Assemble bed, then paint?

[dz1087]

Looking for some input on the way to proceed for my project. I got the bed parts delivered yesterday for my 71 rebuild. Old ones were rusting through in way more places than I wanted to repair, so new bedsides, head gate, and floor.

My question is, would it be okay to go ahead and assemble the bed and then paint it? I'm asking because the bed parts are taking up a lot of space in the garage, and I could easily assemble it, and put it in the backyard on jack stands under a tarp until I'm ready to paint the truck. Just wondering if that was a reasonable option, or if I was missing something major by doing that. Parts are new repops with electro coat.

Thanks,
Brad

[MDPotter]

I plan on painting mine in pieces. With a steel floor, it's hard to reach everything and there will be panel edges that don't have anything but ecoat on them. If you paint it in pieces, you know that every surface is coated and you can reach it all. It's more work to set up and takes more space, but in my opinion it's the best way.

To reduce the amount space the job takes, you could raptor liner both sides of the floor and set the floor on the truck and then paint everything else.

[lyrikz]

Originally Posted by dz1087

Looking for some input on the way to proceed for my project. I got the bed parts delivered yesterday for my 71 rebuild. Old ones were rusting through in way more places than I wanted to repair, so new bedsides, head gate, and floor.

My question is, would it be okay to go ahead and assemble the bed and then paint it? I'm asking because the bed parts are taking up a lot of space in the garage, and I could easily assemble it, and put it in the backyard on jack stands under a tarp until I'm ready to paint the truck. Just wondering if that was a reasonable option, or if I was missing something major by doing that. Parts are new repops with electro coat.

Thanks,
Brad

Completely assemble bed, test fit. Then blow apart and spray everything, then reinstall. IF its not a show room type truck. Assemble and paint together.

[LS short box]

I had my bed painted while it was all apart. As said above it was easier to get primer and paint in all the small spaces. But having said that if you are painting some color than a solid colors like some type of metal flake I think most body shops would like to shoot it all assembled to make sure it all matched.

[mygmctruck1]

I had mine sprayed after it was fully assembled . Except with out fender on .

[72 tigger]

I painted my floor first and then painted the inside assembled. Worked out pretty good

[my kids toy]

At least make sure the head panel fits correctly, my re pop I have to do some trimming for it to fit and widen a few holes, I do not know about the floor as mine was a wood floor so I did not have to fit a steel floor.

[Leonard1]

Mine was all original Sheetmetal, so a little different situation, but I blasted everything, epoxy each piece, assemble, final paint. That way I knew everything at least had epoxy. If you paint before assembly, how are you going to address the bolts, nuts, washers, etc? Paint each individually? Stainless?

[dz1087]

Originally Posted by Leonard1

Mine was all original Sheetmetal, so a little different situation, but I blasted everything, epoxy each piece, assemble, final paint. That way I knew everything at least had epoxy. If you paint before assembly, how are you going to address the bolts, nuts, washers, etc? Paint each individually? Stainless?

Yeah, you would just paint over the bolts right?

[dz1087]

Originally Posted by 72 tigger

I painted my floor first and then painted the inside assembled. Worked out pretty good

Was that all edc-coated repop? That’s not a bad idea.

[72 tigger]

Yes, complete bed kit. Painted the exterior bedsides laying down (helps me with less runs in the clear coat). Then sprayed the inside last

[dz1087]

Kirk, did you paint your bed sides at a different time than the cab? If so, any trouble with color matching?

[MDPotter]

I should have addressed this in my first reply - but if it's a metallic color you definitely need to paint it assembled, along with the rest of the truck so it all matches.

And buy stainless hardware or paint the hardware prior to install if it's not stainless.

I like Leonard's post too - if you epoxy everything separately, then you have a waterproof coating and can assemble it and then paint it all at once and not worry about the edges and flanges that don't have paint on them.

This is how I'm doing mine:
-4 coats SPI epoxy to underside of floor and tubs
-Raptor liner to topside of floor
-Paint the sides, tailgate, front panel, tubs, and skirts separately (since mine is a solid color)
-Bed assembly using stainless hardware

[twotrucks]

Question for those that paint pieces separately then assemble, Do you weld the bed side to the floor like factory?

[72 tigger]

Like MD said, since it was a solid color l wasn’t concerned about matching. I wouldn’t be afraid to paint the inside of the bed at a different time, l think it would be tough to see a difference since its not directly beside the exterior

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by Leonard1

Mine was all original Sheetmetal, so a little different situation, but I blasted everything, epoxy each piece, assemble, final paint. That way I knew everything at least had epoxy. If you paint before assembly, how are you going to address the bolts, nuts, washers, etc? Paint each individually? Stainless?

I assembled mine, made sure everything fit, took it apart, then epoxy then color, then put it together.

Yes. I painted each bolt and washer individually. I left the nuts unpainted.

Take a 12 inch hunk of 2x4. Drill evenly spaced holes in two rows. I dipped the carriage bolt heads in epoxy, stood them up in the block of wood, then sprayed them when I had color mixed up for one of the other pieces.

Then get a REALLY trusted friend, tape possible points where you might rub your new paint, then re-assemble.

[3767]

Since most of your parts are new consider putting the bed together first. This will make sure that all holes line up. U dont want 2 paint it then assemble only to find out u need 2 file some holes to make the bolts fit right. The bed sides may need 2 b moved 2 get the square with the floor. Again, u want 2 do all that after paint? I wouldn't. Once all that has been checked out then take it apart and paint. Takes the guess work and head ache out later.

[lousyflyer]

What many people don't understand about primer(s) is that for the most part, they provide little protection from corrosion unless they are topcoated with paint. The purpose of the primer is to give the topcoat something to adhere to, thus effectively sealing the metal from the elements.

If you fasten two primed pieces of metal together, you are creating a rust pocket. I say assemble for a fit check, break it down and at least paint the mating surfaces before final assembly. With today's epoxy primers this is not as critical.

E- primer prep for painting? Lightly sand(it off)

[twotrucks]

Do you weld bed side to floor sill at rear?

[72 tigger]

Originally Posted by twotrucks

Do you weld bed side to floor sill at rear?

I didn’t, one of the negatives of doing the way I did

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by 72 tigger

I didn’t, one of the negatives of doing the way I did

I did not replicate that factory weld either.
I'm guessing that was used to help assemble beds going down the line. In the two years since I've completed the project I've observed nothing bad happening without that spot weld on each side.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by dz1087

Assemble bed, then paint?

That's how the assembly plant did it in the first place; one per minute.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by mrein3

I did not replicate that factory weld either.
I'm guessing that was used to help assemble beds going down the line. In the two years since I've completed the project I've observed nothing bad happening without that spot weld on each side.

It was to keep the bedsides square at the tailgate opening over the life of the vehicle.

If you are not going to put 100k miles on your restored truck then you should be ok.

K

[dz1087]

Thanks for the pointer there. I'm doing a metallic color, so this will be important.

You are raptor lining your floor, and painting the sides and wells? I was thinking of getting a rubber mat, but this would keep more rust out. Any pics of this out there?

So, if I epoxied the parts separately, after fitting them all, I could assemble and then paint? Should I epoxy my bolts prior to paint to help with rust prevention this way? (epoxy, assemble, paint with hardware installed, minus the tailgate hardware)

Originally Posted by MDPotter

I should have addressed this in my first reply - but if it's a metallic color you definitely need to paint it assembled, along with the rest of the truck so it all matches.

And buy stainless hardware or paint the hardware prior to install if it's not stainless.

I like Leonard's post too - if you epoxy everything separately, then you have a waterproof coating and can assemble it and then paint it all at once and not worry about the edges and flanges that don't have paint on them.

This is how I'm doing mine:
-4 coats SPI epoxy to underside of floor and tubs
-Raptor liner to topside of floor
-Paint the sides, tailgate, front panel, tubs, and skirts separately (since mine is a solid color)
-Bed assembly using stainless hardware

[dz1087]

Kinda figured they did to save time. Mine was so rusted I had no way of telling if there was ever paint in those areas or not.

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

That's how the assembly plant did it in the first place; one per minute.

K