Painting Land Cruiser Rustoleum

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Joined
Jan 2, 2010
Threads
8
Messages
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Location
Palo Alto, California
My caveat emptor: This vehicle was purchased for $2000. 165,000 miles San Jose, CA
There was minor but noticeable paint discoloration with the arctic green or whatever Toyota factory color it is. I like white trucks and took a tool down to the local Rustoleum outlet (Walmart) and purchased 3 cans of Rustoleum high gloss white. I primed it first with Fine Paints of Europe Euroquart of oil primer I happened to have on hand. It too was white.
White is an eminently good color for a truck. It's safer and I like the white and black color scheme that I have on my 2002 TRD Tacoma 4WD. Face it, if your rig doesn't have a decent paint job, a big, green/dark Land Cruiser looks a bit thuggish, well, anyway a CHP officer gave me a once-over driving the 280 into San Francisco.
My basic painting protocol was
prime and paint with foam rollers and brushes. Foam brushes are essential to get the fine detail, cutting-in, and you need a deft hand to paint anything well. I spray painted the flarings with flat black Rustoleum spray paint and then primed the entire vehicle in white. I then painted 2 coats of Rustoleum straight from the can without diluting it. You have to decide for yourself on dilution. I don't want to debate it. I only know what worked well for me. It turned out well, and it looks a **** of a lot nicer than it did. I use this truck for camping and hauling tools. Up close it's not perfect but then again it looks nice.
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It looks fine from the pics. Post closer shots if you got them.
Did you paint the door handles black too?
 
more photos

Snow Cruiser: Snowy Owl 1993 FZJ80
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The inspiration for the color scheme: my 5 speed manual TRD Tacoma, one of the finest vehicles I've ever owned, here cruising the old Tioga Road (Route 120) through Yosemite
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I'll have to take some close-ups and post them. I did spray paint the door handles black but left the mirrors dark green, you can't really tell maybe in the spring I'll spray paint them....
 
nice low budget paint job. Looks good
 
Cool idea, 1FZFE! It looks fine to me. But even if it didn't, so what? All you have to please is yourself. My '94 is the same color as your original and it's got enough Manzanita scratches in it to get critical comments from perfectionists from time to time. I just tell 'em, hey, it's for go - not show. I could buff the scratches out and have done it a couple of times, but why? Next time in the woods, they'll be back. I think having a shiny paint job is more of a negative than a positive on a SUV that sees off road use. But after seeing your results, it's giving other folks, including me ideas. Thanks for sharing. Now that your rig is white, it won't get as hot parked in the sun and be easier to cool with the A/C.
 
I like it, well done. I've been debating between do it yourself and Maaco. You may just have inspired the do it yourself method.
 
I tried this on a Baja Bug I had - takes to long for my limited patience, but it does work. Also works if you thin it out and spray it from a HVLP gun - loose a bit to the air, but I don't think you loose as much sanding.
 
I tried this on a Baja Bug I had - takes to long for my limited patience, but it does work. Also works if you thin it out and spray it from a HVLP gun - loose a bit to the air, but I don't think you loose as much sanding.

I am with you on the patience thing. I was considering this method until I read you have to wait a day between each coat and do up to 10 coats. I think some rattle cans are in my future.
 
I bought my rustoleum by quarts and used an acutally spray gun. See avatar pic.
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Here is what we can see from your avatar, just to put it into perspective -- which is to say that we can not see much from your avatar:
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