Crazy idea: Retro 80

[Ebag333]

So one thing I've always loved about the classic cruisers is the white top. It's so iconic, and one of the first things that catches your eye.

I plan on bedlining my roof (after I remove my rust rack), and was considering either:

A) Leave it the dark grey.

B) Spraying it with white.

I would probably get some of that automotive paint in a can and going over it. The bedliner should stick to paint well enough, if not I can prime it and then go over it.

I'm not planning on having a picture perfect paint job, probably a good-at-10-feet look.

Here's a (very poor) photoshop I mocked up of what it might look like.

(And no, I will not paint the roof pink. )

 

[gnob]

thats why i did the top of my cab tan.
i figured toyota did it or the sake of heat more than anything.
it made a pretty significant heat difference going from black to tan.

 

[Ebag333]

thats why i did the top of my cab tan.
i figured toyota did it or the sake of heat more than anything.
it made a pretty significant heat difference going from black to tan.

Yeah...but I actually care about the way my truck looks.

My current plan is this:

1. Remove rust rack.
2. Fill holes from rust rack (probably JBWeld or Fast Steel).
3. Lightly sand (for adhesion).
4. Coat with Second Skin Spectrum Firewall. (Should both reduce noise and be a huge insulation boost.)
5. Coat with Duplicolor bedliner.
6. Leave as is....or paint?

 

[gnob]

luckily for me, i am a function over form kind of guy.
if i were worried about what people though about what my rig looked like i would drive a Lexus... oh

 

[TOY350]

So you pulling your headliner for that firewall stuff on laying it on top? U didn't mentioned pulling the headliner and laying on top could get ugly quick. If you pull headliner then there is so much stuff to do! Cool things and maintenance. As for the bird sh!t up top, well to each his own. Actually might come out decent, just hard to tell from the pic as you said.

 

[Ebag333]

So you pulling your headliner for that firewall stuff on laying it on top? U didn't mentioned pulling the headliner and laying on top could get ugly quick.

Laying it on top. It brushes on, and between it being on the roof (how often do people see it anyway), the bedliner on top, and sanding/painting over that, it should be pretty well hidden.

It sticks extremely well to painted metal, I applied the Spectrum (not Firewall, but basically the same stuff) to the truck in the rear quarter panels. It's held up both on the paint, and on the back of the plastic covers. (Boy, what a difference did that make as far as how quiet it is.)

You only apply it about 3 mm thick anyway.

 

[TOY350]

Forgot about the lining part, whatever brush strokes or wavey davies you have in the spectrum won't be visible once you line it. With that and the liner it should really bump the insulation factor, as for the white I'm still waiting on that. Either I will like it or I won't say anything

 

[retrofive]

I think I would leave it a darker shade up top.

Probably already saw this thread from a awhile back: https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/270967-has-anyone-done-retro-paint-job-80-a.html

or

https://forum.ih8mud.com/chit-chat-section/297922-white-top-anyone.html

 

[knoll0351]

So..... Why the bed liner instead of paint... ? ....

 

[Ebag333]

So..... Why the bed liner instead of paint... ? ....

Easier to apply and make look decent.

The rust rack removal will leave holes, I could do what I did on the and just pop in some bolts, but it'd be better to seal them completely.