Rattle can, bedliner, or get it professionally painted?

[cmwoodworth]

So on my 80 series, the paint on the hood is pretty bad, clear coat damage and deteriorating paint. So I was thinking I’ll just buy the paint and rattle can it but I don’t want it to look like crap. I talked to a buddy of mine and he said a few people just sand it and spray bedliner on the hood because it looks “cool” and it can help with sun glare too. I was looking up some videos of guys on YouTube that spray the entire truck with raptor liner or something along those lines but I don’t know if I would want to do that. My 3rd option would be to just take it to an auto body shop and have them paint it, but being a poor 19 year old, I don’t know if I want to do that or have the funds to do that. So my question is, what would be the best option? Thanks!

-Edit-
How much aerosol spray cans would I need for the hood of my 80?

 

[FMC80]

So on my 80 series, the paint on the hood is pretty bad, clear coat damage and deteriorating paint. So I was thinking I’ll just buy the paint and rattle can it but I don’t want it to look like crap. I talked to a buddy of mine and he said a few people just sand it and spray bedliner on the hood because it looks “cool” and it can help with sun glare too. I was looking up some videos of guys on YouTube that spray the entire truck with raptor liner or something along those lines but I don’t know if I would want to do that. My 3rd option would be to just take it to an auto body shop and have them paint it, but being a poor 19 year old, I don’t know if I want to do that or have the funds to do that. So my question is, what would be the best option? Thanks!

Don’t bed liner the vehicle, in my opinion it’s too difficult to reverse it.
If you’re not rolling in the dough, then do the rattle can job yourself. If you prep well, paint match out of aerosol cans can come out very well. I have almost no experience painting but I did my entire roof using paint match cans from NAPA and because of my prep and liberal use of clear, it came out really well. It was still a couple hundred for all the supplies.

 

[Saito]

automotivetouchup.com will give you the correct paint code colors and everything else you need, either in a rattle can or can can. Primer, base and clear plus sand paper and paint stir sticks too. All of it. I painted my bumper to match last year and I’m happy with it. Especially when it was my first ‘real’ paint job.

 

[cmwoodworth]

Don’t bed liner the vehicle, in my opinion it’s too difficult to reverse it.
If you’re not rolling in the dough, then do the rattle can job yourself. If you prep well, paint match out of aerosol cans can come out very well. I have almost no experience painting but I did my entire roof using paint match cans from NAPA and because of my prep and liberal use of clear, it came out really well. It was still a couple hundred for all the supplies.

Thanks for the input, was it a metallic paint? Because I have heard metallic paint is pretty difficult to do a rattle can job.

 

[FMC80]

Thanks for the input, was it a metallic paint? Because I have heard metallic paint is pretty difficult to do a rattle can job.

Yeah, it’s the best color on the forum; 6M1. Forrest green metallic, that everyone loves to hate.

 

[zapatius]

Thanks for the input, was it a metallic paint? Because I have heard metallic paint is pretty difficult to do a rattle can job.

It is very important to go to your nearest automotive refinishing specialist and get actual automotive paint (not that you weren't). I have a few near me and bought the 6M1 in the 1K Spraymax automotive acrylic basecoat variety ("Fillclean" I think?). About $25/can. The color is not dead on, it's a little more blue, but you don't notice if you are doing a whole panel with it as opposed to spot blending.

 

[voodu3]

My vote is rattle can. I did mine three years ago and it still looks good and is holding up. I used John Deere implement paint blitz black.

 

[Comet]

What do “selling your 80 series” and “bed liner paint jobs” have in common?

you regret both of them later.

rattle can all the way.

 

[cmwoodworth]

Yeah, it’s the best color on the forum; 6M1. Forrest green metallic, that everyone loves to hate.

Isn’t the Forrest green 6P3? I was looking on that website that was mentioned above and that looks like the metallic green that’s on my rig

 

[BILT4ME]

You can also buy a paint gun from Harbor Freight and use an air compressor with a drier on it.

Fairly inexpensive, but you can remove the hood and spray it in front of the garage or wherever at your convenience. You can drive your truck around without a hood while you work on it.

Use it as a learning experience. Don't expect it to be perfect, just better than what you have now and YOU did it. That's worth a lot.

My son did this with his 70 GMC K2500 hood. He just decided to do it one day and gathered the supplies and took it upon himself to figure it out because I don't know squat about auto paint.


Definitely get the paint from a reputable auto paint supply house.
Don't forget the tack rags, primer, solvent, hoses, cleaning supplies, tape, and paper.

While you're at it, you can remove your roof rack, fill the holes, sand and paint the roof too.

 

[FMC80]

Isn’t the Forrest green 6P3? I was looking on that website that was mentioned above and that looks like the metallic green that’s on my rig

It’s 6M1 on our cruisers.

 

[LC64]

Hey now! I love my raptor liner. With the amount of brush and piñon and juniper trees I go by it’s saved me a ton of scratches. Just wash and go. I still need to fix my power antenna from a juniper that took it out. It just depends on what your use will be and what you want. I did mine with zero experience. Whatever you do, make sure you prep well and that takes the most time. The painting is quick. Make it what you want, you’ll like it even better. Good luck!!!!

 

[Fj80oregon]

I used spray can bed liner for some fender flares and it does not come out consistently, I would not do it again or recommend using it on a cruiser! Like others have said for resale value and for you just spray the hood yourself or pull
It and have a shop do it I would guess a shop would shoot your hood if you brought it in sanded $300-500, also paint cured in a booth with heat is stronger than ambient temperature curing.

 

[Pascoscout]

If you want the flat black hood to reduce glare go for a flat black vinyl wrap. Fairly inexpensive and easily removed down the road if you decide you don't like it.

If you want to paint it then rattle can or paint gun all the way. You can get a paint store to mix a matching color in a single stage spray (i.e. clear is already in the paint) which will look really good. I'd estimate three cans to do the whole hood. For the cost of having the paint put into rattle cans you could buy a harbor freight paint gun with an inline filter like the ones they use on plasma cutters to get the water out and go that route assuming you have access to a compressor, results would probably be better.

 

[TXLX100]

Liner looks cool until it doesn’t (which often depends on the lighting or how badly it’s applied). I’m sure there are ways and methods to make it look good for a long time. But in the end you have a raptor liner body, it will wear, get smacked, and is not easy to match or remove for round 2 of raptor liner. For me, I wouldn’t spend the time or money on liner because 1) I’d only raptor line a car I didn’t care about..... and 2) I definitely would not bother to raptor line a car I didn’t care about.

 

[cmwoodworth]

Thanks for all the input everyone. Just went down to the local auto body shop and they ordered the correct color for me in aerosol cans. Planning on spraying it as soon as it gets here!

 

[greentruck]

The local pro paint shop mixed up some two-stage 6M1 for me in rattle cans that turned out much more fabulous than my body work on some trail rash on the left rear quarter panel. I didn't get it all even, but mostly it came out great after the clear coat in spite of my lame paint skillz. Definitely use this stuff with LOTS of ventilation.

 

[jfz80]

Congrats. Paint is the way to go and if you prep it right should last a good while. 6m1 is the 80 green for sure.

Late to the party and not lots of info to go of on an opinion based question but Macao did a hood and fender for me for $150. Still looks good 7yrs later. Wish I’d have done the other fender as the clear is about to let go on it now.

 

[Sandy Cruiser]

Bed lining is for rust buckets and trail rigs that will get friendly with trees and rocks.

 

[BILT4ME]

Bed lining is for rust buckets and trail rigs that will get friendly with trees and rocks.

It's also great for Eauverlaunders to protect from door dings at the mall.