Rustoleum?

[unreconstructed1]

I am fixin (hopefully) to start my repairs of the body of my truck. since she has a lot of surface rust, I want to take her down to the bare metal, and I also want her to have that flat black "rat rod" look. the problem is, I don't want to spend money every couple of months to re-spray bomb her ( besides rattle can black don't stick to bare metal very well...), but I don't see the point in spending big bucks to give her a "low buck look", so here is my question to ya'll. will rustoleum bond to bare truck sheetmetal?
if it does work, will the finish last for a while? if not, what do ya'll suggest. keep in mind that she is going to be a low buck project.

[tkmad]

I did my Jeep Commando in Rustoleum flat olive drab about 3 years ago and so far it has held up great. I painted over some bare metal and some old paint and it is sticking well to both.

[unreconstructed1]

Originally Posted by tkmad

I did my Jeep Commando in Rustoleum flat olive drab about 3 years ago and so far it has held up great. I painted over some bare metal and some old paint and it is sticking well to both.

thanks. I have been thinking about it for a while, but I hadn't made up my mind. I want to do the thing in black with probably gray or red accents.

in keeping with the original idea for my truck, I'll have to see if Rustoleum makes a deep, burgundy-ish red.

[jimmydean]

I am shooting Rustolium Satin Black through my wifes Wagner Power Painter once I get the body stripped (don't tell her, she'd kill me).

<edit> Flat back is a ***** to keep looking clean.

[El Jay]

Check this out.
You'll have to scroll about 1/2 way down the page.
This guy painted a couple of cars with the Canadian version of "Rustoleum."

He did it with a ROLLER!"

His results look to be more than impressive.


http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/...0&fpart=1&vc=1

[Longhorn Man]

Mine went from this;


to this;


http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=214871
Take your timeand read this thread. Read what I had to say.. AND the other guys too.
I HIGHLY recomend coating the whole truck in promer, or better yet, a sealer.

[eightbanger]

This sounds like a real good option and one i'm sure i'll try we have Rustoleum here in the U.k, when I do i'll post pics.

[Wrenchbender Ret]

I like Rustoleum Rusty-metal-primer. It bonds real good & fills in real well. Then I go over it with any color.

[68gmsee]

I've used Rustoleum on a lot of metal stuff for a long time. It's really one of the better low priced paints that I've used.

I used the Rusty Metal primer on the inside of my 69 bed about 8 years ago and didn't paint over it (don't recommend it but I parked the truck)... It's still doing it's job even though it oxidized.

My .02 regarding the roller method: I recently tried it on the cab top of my GMC to keep it protected and just to see how it would work. I don't think I will do it again unless I have no other choice. It's too much work to get it just right and I don't have the patience that's required.

[Sinister]

I've rattle canned 2 of these trucks flat black. Kinda hard to keep clean, but it's a good low cost alternative for a work truck...

[mrein3]

I would stay away from Rustoleum. As long as you go to all the work to sand it off why not go with epoxy primer made for automotive applications? You can use filler over it. You can re-epoxy it with a light scuff. And most importantly you can still top coat it. I read somewhere that if you use rustoleum you'll never get a good coat of car paint over it.

[Longhorn Man]

sinister... what i did was WAY cheaper and lasts longer than rattle can. I've been there a couple times myself.

Originally Posted by mrein3

I would stay away from Rustoleum. As long as you go to all the work to sand it off why not go with epoxy primer made for automotive applications? You can use filler over it. You can re-epoxy it with a light scuff. And most importantly you can still top coat it. I read somewhere that if you use rustoleum you'll never get a good coat of car paint over it.

mrein, a budget paint job to one man, is another man's entire budget.
A gallon of epoxy primer, plus all the stuff you'll need to use it properly, would cost 3 to 4 times what I have in my paint job.
The goal of the build up should also be considered.
Personally, I know my longhorn will never be worth anything. I can't speak for unreconstructed1, nor do I want to say his truck is a worthless pile like mine. However, if a flat or semil gloss finish is all he wants to do, then there's nothing wrong with this method.

Budget paint jobs ALWAYS bring the paint snobs out of the woodwork (I am NOT calling anyone here a snob) click on my link above, and go to the last page... you'll see what I am talking about.
unreconstructed1 may want a perfect 10... he may be happy with a 5.5, maybe even less. Personally, I love mine. Durable, MUCH better looking than when I started shooting it, doesn't absorb water, and in all reality... good enough, is simply too good for that steaming pile.

[unreconstructed1]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

I can't speak for unreconstructed1, nor do I want to say his truck is a worthless pile like mine. However, if a flat or semil gloss finish is all he wants to do, then there's nothing wrong with this method.

by all means, feel free to say it, its a whole lot better than some of teh things that I have said about her. I love the old girl, but she has definitely not been treated very well before me.

yup, thats all I want. just a decent looking flat black paint job. when I got her, I covered over the baby blue and rust with regular .99 cent a can Wally world gray primer, which is about all I could afford at the time, now I want to give her a better paint job, but really can't afford a whole lot on it.

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

Durable, MUCH better looking than when I started shooting it, doesn't absorb water,

thats really all I am looking for with her. I love my truck to death, and I want the best for her, but some 2,000 dollar top of the line paint job just doesn't seem right for a truck that I plan to use for it's intended purpose. tree limbs scratch up paint, as does rock, car parts etc. I want something that I can simply wash and forget about.

by the way, speaking of top coat, Rustoleum makes one specifically for their paint.. talk about cool.

[unreconstructed1]

by the way Longhorn Man, I read through the thread you posted, and wow...
one big question, I don't know a whole lot about painting cars, so:

you said to use a primer before... what do you reccomend? as I said before, the only primer that I have used is teh $.99 primer gray spray from Walmart...
Basicaly, this entire job will have to be done without the aid of any equipment besides sand paper, so do you think rattle can Rustoleum would come out looking as good as what you did?

I plan on going as I get time and buying enough paint to paint 4 or 5 coats, sanding in between. that way, as I get the chance to do some more body work, just buy a few more cans, and use the Rustoleum clear coat on top ( all of it rattle can)

hopefully, my truck will come out half as good as yours... but I have absolutely no experience with automotive painting.

thanks for the input.

by the way samwise, that green looks good, but I got my heart set on black.

[68gmsee]

Longhorn Man is right when he mentioned some of us don't want a 10. For a run around truck -I intend to use mine -I'd rather have a 5, 6, or 7.

Several reasons. First, the cost. Second, I don't want to always be on pins and needles when I go to Lowes, Home Depot or drive it on dirt/gravel roads.
And last, I don't have to worry about someone trying to steal it...

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

sinister... what i did was WAY cheaper and lasts longer than rattle can. I've been there a couple times myself.




mrein, a budget paint job to one man, is another man's entire budget.
A gallon of epoxy primer, plus all the stuff you'll need to use it properly, would cost 3 to 4 times what I have in my paint job.
The goal of the build up should also be considered.
Personally, I know my longhorn will never be worth anything. I can't speak for unreconstructed1, nor do I want to say his truck is a worthless pile like mine. However, if a flat or semil gloss finish is all he wants to do, then there's nothing wrong with this method.

Budget paint jobs ALWAYS bring the paint snobs out of the woodwork (I am NOT calling anyone here a snob) click on my link above, and go to the last page... you'll see what I am talking about.
unreconstructed1 may want a perfect 10... he may be happy with a 5.5, maybe even less. Personally, I love mine. Durable, MUCH better looking than when I started shooting it, doesn't absorb water, and in all reality... good enough, is simply too good for that steaming pile.

Believe me I am far from a paint snob.
When I started in on my truck cab I went to a paint house here in the Cities, near where I work. For primer he suggested PPG DP40LF. I walked out of there with a gallon of that epoxy primer, enough reducer for the whole gallon and $125-$130 lighter in my billfold.

After I used that up I went to the paint guy in my town. He said use the PPG cheaper line. Epoxy but cheaper. I honestly couldn't tell the difference. After two years now there are no lift or bubble issues so I'll guess it works the same. And for that gallon with all the chemicals I needed in hand I got out of the store for less than $100.

So now if you are looking to primer a whole vehicle I'm guessing 2 gallons will cover it. I believe the cheaper PPG epoxy I bought comes in white, gray and black. If you want the primer look, and you want it black, why not do it right the first time for under $200 or so?

And you can still top coat it with automotive paint when you are done.

BTW, I later bought and used PPG single stage top coat. Again less than $100/gallon with all the necessary chemicals to mix. I didn't like it. I had some left over DuPont single stage that went on very nice over the PPG epoxy. When I get to the box it will be cheapo PPG epoxy under DuPont single stage with hardner.

After I get my box painted I'll have less than $500 into the whole truck in paint. And I'll have done it over 3-4 years. If you're putting gas in these trucks today you can afford one hundred bucks a year in paint supplies (I just filled both tanks on my rig for $110.)

[tkmad]

I forgot to mention I used a roller on my Jeep as well. I lived in a place that had I sprayed, the neighbors would have freaked!

[samwise68]

I know it's not what you're looking for, since my truck is gloss green, but I painted it with Tractor and Implement paint.



it was roughly $20 a gallon for paint, and $20 a gallon for red oxide primer.

Total, I don't have $100 into the job, and that includes buying the HVLP gun from Harbor Freight.

It sealed the truck up good enough for now, that I could get it on the road, and enjoy it, instead of just sitting in the garage.



Just something to look into, another option besides Rustloeum. It's worked out so far for me.

-Sam.

[Chevyholic]

^^^^

I'm actually digging that paint scheme! Well done!

[Longhorn Man]

First of all, mine looks like crap. If you were to see it up close, it's really NOT good.
With that being said, rattle can would look worse. Also, as soon as you put clear over it, it would no longer be flat, it would be shiny... ish
Alos, I honestly couldn't recomend a primer. I would imagine that spray bomb primer would work, it's more about having a unitform surface to lay the paint onto. However, I recoment going onto the paint and body section of the board, and ask them. Ignore all the naysayers, and just ask for a dirt cheap primer recomendation. I know tony (bad67-72 if I remember right) does this for a living, as do others I'm sure, and they could probably apreciate your goals and guoide you in the right direction.

[unreconstructed1]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

. Also, as soon as you put clear over it, it would no longer be flat, it would be shiny... ish

the stuff they make for teh Rustoleum says that its a matte finish, so I just figured...

well, I guess it's tiem to invest in one of those power painters that Jimmydean mentioned. I really can't see justifying the cash to buy an air compressor, and I really don't have anywhere to put one. I'll take your advice and mix it 50/50 with the automotive reducer (once I find out exactly what that is) that Don Brace recomended in the other thread you posted. Any way you go, it'll be a learning experience. I have always said that what I couldn't do to my truck wouldn't get done to my truck, and that's the biggest reason that I want to learn how to do it. who knows, maybe after painting a few, I'll get the hang of it and be able to redo my truck to look even better.

from time to time, my neigbor gets a few old, small air compressors to trade. you think one of these would be good enough to run a spray gun? or do you think the power painter would do good enough?

[Longhorn Man]

if there clear is a matte, then give it a shot.
I would try it on a junk panel or something first.

A small compressor probably wouldn't keep up... but again, ask the guys who do this on a reg basis.
I hear those electric sprayers like to spit and drool a lot.

[unreconstructed1]

thanks for all the help. It gets bad when you think that you're a car expert and then you have to ask a bunch of these basic level questions...

[a1953mdl]

If your truck is straight enough that you are not going to do any body work to it, you really wouldn't have to primer it. The rustoleum will stick well to bare metal.
If you leave any of your old paint, you will see a slight difference after you paint if you don't primer it.
If you decide to primer it, you can use the rustoleum primer. You will want to put 2 or more coats of primer on it and sand it well before painting it with the paint.
Spraybomb (my son) has painted several things with the rustoleum. It has worked well for him. He did paint one project with the epoxy primer others have mentioned, it faded after a few months.
Ask around an see if some friend has a compressor you can borrow. Walmart, harbor freight, etc. sell cheap spray guns, wont work nearly as well as a better on, but will work.
Later if you decide to paint your truck with automotive paint, you will have to sand all the rustoleum off first.
Lee

[Spray-Bomb]

This is my 46 Stude in rustoleum


And my 59 Bug too