK job. but its been a long time so was wondering if anybody had any suggestions.

Thinking of either doing a rattle can job, if I do, any idea how many cans I'll need? and a brand that would last a while?

or thinking of doing it with a proper air sprayer. My brother still has a compressor from way back when that works well, but I would have to buy a new hose and gun + paint.


I am thinking if I do the rattle can, I can do it in sections. So one weekend I can clean, sand and paint a fender, then do a door another weekend, then do another fender, etc. I can break it up into smaller parts, and the cost would be broken up over a longer period.


If I do better job and spray it, it would mean a lot more time and money all at the same time.

I think rattle can would be more expensive than non rattle can, but not sure till I actually price it out.


Also not sure on color, if I would keep the color or change it to something new. There isn't much paint left to speak of, its all been baked off, so either way its not a touch up job, but a full paint job. but keeping the color would mean less work trying to get all the little gaps and stuff painted properly.
but I _Really_ like this color green, or something of a similar shade of blue:

 

Painting is the very last step in a process that takes lots of time and some skill. If you had state of the art equipment and a spray booth your paint job will still look like crap if you don't repair and prep the surface properly. I suggest you practice your prep skills and get the vehicle in primer before considering the paint job.

I've seen decent work with spray cans and basic spray guns. You also need to have some technique to paint. Practice on some other object first, like a steel cabinet or a wheel barrow. Get the skills down on something that you don't have to drive around.

 

my XJ is not my dd, but my off road toy.

Not looking for show room quality. I am familiar with the process of sanding/dent removal, priming.

what I'm really thinking of is either doing it in smaller bits using spray cans, or doing the whole thing at once. I do not have access to a paint booth, this will be done in my side yard, and I can tape off and cleanly do one section at a time a lot more easily than the whole thing.


The clear coat is baked off in a lot of places, making it very uneven, and what paint is left every time you touch it, it just is almost like a fine powder that rubs off onto your skin.

 

All has to be removed...

 

agreed, and 100% the reason I'm even considering this. it has to be sanded down, cleaned up and painted. Not sure if I'm going to bother getting out all of the dents, but maybe the major ones, and fill the holes from the trim (some of it is missing and it all looks bad, so going to just take it all off)

The question is not on prep, the question is, small bites, and rattle can it, or do it all at once? If I do one fender one day, and then do the other fender another day, assuming prep will all be the same, would it be too hard to get it to look even?

 

Do it all at once. Worth it in the end. There's a guy in my home town with a Jurassic Park style paint job. Plan to copy him on that one.

 

Get a shop to mix your paint, then you could try MAACO in a box:
http://www.harborfreight.com/high-vo...kit-44677.html

 

I'm doing it one panel at a time, but I'm just doing rattle can flat black, so have no need to clear it yet. I'm also not to concerned with consistency yet since this will eventually be an airbrushing project. For the most consistent finish, its best to do it all at the same time.

 

Interesting. I had not seen that. Might do that just for my tool review youtube channel. I have access to a high quality air compressor, but need a new hose and gun, which almost buys this whole thing, I wonder what the run time on it is.

 

Yeah, I don't want to paint it flat... I want some sort of white pearl I think if I do it...

 

A pearl paint job requires painting it white sanding it and then going over it with a clear coat with the pearl mixed in it.
Not sure why you would want to paint your XJ up just to take it out and scratch it all up. I went to school for body and paint and afterwards did several custom paint jobs. That was about 20 years ago and the materials alone was pricey. That kind of job is a lot of work and the repairs to match are even harder.

I will stick to a simple white rattle can and do the best job that I can and call it good. Then my repairs don't have to be perfect just presentable.

 

Being its a off road toy i would bedliner it or plastidip it.

 

Id not want my jeep used by a first timer with a power polisher for learning the art of power buffing. Just saying

Find a junk hood to practice on.

Beware of corners.

Good luck

 

LOL, this is a 5 1/2 year old post. I've painted a couple of cars since then. Gotten pretty decent at it, but I don't have this jeep anymore.

 

I've noticed a lot of people (usually newbies) doing that lately... they come across a thread and dont bother to look at the last date posted.