Crazy idea about painting my truck

[JAKES 68GMC]

I've been shuffling around the idea of painting my truck using a bunch of rattlecans. I know, it sounds trashy, redneckish, stupid etc. but I really honestly think I could make it look good. I don't think I can afford to get it painted by a pro, because I already need some body work done to it (cabcorners, drivers side floor and pass. side lower fender cup) and that would add up quick, and I don't have the money for paint. After the bodywork is done I've come up with this master plan:

-Sand the whole truck down, especially in the rough spots, enough to get the paint to stick good.
-Get some Rustoleum sandable car primer and spray the whole truck.
-Get a LOT of Rustoleum gloss hunter green, paint the whole truck in coats.
-Get a bunch of clear-coat rattles cans, and give it a good clearcoat right at the end. Maybe 2 coats.

I told my dad this idea, and he just shook his head. I think I could do it and make it look decent. I want to hear honestly what you guys think of this idea. Thanks for your thoughts.
Jake

[layedoutnoma]

decent is the key word... yea u can do it that way and it will be decent.. but also look into what u can get some nice laquer for.. cause all those cans will add up very fast on a whole truck

[EyeH8the24]

please dont..never seen a rattle can job look good.....save up and get macco or some one to paint it ...

[boogie67]

Go to tractor supply and buy a gallon of their enamel its 20 bucks.They also have hardner to add to it.It will look better than rattle cans and they have three different shades of green.

[msgross]

rustoleum instrustrial choice enamel is the same as the canadian Tremclad. Look for the roller brush painted cars in the threads. Only $35 a gallon and worth the shot over spraypaint.... Spraypaint is not as permanent as you might think, and will look trashy.

[classicchev]

If you have access to a sprayer, a gallon of paint will be alot cheaper than 3 cases of rattlecans and alot easier to spray.

[1LoC10]

when i had my old s10 beater truck... I took off the bumpers and grill and masked off all the trim myself... I took it to Maaco and just had them shoot it with no clear.... it was only like $300 but you wont get a warranty

[71SWBChevy]

Stay away from a rattle can job, what paint is on there is better than using spray paint. Your paint will be worse in a couple of years than it is now assuming you could even get the paint to look good the first time.

[_Dick_]

Find the last POST in here that was asking same questions you are ,it about 3 weeks old .its worth your time you get to see how the guy ends up getting a super paint job for $75 bucks and the cost of paint .its goin to surprize you
good luck

[qksilver]

Before you can rattle can spray it you will have to come down south at least to Virgina, NC would be better..........

[wibilly]

theres not enough pigment in rattle cans for it to last, you can't go fast enough to keep a wet edge and make it look good on somthing the size of a truck.implement paint or industrial enamel will give you a very nice finish if you prime it and wet sand it first and probably end up cheaper

[BowTieOgre]

Originally Posted by JAKES 68GMC

I've been shuffling around the idea of painting my truck using a bunch of rattlecans. I know, it sounds trashy, redneckish, stupid etc. but I really honestly think I could make it look good. I don't think I can afford to get it painted by a pro, because I already need some body work done to it (cabcorners, drivers side floor and pass. side lower fender cup) and that would add up quick, and I don't have the money for paint. After the bodywork is done I've come up with this master plan:

-Sand the whole truck down, especially in the rough spots, enough to get the paint to stick good.
-Get some Rustoleum sandable car primer and spray the whole truck.
-Get a LOT of Rustoleum gloss hunter green, paint the whole truck in coats.
-Get a bunch of clear-coat rattles cans, and give it a good clearcoat right at the end. Maybe 2 coats.

I told my dad this idea, and he just shook his head. I think I could do it and make it look decent. I want to hear honestly what you guys think of this idea. Thanks for your thoughts.
Jake

I have seen some nice pics of the end result of that process and i was impressed enough to go out and stock up! I bought the high density foam rollers, some mineral spirits and a quart of royal blue Rustoleum Professional. I took a red scuff pad and ran it over my test piece (an extra hood) and wiped it down well before painting. Im still trying to find the right mixture of paint to mineral spirits but it seems to be between 4:1 and 5:1 or the thickness of milk. Roll it on with gentle pressure and let it self-level, dont worry the bubbles with go away if you have the right mix. If the bubbles stay I think its too thin. Let it dry for 8-16 hours and apply a 2nd coat. Let that dry and wetsand with 800 grit. This is where I am now. I have NEVER done any body/paint work and man was I excited after wetsanding out the orange peel from the first 2 coats. Compared to beforehand that hood felt smooth as silk. I will keep you updated on my progress. Dont forget what all these experienced guys here say...prep is 90% of the work, dont rush anything, do it right the first time!

[purple gas]

I bought a cheap small touch up gun $15 ( 8 oz cup ) and a gallon of Fire red Tremclad $ 35.( Canadian rustolium ) a $10 preasure regulator and have a small compressor. I thinned the tremclad 20% with mineral spirits and shot my truck. It's no show car, but it looks pretty good. My whole set up was cheaper than what it would take in rattle cans, and the little spray gun worked pretty good. rattle cans tend to spurt & spatter when they run out. It's not gonna last forever but there's no spatters, runs, etc. And it's all the same color. It did take couple days for the paint to really harden up, but it was last fall and pretty cool at the time.. . And I learned a lot about spraying with a real ( tho cheap ) spray gun. Good luck whatever you choose.

[lilpup69chevy]

jake if you do that if you ever do decide to redo it later down the road you would probably have to strip it after a rattle can job, but if you are gonna do a rattlecan job go buy a case of flat black that usually looks decent for spray paint

[special-K]

Spray bomb is expense,can`t keep it wet enough on large panels,and YOU`LL WEAR YOUR FINGER OUT!You can rent a paint sprayer.If you wanted to get drunk,would you get a 1/5 or 20 miniatures?
One thing people seem to overlook,even when paying a professional,why not shoot acrylic enamel.BC/CC is very expensive,I see alot of clear take a crap,and these trucks had enamel on them from factory(and many still do 30+ years later).BC/CC ain`t exactly sliced bread,if you catch my drift.Acrylic enamel was the bee`s knees forever and still is,especially when it comes to $$$.Paint has gotten crazy.You can pay $300+ a gallon just because of certain pigments.My friend is painting his`81 and he`s a bodyman.He wanted some blue,but couldn`t see paying so much.The factory midnite blue was a fraction of the cost.So,blue ain`t just blue anymore.He`s saving more(time and money) by shooting acrylic enamel.It`s his driver,not some show truck.
That straight enamel (like TSC`s) is hardest to lay on w/o runs and sags.Acrylic is next,but much better.you just can`t lay it too heavy.There`s alot of body there,just keep it movin`.That paint dries slower than urethane.The thing with single-stage,it`s a one shot deal,theres no sanding out f-ups like laquer or BC/CC.

[TP from Cntl PA]

"You might be a redneck if..............."

If you can't do it right don't do it at all.............Are my thoughts

[BowTieOgre]

Originally Posted by TP from Cntl PA

"You might be a redneck if..............."

If you can't do it right don't do it at all.............Are my thoughts

So what, in your opinion, is the RIGHT way?

[motocrosschump]

second the roll on idea...get a High Density foam roller and some mineral spirits and go to town.

[boundstaffpress]

I had a rattle can touch up job on a VW Beetle I owned, and it would oxidize every couple of weeks or so till it was completely flat.

Spray paint just can't stand up to the sun, You'll be very dissapointed in the overall look, and lasting ability of spray paint.

I'm going to roll on a coat of White tractor paint on mine. I still have to find a decent bed floor before I start the other prep-work. My dad's gonna help, and it won't be the first car he's rolled.

[jimmydean]

My brother bought a can of high-temp BBQ black from Home Depot for less than $10 and shot his chopper with it using a gun he bought for $50. It was featured in Iron Horse magazine and Hot Bike. It looked great and you would never know it was done in the driveway.

I am doing the same thing with my truck because the rattle can's just don't cut it. I figure if I can do it for less than $100, I'm ahead of the game.

[72-stomper]

No rattle can paint job...

Heres a good budget job:

Buy a cheap Harbor freight Hvlp gun ~$25.00

Goto a Bobcat dealer (ya know the skidsteers) They make an undustrial pre-reduced industrial enemal, in orange, white, or charcol.=Buletproof and shines like an oem paint job. ~$11.00 per quart

Goto a auto paint jobber and buy 1 quart of Nason enamal caytalist. ~$18.00

Mix the pre-reduced industrial enemal with the catylist 4:1.

The Nason enamal caytalist is a must for ease of applacation, gloss, and durabality..
Spray away!!!
2-tone if you want...orange w/ white top??????
This stuff is eayser to spray than a rattle can, and will look and last like a pro job

[JAKES 68GMC]

We have a HVLP sprayer but we can't spray good enough to paint a truck. Plus we can't get the condensation out of the compressor and the water goes right into the paint. I figured the rattle can would work good, be easy, and I wouldn't have to bother with a paint guy. I don't really want to roller paint my truck, either.

[burnitdown612]

Masson makes a single stage urithane paint that you can buy in a kit ..... $100 dollors for a nice gloss black, that includes hardener and reducer, and even a roll of maskin paper ... its a reall good deal
i painted my truck with it and it looks amazing for the price

[Longhorn Man]

I spray painted a car once. 81 Chevy Citation. It looked like crap, I had about 170 bucks in spray paint and it totally devalued the car. it looked better when it was silver and rust then after I painted it.
Then, i spray bombed my las truck in black primer. It looked OK for 4 months or so, then it started to fade from the sun, and it was also coming off as I washed it. I think i had 75 or so into that job.
I have not done the roller deal, but if I had the time to spare, and could have my truck down for a few days, then I'd try it. I do have a couple crazy ideas as to what I'll be doing to it aft4er I get back from Cali... within a month I expect it to be all one color, on the super low buck, trendy, and cool. (super low buck being less than 100...including paint gun)

[msgross]

but a filter at Home Depot to take care of your water in the compressor.

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