I'm working on an 83 K5. When I purchased the truck, the top was in rough shape. The factory finish and texture was nearly gone and some areas had exposed fibers. It was also dirty (dirt embedded in the exposed fiber) and had spots of lichen growing. It also had a few gouges and deep scratches from years of being handled & stored poorly.
The first thing I did was remove the glass and all gaskets.
Next, I washed it. I first sprayed the entire top with Purple Power and worked that in using a brush attached to a cordless drill (occasionally switching between forward and reverse). Then rinsed and repeated that a couple more times. After, the embedded dirt, lichen, and staining was gone.
After it dried, I used epoxy resin to encapsulate any exposed fibers and fill in the gouges and scratches.
When the epoxy cured, I used wet/dry 80 grit paper and a block all over to knock down the high spots and blend in the epoxy repairs. Use a hose with a small stream of water to keep the paper from loading up and the dust contained. After, I used a pick to scrape out the loose filler in the factory seams. I applied masking tape on either side of the seams and filled the gap with seam sealer (using a putty knife to flatten it out). I removed the masking tape before the seam sealer had a chance to set.
For the finish, I decided to go with tintable U-POL Raptor Liner. One kit contains 4 individual quarts that can be mixed and applied individually. For the tint, I purchased a pint of Delfleet Essential brand in color code 2185 from Tasco Auto Color.
The method...
First, you'll want to use wire tape for all the edges. Around the window openings, I put the wire tape on the first shoulder where the gasket sits (see photo). The wire tape sticks to the surface well and, after peeling off the back plastic, your regular masking tape sticks well to it. On the front and rear window opening, I put the wire tape just under the leading edges.
Mixing requires 4oz of activator/hardener that comes with the kit and 4 oz of tint that I purchased at Tasco. To mix, I used a 2.5 quart mixing container I purchased from Lowes. Take one of the Raptor quarts and shake the sh!t out of it for a minute. Then unscrew the top and use a screwdriver and paper towel to puncture the seal (use a paper towel to cover because it is under pressure). Dump the entire contents in to the 2.5 quart mixing container. Put the top back on the Raptor quart and shake as much as you the residual down to the top and dump that in to the mixing container. Measure 4oz of the activator using the included measuring cup and pour that in to the (mostly) empty Raptor quart. Replace the screw top and shake for 30 seconds then pour that into the mixing container. The goal is to get as much of the untinted product out before you refill the bottle with the ready mixture. Now measure out 4oz of the tint from Tasco and add it to the mixing container.
I used a small mixing paddle attached to a drill to mix the three solutions. Mix until you no longer see any untinted material. Then take a mixing stick and scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing container. Use the mixing paddle one more time to ensure thorough mixing.
Using a small funnel, pour the mixture in to the empty Raptor bottle. Attached the included spray gun and you're ready to apply the first coat.
Have a 5 gallon bucket with half a gallon of acetone ready. When you complete the mixing steps, drop in your mixing container, funnel, and mixing paddle in to the acetone for clean-up after you spray.
I used three quarts of Raptor to finish the top.... waiting 60 minutes between coats. Although you'll spray the entire surface with each coat you apply, the first coat isn't going to cover the surface 100% - you'll still see the old top finish through the Raptor. For the second coat, spray 90 degrees from the first (e.g. if you sprayed front to back the first time, the second time spray side to side). You'll notice the second coat almost completely covers the old finish. For the third coat, spray the areas that appear to be need additional coverage... when the container is about half empty, pivot to laying on additional texture. There are some spraying techniques that provide fine to rough texture. I recommend watching some videos on how to apply this product before attempting.
After a few days of curing, I reinstalled the glass using new gaskets from LMT. I followed guidance found on this YT video
Here's a photo of the finish/texture along with the finished product.
The first thing I did was remove the glass and all gaskets.
Next, I washed it. I first sprayed the entire top with Purple Power and worked that in using a brush attached to a cordless drill (occasionally switching between forward and reverse). Then rinsed and repeated that a couple more times. After, the embedded dirt, lichen, and staining was gone.
After it dried, I used epoxy resin to encapsulate any exposed fibers and fill in the gouges and scratches.
When the epoxy cured, I used wet/dry 80 grit paper and a block all over to knock down the high spots and blend in the epoxy repairs. Use a hose with a small stream of water to keep the paper from loading up and the dust contained. After, I used a pick to scrape out the loose filler in the factory seams. I applied masking tape on either side of the seams and filled the gap with seam sealer (using a putty knife to flatten it out). I removed the masking tape before the seam sealer had a chance to set.
For the finish, I decided to go with tintable U-POL Raptor Liner. One kit contains 4 individual quarts that can be mixed and applied individually. For the tint, I purchased a pint of Delfleet Essential brand in color code 2185 from Tasco Auto Color.
The method...
First, you'll want to use wire tape for all the edges. Around the window openings, I put the wire tape on the first shoulder where the gasket sits (see photo). The wire tape sticks to the surface well and, after peeling off the back plastic, your regular masking tape sticks well to it. On the front and rear window opening, I put the wire tape just under the leading edges.
Mixing requires 4oz of activator/hardener that comes with the kit and 4 oz of tint that I purchased at Tasco. To mix, I used a 2.5 quart mixing container I purchased from Lowes. Take one of the Raptor quarts and shake the sh!t out of it for a minute. Then unscrew the top and use a screwdriver and paper towel to puncture the seal (use a paper towel to cover because it is under pressure). Dump the entire contents in to the 2.5 quart mixing container. Put the top back on the Raptor quart and shake as much as you the residual down to the top and dump that in to the mixing container. Measure 4oz of the activator using the included measuring cup and pour that in to the (mostly) empty Raptor quart. Replace the screw top and shake for 30 seconds then pour that into the mixing container. The goal is to get as much of the untinted product out before you refill the bottle with the ready mixture. Now measure out 4oz of the tint from Tasco and add it to the mixing container.
I used a small mixing paddle attached to a drill to mix the three solutions. Mix until you no longer see any untinted material. Then take a mixing stick and scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing container. Use the mixing paddle one more time to ensure thorough mixing.
Using a small funnel, pour the mixture in to the empty Raptor bottle. Attached the included spray gun and you're ready to apply the first coat.
Have a 5 gallon bucket with half a gallon of acetone ready. When you complete the mixing steps, drop in your mixing container, funnel, and mixing paddle in to the acetone for clean-up after you spray.
I used three quarts of Raptor to finish the top.... waiting 60 minutes between coats. Although you'll spray the entire surface with each coat you apply, the first coat isn't going to cover the surface 100% - you'll still see the old top finish through the Raptor. For the second coat, spray 90 degrees from the first (e.g. if you sprayed front to back the first time, the second time spray side to side). You'll notice the second coat almost completely covers the old finish. For the third coat, spray the areas that appear to be need additional coverage... when the container is about half empty, pivot to laying on additional texture. There are some spraying techniques that provide fine to rough texture. I recommend watching some videos on how to apply this product before attempting.
After a few days of curing, I reinstalled the glass using new gaskets from LMT. I followed guidance found on this YT video
Here's a photo of the finish/texture along with the finished product.
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