How would you handle this? Roof Rust

[0DG]

I purchased a 98 LX470 about a month ago as a project, I'm just about done wrapping up the mechanical repairs and now it's on to the body.

The body is mostly straight, however the clearcoat on the hood and hatch is cooked. The roof is the worst part, my guess is the adhesive from the roof skid rails was the culprit (see photos). My plan is to the roof down to bare metal, prime it, and Monstaliner (leaning white to combat the TX sun). After I get the roof done, I plan to line the rest of the truck with a different color.

I've never done any type of body/paint on a vehicle, so I'm looking for some advice...would this be the correct path?

 

[aztoyman]

Getting rid of the rust is necessary if you want any top coat to last.

The most important thing is to follow the tech sheet for whatever product you are going to use. What works for one might not work for another. Timing of application is often critical for many products. It may have to be applied within a time window of the primer for example. Temperature and humidity matters. Some products can be direct to metal, others need primer first.

I was considering Monstaliner at one time. I'm pretty sure they have detailed instructions and videos you can watch so you're well prepared. None of this stuff is cheap so it's good to have a plan and all the stuff you need on hand for application day.

Good luck with your project!

To add, you may not have to strip the entire vehicle to bare metal. Check the data sheet or instructions. You may just have to scuff up the original paint if it's in decent condition.

 

[0DG]

To add, you may not have to strip the entire vehicle to bare metal. Check the data sheet or instructions. You may just have to scuff up the original paint if it's in decent condition.

Thanks for your reply, to clarify, I was only planning on stripping the roof itself to bare metal due to the rust, but if that might be overkill..i'm all ears for other options.

 

[SteveH]

@0DG Any kind of liner on the roof is susceptible to lifting in the rain gutters, and rust will start. If you park the truck indoors, it might be ok, but every truck I see with bedliner on the roof (of any kind) invariably has issues at the sharp edges in the rain gutter, where it pulls loose and water gets underneath. Eventually, the whole rain gutter area is a rust blob held together with liner. YMMV, but putting liner on the roof is not a fix-all for rust issues. Personally, I would prep and paint it with conventional vehicle paint.

 

[0DG]

@0DG Any kind of liner on the roof is susceptible to lifting in the rain gutters, and rust will start. If you park the truck indoors, it might be ok, but every truck I see with bedliner on the roof (of any kind) invariably has issues at the sharp edges in the rain gutter, where it pulls loose and water gets underneath. Eventually, the whole rain gutter area is a rust blob held together with liner. YMMV, but putting liner on the roof is not a fix-all for rust issues. Personally, I would prep and paint it with conventional vehicle paint.

It's indoors for now, but that won't be the case in the next few weeks. While in Texas now, I'll be moving up to the rust belt sometime next year, so getting this sealed up and protected for that move is paramount. Your timing was great, I was just going to start ordering supplies this week.