Best ways to paint an fj40 (1 Viewer)

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Hey, I am wondering what are the best methods of painting my fj40.

I know you can take it somewhere to get it painted, but I heard that is really expensive.

What are some ways you guys have painted yours?
 
Some strip it down, paint and put back together. I did the first and second part.
Ralph did the painting.
 
It depends on what you want to do with it. For a restoration paint job you are looking at $8000.00 and up.

For a driver there is MAACO, probably $3000.00.

If you want a brush beater like mine you can use bed liner, it costs maybe $300.00 if you do it yourself. I personally like the AL's liner in tan.
 
I opted to turn the garage into a paintbooth and shoot the automotive base/clear...but I'd also done a few other vehicles prior so I knew what I was getting into and already had the equipment. They're actually pretty suited to shooting piecemeal if you're already doing a frame-off type job, so you can shoot smaller batches in increments when you don't have a "real" paintbooth and still get a pretty good result.

I think I was somewhere around $2500 for materials (epoxy primer, surfacer, sealant, base, clear, and the reducers/activators), but that was also PPG's high grade line of materials - I was doing a full nut-n-bolt, so I splurged a bit. Likely closer to half that for more mid-grade materials...which are frankly pretty darn good these days too.

Does seem like paintwork isn't cheap to hire out...but it also is labor intensive to do it right, one of those things where you likely get what you pay for. The work is all in the prep...like most things.
 
You have to decide what you want the end result to be. As with many things, the bulk of the expense is labor. The better the prep, the better the paint job. How long do you expect your paint job to last? When you paint assembled parts, bolt heads and such, they’re likely locations for cracking, then water infiltration and paint failure.

I believe that the harmony of quality and affordability was struck by JackA. Check out his thread. My Tucson 40's - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/my-tucson-40s.1256331/#post-13919275
He uses rustoleum oil based paints. Usually shoots from an air pot but has the convenient option of rattle cans in the same color. He lives in AZ so he’s got reliable good weather to shoot outside. I think the classic rustoleum oil based enamel is probably comparable to the single stage paint that was original to our FJ40s. I would avoid a base/clear product. My PO shot a poorly prepped base/clear and now I have a peeling clear coat to endure, until I get around to painting.

When I paint, I will use a single stage automotive paint similar to original, but only because I need to have the proper 532 yellow color. If it were avail in rustoleum, I’d use that.
 
Great prep to metal and a single stage paint if you are actually going to take it off road, if you are going to do nothing more than drive the kids around and go to coffee and car events then get a clear coat.
 
The Ace-brand grey primer on my pickup truck is awesome in my mind. It is not an all-position spray like Rustoleum. Eight hours, life goes on. It can be brought to a smooth polish with 600 grit or 1000, and if it is rough, plan on some 320 in there. Like ten cans, and one roll of tape, some 0000 steelwool for removing the overspray on glass. It takes regular wax, so the rain beads up, and it comes off with scotchbrite and acetone. I used enough 600 grit on my hood to bring out the original sparkle grey on the highlights, it is fake patina, just enough to detract attention from dents and what not. If you decide against rattle can spray paint in favor of original enamel, it can come off, it isn't easy, but it can.

My first 40 was done in Rustoleum 'Sand.' A gloss rattle can like this on can be a bit more work to look right, blend in etc. However, for flat primer, the limit is how much you want to build it up and sand it down smooth. You can literally wet-sand in about an hour. I could literally fix all those scratches that I regularly get from pinon and junipers growing next to the trail before calling it a day if I wanted.

If nothing else, single stage paint like the factory, as it is kinda sad watching rust creep up on fresh-looking candy painted Land Cruisers.

Keep the spot welds, the vehicle retains authenticity that way.
 
Hi, Use a good single stage and do it yourself. Prep is the hard part but doable. Mike
 
Holy cow.

Thanks for all the responses.

I have a lot of great ideas, from what I seen, and read here it seems like prep is like 75% of it.
Can't thank you enough I think I will end up using these things here.

Primer- Amazon product ASIN B00B3UWM70Clear coat-https://www.amazon.com/USC-Spraymax-Matte-Clearcoat-3680065/dp/B0178ABUVM/ref=sr_1_7?crid=39RFI8T0NA0BE&keywords=eastwood+2k+clear+coat+matte&qid=1638037614&sprefix=eastwood+2k+clear+coat+%2Caps%2C186&sr=8-7

Still don't know If I want to paint it lunar grey, or vintage green.
(any recommendations would be lovely)

Then soon I am going to be looking for a new pair of rims for my 40 too. (gonna go for 15,16 inch rims, and 33/34/35 inch tires)
I'm very indecisive.
 
I used a nine dollar harbor freight paint gun and the cheapest Nason single stage automotive paint I could find.
Sanded the truck, primer on the bare spots, and just painted it. My truck is obviously not a show rig, but it came out nice.
014.JPG
 
Holy cow.

Thanks for all the responses.

I have a lot of great ideas, from what I seen, and read here it seems like prep is like 75% of it.
Can't thank you enough I think I will end up using these things here.

Primer- Amazon product ASIN B00B3UWM70Clear coat-https://www.amazon.com/USC-Spraymax-Matte-Clearcoat-3680065/dp/B0178ABUVM/ref=sr_1_7?crid=39RFI8T0NA0BE&keywords=eastwood+2k+clear+coat+matte&qid=1638037614&sprefix=eastwood+2k+clear+coat+%2Caps%2C186&sr=8-7

Still don't know If I want to paint it lunar grey, or vintage green.
(any recommendations would be lovely)

Then soon I am going to be looking for a new pair of rims for my 40 too. (gonna go for 15,16 inch rims, and 33/34/35 inch tires)
I'm very indecisive.

You are on the right track.
16 inch wheels for more tire choices, for paint I see 'Eastwood' called out there, cannot go wrong with that. Ultimately your decisions depend on what you plan to do with the rig, -do you drive thru brush that will leave stripes on the paint?, weave thru trees that may decide to punch the panels? Rhinoliner or some such can be useful for protection. Single stage is most likely the best, over a 2k epoxy primer.
Good Luck!
 
SPI epoxy primer on mine, followed up with a single stage Akzo Nobel paint, shot in my garage with a harbor freight spray gun.

It's no show quality rig but it does what I built it to do.
20191222_140201.jpg
 
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Your decision on how to paint it should be based on what you plan to do with it.

Garage queen? Trail rig? Everyday driver? Fishing rig?
 
Holy cow.

Thanks for all the responses.

I have a lot of great ideas, from what I seen, and read here it seems like prep is like 75% of it.
Can't thank you enough I think I will end up using these things here.

Primer- Amazon product ASIN B00B3UWM70Clear coat-https://www.amazon.com/USC-Spraymax-Matte-Clearcoat-3680065/dp/B0178ABUVM/ref=sr_1_7?crid=39RFI8T0NA0BE&keywords=eastwood+2k+clear+coat+matte&qid=1638037614&sprefix=eastwood+2k+clear+coat+%2Caps%2C186&sr=8-7

Still don't know If I want to paint it lunar grey, or vintage green.
(any recommendations would be lovely)

Then soon I am going to be looking for a new pair of rims for my 40 too. (gonna go for 15,16 inch rims, and 33/34/35 inch tires)
I'm very indecisive.

I would not use rattle can primer. It is not going to have the same adhesion properties as a good spray on 2K primer. I always recommend not cheaping out on primer. It is what seals the panels and allows paint to stick. A good DTM epoxy, filler, then a epoxy hi-build primer topcoat, and final paint is what I would do.

Good primer is not cheap. The stuff I used was more expensive per gallon than my final paint, but I know my panels are sealed well and the paint will stick.

I would recomend going with the same brand primer as topcoat, just so you know that there will be no solvent issues, but it should not matter as long as you wait for everything to fully outgas before final paint.
 
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I would not use rattle can primer. It is not going to have the same adhesion properties as a good spray on 2K primer. I always recommend not cheaping out on primer. It is what seals the panels and allows paint to stick. A good DTM epoxy, filler, then a epoxy hi-build primer topcoat, and final paint is what I would do.

Good primer is not cheap. The stuff I used was more expensive per gallon than my final paint, but I know my panels are sealed well and the paint will stick.

I would recomend going with the same brand primer as topcoat, just so you know that there will be no solvent issues, but it should not matter as long as you wait for everything to fully outgas before final paint.
Have any recommendations for a good primer?
 
Have any recommendations for a good primer?
Don’t paint until you get the rust removed. Do rust fixes before you paint over. Want to show us a picture of your rig? I’ve seen some of your other threads and it looks like you have a lot of expensive hopes for it, especially for being the same age as me. Show us a picture and goals with it (show rig, trail rig, etc) and other people can probably provide a better plan for it
 

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