Repainted my Blazer's Top(PIC'S)

[BobbyK]

I repainted my top recently and just want to post a few pic's.

First the top was removed and stripped of it's glass,rear hatch and all gaskets and interior lights.


With it stripped I then washed it with a TSP(TriSodium Phosphate) solution.It was a little grimey after spending some time resideing up in the rafters of my garage.


You can see the difference just the wash made here.


I went to my local boat shop and bought some Gloss White Enamel designed for fiberglass boat decks.After thinning it with the proper thinner I brushed it on.
The coverage was a little thin and I ended up applying two coats to the top.But working in the shade enabled me to take my time and allow the paint to blend nicely with no brush marks.


Here it is back on the Blazer.Now a nice Gloss white.






I did a bunch more to the top while repainting.
ALL the pic's I took during the process can be seen HERE

[slamd58]

The top looks great! How long did the whole process take you. this is probably a stupid question, but keep in mind I'm looking for a 72 Blazer and haven't owned one yet,...but is that a single wall or double wall top?

[BobbyK]

It a single walled top.
Double walled top do not have interior lights and bolt up THROUGH the bed rail into the top.
Single walled tops bolt through the top INTO the bedrail.

Took about 2 days to paint.

[LUV2XCLR8]

WOW, CAN YOU DO MINE TO , MINE WAS SPRAY PAINTED BLACK OVER
THE FACTORY WHITE, I'M GOING BACK 2 WHITE, DO YOU THINK THAT I NEED
MINE STRIPPED BEFORE DOING WHAT YOU DID, AND WHAT WOULD YOU STRIP
IT WITH, REMEMBER I AM TOTALLY CHALLENGED AND NEED SMALL WORDS

[LUV2XCLR8]

Originally Posted by vtblazer

Probably not LUV, the "natural" color of the glass would be white, it was just painted black I'd bet. Mine was the same way.

WELL THE PO SAID IT WAS OE WHITE WHEN NEW, STILL TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO STRIP IT WITHOUT KILLIN IT, WAS GOING TO
HAVE A LOCAL BOAT SHOP MESS WITH IT BUT RAN OUT OF $$$

[orangeuavol]

Looks beautiful.

[bouncytruck]

BobbyK - The top looks great. I really like your truck and I'm amazed how quickly you get things done.

LUV - Would media blasting work on the top without destroying the fiberglass texture?

[BobbyK]

This stuff works well on fiberglass(center can in pic,aircraft paint remover) and didn't eat the fiberglass of my center console when I stripped it with it.
You can get it at Walmart.

My top was orig. black,so my glovebox sticker says anyway.I think the yellow CST trucks had black tops.

[big dump]

Oldie but a goodie, what did you use to patch the stress cracks? Where were you able to find flexible patch material? Thanks

[Critter]

BEAUTIFUL!!! You do great work!

[jcfoote60]

can you get something in custom colors for these tops that you can just brush on? That's amazing, I have been agonizing on what to do with my top after I get the my Blazer painted, never worked with fiberglass before!!!

[BobbyK]

Flexable fiberglass filler is available at just about any boating supply store.

It's been 2 years since this post and the top is still looking as good as it does in these pic's.

The paint I used can prob. be dyed or tinted.But I'm not 100% sure on that.

[special-K]

My`72 Blazer is the same yellow and it has a factory black top.It`s not a CST.It came with black interior.
Your Blazer is so fine.

[muddbugg72]

top looks great!! how did you remove the glass without breaking anything

[oilyrag80]

What did you use to aply the texture after sanding?

[BobbyK]

Originally Posted by muddbugg72

top looks great!! how did you remove the glass without breaking anything

Working from the inside,I used a couple of flathead screwdrivers and inserted them under the inside lip of the rubber gasket.
Carefully prying up so the inside lip gets pulled over the fiberglass edge that the gasket sits in.Then just worked my way around the window.

Originally Posted by oilyrag80

What did you use to aply the texture after sanding?

I used a Shutz gun to apply the gator gaurd.
A shutz gun is what's used to spray underbody and rocker gaurd coatings.

[BobbyK]

Originally Posted by special-K

My`72 Blazer is the same yellow and it has a factory black top.It`s not a CST.It came with black interior.
Your Blazer is so fine.

Mine came with a black top too.At least that's what the SPID says.
Somewhere along the line the top was changed as I did not come across a black layer of paint when I stripped it down.

[70gmcjimmy]

Thanks for bringin that one back BobbyK.
Did you sand the top smooth before you applied the Gator Gaurd, or is spraying over weathered original texture doable after a thorogh clean-up?
Probly have more questions when I get to the roof part of the rebuild.

Later---DAC

[low'n slow]

I'm glad this was resurrected. I need to do the same to mine.

[badchev69]

Man maybe i should keep my top instead of selling it and re-do it like this. Looks great man!

[BobbyK]

Originally Posted by 70gmcjimmy

Thanks for bringin that one back BobbyK.
Did you sand the top smooth before you applied the Gator Gaurd, or is spraying over weathered original texture doable after a thorogh clean-up?
Probly have more questions when I get to the roof part of the rebuild.

Later---DAC

I sanded mine down as I had to make the repairs at the 4 corners of the roof,also had to fill some holes that were made where a roof-rack had been installed.

I'd say if you just want to paint,a thorough cleaning with soap and water and then the TSP solution and you'd be ready to paint or apply the Gator Gaurd.

[70gmcjimmy]

Thanks for that advice, BobbyK
I had seen your procedure before and decided long time ago to approach it in a similar way as you did. My top has no significant cracks and one scratch to repair on the hatch. The only bad crack is probably in the owners damm head as the roof has never been off this truck since new. When I used to drive this thing as a kid Mom would always harp at me "Don't you take the top off my Jimmy". I obeyed! Keeping in that spirit she is coming on 84 now and I'm trying to get it fresh again and still be able to tell her the top aint been off, Ma!! That means now I cant approach it the same way but maybe close?
Do you think I could just texture the horizontal part of the top as it is weathered enuff that some fibers are beginning to show, then just paint the whole thing?

Thanks again for the help---DAC

[BobbyK]

If fibers are showing the fiberglass is really dry.
Paint on some fiberglass resine and let dry.The Glass will,I'm sure,soak it right up.Keep applying the resine in coats untill it forms a noticable film,above the fiberglass.

You might be able to "touch up" the scratched area's useing a paint brush and dab on whatever your going to use to recreate the texture.Then paint over that.

Or if the area is big enough to justify sparying it,just tape off the good area's 1st,then texturize.

[blevx1]

BobbyK,

That is a great how to link you posted with the top. That is what forums are all about. Great looking K5!! I had the same problem with the latches on my old '72. When I get it back I will fix it right this time.

-BobbyB

[big dump]

I consider myself to be a pretty resourceful person, but I'm having a real hard time finding any sort of flexible patching material here in AZ. We have a lot of boating supply stores, and boat manufacturers, and everyone I've been to gives me the same runaround. 'Try a fiberglass repair shop'. Well, fiberglass repair shops tell me to bring the top in and they'll look at it, or the only way to repair it is grind it down, and lay new glass. Does anyone have any online resources for filler materials or suggestions. The top is in good shape all around, just stress cracks and holes from a roof rack. Thanks in advance.