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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Oakridge Oregon
Posts: 1,865
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Tailgate letters - painting?
I’ve painted half dozen of them with different “Chevrolet” colors
it’s a process masking and what order to paint. Base color then mask or text color then mask and shoot colors and what blue tape you using for clean edges when ya pull it. This is a NOS gate to primed then shot ivory white letters and 50th anniversary gold. Thanks in advance
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68 CST SWB - Gold/White 50th anniversary /TH350/Buddy Buckets/3.73 Posi/dogdish caps. 68 K10 Burb - Gold/White 327/SM465/NP205/3.73 "Daa Burb" build thread |
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#2 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Center City, MN, USA
Posts: 3,253
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Re: Tailgate letters - painting?
I paint my own stuff. I am FAR from a pro.
I have painted exactly one tailgate. Twice. The first time I painted the body color, attempted to mask it off, then attempted to spray the letter color. It turned out horrible. Pass 2 I scuffed it, and painted letter color in and around the letters. Then I masked off the letters with standard blue 3M painters tape. Then I re-sprayed body color. That turned out much better. FWIW, I started with a factory painted gate. I took close up pictures of their paint job. Frankly, it wasn't that great. Their lines were not very crisp. I suspect they had a template that set on the gate while body color was sprayed.
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'70 cab, '71 chassis, 383, TH350, NP205. '71 Malibu convertible '72 Malibu hard top Center City, MN |
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#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Atlanta Ga
Posts: 2
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Re: Tailgate letters - painting?
I've seen a few people use vinyl wrap inside the letters that came out pretty good. Also able to remove it if you ever change your mind.
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#4 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Bremerton, WA
Posts: 171
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Re: Tailgate letters - painting?
I just put on the vinyl letters. It was tougher than I thought to get these lined up perfect. The problem is vinyl stretches and it is easy to stretch while trying to line up the letter. So I had a little extra length at the ends. I just trimmed it with a razor blade. Half the letters turned out good the other half look acceptable at 5 feet.
If I were to do it again, I would buy two sets of letters and peel off the bad ones and reapply new ones. You cannot peal them off and reapply since they get stretched out when peeled off.
__________________
1969 Custom Camper C20; Factree Air, 350/TH400/Dana 70U with C30 wheel cylinders, Disk brakes, H4 conversion, headlight relay mod, 3G 135 amp alternator. 7500 GVW |
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#5 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: TX
Posts: 1,568
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Re: Tailgate letters - painting?
I used the 3M Precision Masking tape, 06525, 1/4" x 60 yds and some other 1/8 wide fine line masking tape from the paint store that seems like it is made from plastic/vinyl. I did the outlines with this fine line tape and used the regular yellow 3m automotive masking tape to fill in.
Sprayed the letter color then masked and and did the body color then clear coat. |
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#6 |
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Oakridge Oregon
Posts: 1,865
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Re: Tailgate letters - painting?
Thanks for all the reply’s, think as my original plan I’ll paint the letter area Ivory White and mask with good quality 3M tape then paint the body color.
Thanks again for the input.
__________________
68 CST SWB - Gold/White 50th anniversary /TH350/Buddy Buckets/3.73 Posi/dogdish caps. 68 K10 Burb - Gold/White 327/SM465/NP205/3.73 "Daa Burb" build thread |
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#7 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Northwest NJ
Posts: 684
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Re: Tailgate letters - painting?
I don't want to "Highjack" this thread, but does anyone know what percentage of 67-72 trucks had the stamped tailgate letters NOT painted & left the body color from the factory ? I am interested in stepside gates only....seems I remember a lot of them just being body color.
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#8 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Edmonton Alberta
Posts: 1,330
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Re: Tailgate letters - painting?
Even if you are painting the lettering, the vinyl letters are good to have, they are very cheap and make a great stencil.
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DAVE Edmonton, Alberta 1959 Apache 1967 K20 1968 C20 1970 C10 1972 GMC 2500 1981 C10 |
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#9 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: washington
Posts: 2,233
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Re: Tailgate letters - painting?
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#10 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Southern California
Posts: 2,799
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Re: Tailgate letters - painting?
I envisioned the lettering to be my main body color on my truck but was not sure if I would actually want to go with black. My painter suggested we spray white decals with the single stage acrylic urethane I used. We applied them before paint had fully cured. Worked out well for me. Time will tell if it lasts. I can always respray with the blue color, black or just apply another set of decals. There are pics in my thread. Decals are less than $10 IIRC.
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Richard 1972 K10 Custom Deluxe SWB Fleetside My build https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=800746 |
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#11 |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Hewitt, Tx
Posts: 386
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Re: Tailgate letters - painting?
Wheni restored my truck I wanted to paint the letters but I ended up using vinyl stickers. They look great an took about 5 minutes to install using soapy water and a small squeegee.
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#12 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: London, Ky
Posts: 1,161
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Re: Tailgate letters - painting?
3m fine line tape
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Carl 1971 GMC short bed, (Henry) Options I've added, tilt, ac, 8k tach, Electric speedometer conversion for LS swap, 6.0 with 823 heads and BTR stage 4 truck cam, 4L80e, posi with 3.73 rear end, Power steering and power brakes Lowered 5/7. Frame up build. |
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