Quick and cheap (ya right) paint suggestions

[mnwebb]

Ok - my 66' D200 has 30+ year old paint and I'm fine with that. I don't have the patience now to fully paint it now but I would like to paint the cab roof Dodge White.

Considering that perfect and expensive are not what I am going for...what is the best way to tackel this? Sand and hit with a one stage rattle can? do all the prep and take it to a shop?

Skip it till it can be done correctly?

Thanks,
W

[Kaegi]

you can buy rattle cans of automotive paint in any color you want for around 20 bucks a piece. body shop supply places will mix them up for you. off the shelf spray paint wont hold up

[mnwebb]

cool, thx Kagai!

[Jims68]

I would suggest going with a spray gun (Harbor Freight cheap) and using paint you can get "Enamel" at Tractor Supply. Not sure of colors, but they had "gallon" cans. You'd have to buy Thinner as well. You also will be limited on colors. Mostly Tractor Colors... JD Green/yellow, IH Red, Ford Blue, Caterpiller Yellow, Allis Chalmers Orange, and MORE.

[PwrWgnDrvr]

Any factory color, any size, any qty
https://www.automotivetouchup.com/

[mnwebb]

Thanks, I should learn how to use a spray gun. I even have a really old one that I never used.

Isn't enamel harder to spray because it's thinner?

Thx!

[martincom]

Jim68 makes a good suggestion. The tractor enamel will be far better and more durable than any rattle can. Enamel is a slow cure paint. Back in the days when it was "state of the art"; they would have combination oven/paint booths. "Baking" the enamel would have it cure quicker. If you foul up with enamel, you could be 30 days before you can sand it without it gumming up the paper. Enamel will also loose its gloss quicker.

[Jims68]

Thanks, I should learn how to use a spray gun. I even have a really old one that I never used.

Isn't enamel harder to spray because it's thinner?

Thx!

It's only as thin as you make it when you add your thinner. There "used to be" a hardener that you could add to enamel to help it harden faster and keep the gloss longer. But that can be very expensive, plus the hazards of using it (breathing it in). I think it was isocycanates (sp?).

The better spray guns are gravity fed, but if yours is a siphon feed, they work too. Maybe check youtube for "how to thin" automotive paints or "Mixing" automotive enamel.

Another "hint"... enamel thinner will make the paint have more gloss than using Lacquer thinner. Lacquer thinner will work with enamel, but it dries faster which would make the end result have less gloss. It'll still be glossy, but not as much.

OH... spray paint practice first on something vertical and you'll see how to avoid RUNS!!! KEEP MOVING the spray gun at all times, spray past the panel, then move up/down the height of the spray fan. You can release the trigger half way and no paint will come out, but air will still come out, as you come back to the panel, squeeze the trigger again to get the paint spraying again. It's all about moving evenly. Keep your distance evenly away from the panel too.

Well... like I said, maybe try watching some Youtube videos on "how to" spray paint.

[mnwebb]

Thank you!

Guessing that a primer is always suggested, even when going over an already prepped painted surface?

[712edf]

Usually a primer is suggested because more often than not the surface you are painting is not uniform. Primer solves that & gives a surface for the finish to "bite" into.

Bucky

[DraytonCalhoun]

Thanks, I should learn how to use a spray gun. I even have a really old one that I never used.

Isn't enamel harder to spray because it's thinner?

Thx!

It's only as thin as you make it when you add your thinner. There "used to be" a hardener that you could add to enamel to help it harden faster and keep the gloss longer. But that can be very expensive, plus the hazards of using it (breathing it in). I think it was isocycanates (sp?).

The better spray guns are gravity fed, but if yours is a siphon feed, they work too. Maybe check youtube for "how to thin" automotive paints or "Mixing" automotive enamel.

Another "hint"... enamel thinner will make the paint have more gloss than using Lacquer thinner. Lacquer thinner will work with enamel, but it dries faster which would make the end result have less gloss. It'll still be glossy, but not as much.

OH... spray paint practice first on something vertical and you'll see how to avoid RUNS!!! KEEP MOVING the spray gun at all times, spray past the panel, then move up/down the height of the spray fan. You can release the trigger half way and no paint will come out, but air will still come out, as you come back to the panel, squeeze the trigger again to get the paint spraying again. It's all about moving evenly. Keep your distance evenly away from the panel too.

Well... like I said, maybe try watching some Youtube videos on "how to" spray paint.

Yeah, the hardner makes it ‘kinda/sorta’ like polyurethane and the isocyanates can be murder on the liver and deadly in the worst situations.