Paint for offroad rig?

[elks]

So I am slowly approaching my final modifications to my 1972 blazer. I am looking at a full cage next and a rear tire carrier. Everything else is pretty much how I want it. I am wanting to have my vehicle professionally painted, but also do not want a show room paint that scratchs all up.

My blazer is being built for hunting and camping and a few trails runs, but being so heavy the trail runs will be limited.

So what type of paint will look decent, and handle the brush? I am thinking about having the bottom 1/4 lined with a bed liner or durabark, but do not want a textured paint on the rest. Not totally against a full durabark type of deal, but I also plan to have this rig until I die some 50 years from now. I do not want to look forward to removing the bark for a new oaint job.

 

[K85 Octane]

Do the lower part in the liner and some kind of heavy duty tractor paint on the upper.

Or roll on Rustoleum every 5-10 years and pay pennies for the job

 

[Hoss7979]

This is what I picked up for mine, gonna do it myself though......

 

[Greg72]

So I am slowly approaching my final modifications to my 1972 blazer. I am looking at a full cage next and a rear tire carrier. Everything else is pretty much how I want it. I am wanting to have my vehicle professionally painted, but also do not want a show room paint that scratchs all up.

My blazer is being built for hunting and camping and a few trails runs, but being so heavy the trail runs will be limited.

So what type of paint will look decent, and handle the brush? I am thinking about having the bottom 1/4 lined with a bed liner or durabark, but do not want a textured paint on the rest. Not totally against a full durabark type of deal, but I also plan to have this rig until I die some 50 years from now. I do not want to look forward to removing the bark for a new oaint job.

I hate the look of "bedliner as paint" on trucks... And I think you're right: you will regret how hard it is to remove later on when it's time to repair or repaint.

How about doing a good quality paint job and then getting the lower body panels wrapped in a clear Xpel-type film? That stuff will protect your paint really well and it's easy to remove and replace to keep the truck looking good...

-G

 

[diesel4me]

Plasti-Dip ?...might peel off on trail scrapes though....

Many of my vehicles had a Rustoleum or Tractor Paint & rolled or brushed on paint job...my '56 Chevy pickup I had years ago was faded black ,I painted it with a brush ,gave it 3 coats of gloss black Rustoleum,during the month of August,when it was very warm,but rather humid--had to wait a week between coats,it took a long time to dry...(should have added some Japan Drier to the paint or Penetrol)..

After a few months I took my electric buffer/polisher and some 3M rubbing compound to it and buffed the crap out of it,my intention was to just get most of the brush marks out,and they were not that bad,the paint flowed out pretty well--it came out nice and smooth,and many commented on how good it looked--even a few body shop guys that were customers at the store I worked at said it came out "dam good" and didn't think a brush job could look that decent..

I painted my '63 VW Beetle and a '63 VW Bus I had with a brush & rollers too,the sponge rollers worked best but they must be changed often or bits of foam pull off and get imbedded in the paint..regular rollers leave a lot of fuzz in the paint..

 

[blazinzuk]

Cheap paint is just that cheap.

Chemically speaking it takes money to formulate a good paint.

I think you should buy a mid level paint and put a couple extra coats of clear on it. Then buff it out periodically.

I like Greg's suggestion. I have had liners on the exterior of trucks. Not my favorite thing.

Just on the rockers maybe but nowhere else and it would be a more expensive one

 

[ClassicStyle]

Good base coat clear coat, and clear shield the sides.

I've seen paint survive impacts with cars, the shield was destroyed and aside from the dents the paint was flawless.

 

[rampage]

Imron