Paint Thoughts - Hit me with recommendations (2 Viewers)

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Aug 2, 2017
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Location
Tustin, California
So my factory paint is suffering classic clear coat failure on the hood, roof and rear pillars. 96 80, Nightshadow Pearl 8K0 (Blue).

Normally I am highly function over form, but after going through many things I am finally looking at maybe painting the thing. It is also my DD.

It wasn't too bad maybe a year ago, but in the California heat it is cooking.

I've thought about getting a complete re-spray (budget isn't that high), painting it white or black, or just tackling the affected areas. Honestly, kinda always wanted a white 80, but I don't know if its worth the effort or easier? I am not getting a different truck. Not keen on bed liner.

Thought i'd hop on mud and get some recommendations. Any thoughts?

Will attach photos.
 
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i would just do another clear coat and leave the sun baked areas. i like the look of a nice but but well aged cruiser
 
I just painted mine... so many lessons learned and I've painted before. My advice (which will be controversial I'm sure) is paint it with single stage urethane. When I asked for advice several folks here told me to do this but my local paint supply guy convinced me to clear it. He even came over and helped me lay down the clear (with a $1,000 gun and his many years of experience). I wound up with an orange peeled mess than took 40 hours of hard labor to buff out. I also have discovered that I have adhesion issues (with his work, my primer and sealer work stuck). If it was urethane, it would be easy to fix any issues, buff out peel, respray and blend in spots, etc. Because it's clear, it's much more difficult.

I know your rig was 2 stage but toyota painted black and white in single stage that year so there's precedent for sure. I'm sure someone could mix your color in single stage as well. I painted my 40 in single and I can tell you the finish looks as good, is easier to work with and was a hell of easier to get right.

If you'd like to follow the saga you can here: Paint Thread and here: Buff out of clear
 
I'd agree with the single stage as well. I've got to repaint my upper lift gate after fixing some rust and the clear coat coming off. Kinda feeling lucky after seeing the degree of clear coat coming off on others that that is the only spot.

Good looking rig you got for sure.
 
Are you interested in doing the roof white like a 40series and then just fixing the hood? I think white roofs are nice in hot climates.
 
While I'm very definitely not an automotive paint expert, I have recently delved into it and learned a few things. Here's a few bits.
My '97 LX450 (paint code 045 Toyota White) is most definitely factory paint, and is NOT clearcoated. Just the white paint out in the open.
I know that for sure because I had to grind down to metal on the rusted factory roof rack thread inserts, and those roof rack "sucker marks" around them.
Examined up super close with 10x jewelers loupe. White color coat over 2 separate layers of primer. Each layer is quite thick.
The trim paint being a metallic color, is another story. Clearcoated, like yours, and the clearcoat is breaking down, especially on upward facing surfaces.
In talking to "the expert" at my local automotive paint store, she declared that "all factory paint is clearcoated!" Apparently not. But in reading the technical info about that stores standard off the shelf line of auto paint (you can get any color, any paint code, custom or whatever, in small quantities), BASF Diamont, must be clearcoated - all colors. (refered to as 2 stage), I think it's an acrylic enamel (1K or one component, non-catalyzed) type. However, there are paint types that some colors do not require clearcoat, like "acrylic urethane", which is so-called single stage (meaning color coat only, not necessarily clearcoated) and 2K (2 component catalyzed).
I think white paint is inherently more durable to UV / ozone breakdown, because the primary coloring agent is titanium dioxide, completely impervious and reflective. Only the binder or resin would break down and oxidize over time, mostly at the surface.
metalic colors are inherently more vulnerable to breakdown, because they are semi transparent.
Hope that helps some. It's all very confusing.
 
If you think about spot repairs and clearcoated 2 stage paint systems, it's obviously difficult to do and pushes you toward whole panel repair jobs - how can you blend the layers? Spot repairs would never look right.
But - a single stage color layer only could be blended in reasonably well, if the color was simple and basic, and you weren't expecting perfection.
 
My cruiser was in similar condition when i got it. The hood being the worst area. I tackled it myself. I sanded the hood down and hit it with rattle can primer. Then wet sanded to smooth it out best I could. I wasn't after perfection, just something better than faded and peeling clearcoat. I had a local paint supply store mix up the factory color and put it into rattle cans for me. I think I spent about $50 on paint, with the custom mixed rattle cans and a high quality two-part clear coat also in a rattle can. I figured for that cost I could try it out and see what the result was and be confident even if it wasn't "good" it would be better than the faded/peeling hood.

I chose to black out the center of the hood during the process to help with glare from roof lights. But I was pleasantly surprised by the results of the rattle can paint job using the custom mixed stuff. The color match was very good! I'd highly recommend the two-part clear if you decide to go this route. It came in a rattle can with a button on the bottom that releases a catalyst that gets pressed before using. Shake it up and go. This was about 3 years ago and it's still holding up extremely well. Definitely better than what it was and well worth the small expense.
IMG_5781_zpspozvhfar by Adam Tolman, on Flickr

This is a couple days after doing the hood respray.
IMG_5786_zps3ymp9svm by Adam Tolman, on Flickr

Here's a recent pic three years later.
Hoodvents by Adam Tolman, on Flickr
 
My only thoughts on this are, I wouldn't change the color. That 80 blue while not super rare is rare enough I would keep the color.
 
...The hood... I tackled it myself. I sanded the hood down and hit it with rattle can primer. Then wet sanded to smooth it out...I had a local paint supply store mix up the factory color and put it into rattle cans for me. custom mixed rattle cans and a high quality two-part clear coat also in a rattle can...

I chose to black out the center of the hood during the process to help with glare from roof lights. But I was pleasantly surprised by the results of the rattle can paint job using the custom mixed stuff. The color match was very good! I'd highly recommend the two-part clear if you decide to go this route. It came in a rattle can with a button on the bottom that releases a catalyst that gets pressed before using. Shake it up and go. This was about 3 years ago and it's still holding up extremely well. Definitely better than what it was and well worth the small expense.

Came out great! nice job.
So you wet sanded the primer. Was that what they call high build primer? What grit number did you sand the old paint before primer, and what grit sand the primer?
Any comments to on how smooth or rough it came out for the next layer?
Was the two-part clear coat (2K as they say) by Spray-Max? I've seen that.
What type of paint was the factory code color coat? Do you recall? single component?
How about the black satin fender flares, etc? paint type?
 
It was a while ago so I don’t remember exactly but I think I sanded the original paint with 120 grit then 220 grit. The primer I used was just Rustoleum Automotive primer in a rattle can. Was not high build. I wet sanded that with 320 grit. It helped smooth things out quite a bit.

pretty sure the color matched paint was PPG paint. I don’t remember the brand of the clear coat.
Flares are painted with plasti dip. It holds up the best to rock chips etc.
 
Thank you @Box Rocket

I am going to give this a go, I had a one off desire to change the color, but I really do love Nightshadow Pearl.

Did you go to a chain paint store, or a local type shop, or specifically automotive paint shop?

Excited to tackle this and appreciate the advice from everybody.
 
Thank you @Box Rocket

I am going to give this a go, I had a one off desire to change the color, but I really do love Nightshadow Pearl.

Did you go to a chain paint store, or a local type shop, or specifically automotive paint shop?

Excited to tackle this and appreciate the advice from everybody.
The paint store I went to was just a local autobody and automotive paint supply store.
 
Depends on your skill level / desired outcome for $$ spent.

I “fixed“ my green LX450 with the same water-based clear that all but the black & white 80’s have.

But I also have alot of paint experience.

The roof looks pretty severe, some of that blue looks hosed (can’t tell until after a good cut job) - but if the blue is salvageable, just spraying clear or having it done after cutting off the dead clearcoat will make it look way, way better.

And -FWIW- the blue in good shape is a stellar color - painting yours white without doing the doors & blowing the jambs will just look janky.

And a blue engine bay (prob underside of hood too if you don’t blow the doors & jambs white) - will be annoying.

A stop-gap idea may be to kinda ‘retro FJ’ it by painting the roof white stopping at the gutters, but refurb the blue/clear on the hood - at least that would look presentable & not like a 1/2-a$$ed color swap.
 
If you are going base/clear the minimum final grit before color coat should be 600. Basecoat is pretty thin and shows minor imperfections, unlike single stage.
 

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