paint decisions

[B430]

I just bought an 88 (or 86?) MJ and i'm trying to decide what to do with the paint. right now it is black, and the parts that are still factory paint look pretty decent, but... the passenger fender has been replaced and spray painted black, so it doesn't quite match, and the lower 9" has been painted in a flat black but not very well and it looks pretty crappy. Also there is some rust around the rear wheel arches.

 

so what i'm trying to decide:

 

do i just leave it as it is?

 

or

 

spray paint it black and do my best to get it shiny?

 

or

 

spray paint it olive drab

 

i've seen a few truck on this forum in olive drab and i think it looks really good, i'm just afraid it's gonna turn out ghetto looking. Twisty's MJ is the one that is really inspiring me to go in that direction, i'm really liking the military/utility look.

 

so anyone got any opinions to help me decide?

 

also the title for my MJ says it's a 1988, but it had a 2.8 and AX-4, so unless it was swapped shouldn't it be an 86?

 

[jtdesigns]

I can't tell you anythimg about the year, but the od looks good to me! just be sure to remove that rust for sure.

[feerocknok]

also the title for my MJ says it's a 1988, but it had a 2.8 and AX-4, so unless it was swapped shouldn't it be an 86?

Exactly. Compare VINs. Also could have been a VIN swap.

But if it's a 2.8, the 2.8s swapped in, or it's an '86.

[Pete M]

Parts are so easily swapped in MJs that sometimes it's hard to tell.

[StevenH]

I like the sheetmetal cuts on your truck, I am cutting my bed the same way :cheers:

 

Just get a paint gun and spray it on, I see cheap HVLP guns sometimes that probably work good and you can get a gallon of paint for $20. Or leave it the olive drab that looks good.

[LEAD_NOT_FOLLOW]

My thoughts as I recently did the same.

 

As far as the paint goes I pretty much did everything "WRONG" to get the best results. I've done my fair share of paint jobs on other vehicals, but this is the 1st time I did it via rattlecan. Here are some tips:

 

1) Cover any rust/bare metal with primer.

 

2) Do not paint w/primer over everything. The factory paint job holds just fine.

 

3) Sand it down smooth with a mid-grade sandpaper. Sand everything that you can to scuff it up as the paint will adhere better.

 

4) Try to do it in 1 coat. I got better results doing 1 thick coat than I did trying to do 2-3 coats. It takes some time to do it with 1 coat, but the end results look a TON better and it does not look like it's been rattle canned.

 

5) Do it in sections. It helps since your doing it in 1 coat to not try to do it all at once. Pic a panel and paint it.

 

6) Use a non-gloss and non-flat paint. I used a Satin and it turned out very well. Flat is hard to get a good finish with, and glass shows to much error and makes it look like a rattle can job.

 

7) DO NOT WET-SAND AN ALREADY PAINTED PANEL.

 

8) Do NOT USE A CLEAR COAT.

 

Like I said, if you know anything about painting you'll tell me I'm crazy. This is based on my experience and anyone who's seen the paint job in person can attest to how good it looks for $30 worth of spray paint.

 

Results...

 

 

And a shot a day after the new paint...

 

[B430]

my concern with trying to do it in 1 coat is getting runs, i picked up a can of paint a few days ago to see how the color looked and i've found it seems to take 3 coats. that was without primer on bare metal though, so maybe i'll get a can of primer and see what happens.

 

i was also thinking of starting with the fender that's already spray painted, that way if it looks bad i'll just spray it black again and i'll be back where i started.

[89eliminator]

My thoughts as I recently did the same.

 

As far as the paint goes I pretty much did everything "WRONG" to get the best results. I've done my fair share of paint jobs on other vehicals, but this is the 1st time I did it via rattlecan. Here are some tips:

 

1) Cover any rust/bare metal with primer.

 

2) Do not paint w/primer over everything. The factory paint job holds just fine.

 

3) Sand it down smooth with a mid-grade sandpaper. Sand everything that you can to scuff it up as the paint will adhere better.

 

4) Try to do it in 1 coat. I got better results doing 1 thick coat than I did trying to do 2-3 coats. It takes some time to do it with 1 coat, but the end results look a TON better and it does not look like it's been rattle canned.

 

5) Do it in sections. It helps since your doing it in 1 coat to not try to do it all at once. Pic a panel and paint it.

 

6) Use a non-gloss and non-flat paint. I used a Satin and it turned out very well. Flat is hard to get a good finish with, and glass shows to much error and makes it look like a rattle can job.

 

7) DO NOT WET-SAND AN ALREADY PAINTED PANEL.

 

8) Do NOT USE A CLEAR COAT.

 

Like I said, if you know anything about painting you'll tell me I'm crazy. This is based on my experience and anyone who's seen the paint job in person can attest to how good it looks for $30 worth of spray paint.

 

Results...

 

 

And a shot a day after the new paint...

 

 

it does look good for a rattle can job. plus, if it is going to be a trail only rig, then why spend forever trying to make it perfect. everytime i go out wheeling, i regret spending as much as i did on my paint job. :cry:

[LEAD_NOT_FOLLOW]

my concern with trying to do it in 1 coat is getting runs, i picked up a can of paint a few days ago to see how the color looked and i've found it seems to take 3 coats. that was without primer on bare metal though, so maybe i'll get a can of primer and see what happens.

 

i was also thinking of starting with the fender that's already spray painted, that way if it looks bad i'll just spray it black again and i'll be back where i started.

90% of my MJ is in 1 coat and I do not have a single run in it anywhere.

 

It's all about your technique.

 

 

 

[89eliminator]

did it say something on the hood? good technique by the way 8)

[LEAD_NOT_FOLLOW]

did it say something on the hood? good technique by the way 8)

Wade did you not see the "day I brought it home" pics?

 

Yeah had "HJ" on the hood and the doors.

 

[89eliminator]

whoops forgot about that pic. never mind.

[JeepcoMJ]

haha, Wade, if you regret spending as much as you did on your paint...how should I feel? :oops:

 

if you want a show/street truck, get it painted by a pro or learn to paint like a pro.

 

if you want a trail rig, just do a clean job of painting cheap...remember, paint actually prevents rust.

 

if you don't give a sh*t, then go get some whitewash :D :brows:

[JOMJ87]

I love my OD paint and scheme BUT I do regret not spending more time on it. I got in a hurry and waited to late in the day and with the humidity down here made soem panels look like crap and the Flat paint sucks when you try to apply a second coat in some situations. I Think if i ever redo it i will buy a cheap gun and a gallon of paint and go at it. Here are some pics. But I don't really have to big on a concern cause this thing is ment to be scratched and dented.

 

Cole

 

[B430]

all i really want is one color over the whole thing i've decided, so i think i'll give the OD a shot, the more i look at the truck the crappier the paint on it now looks.

[B430]

well i've finally come to a final decision. it's going to be black semi gloss.

 

I painted the inside of the bed in OD and decided it's not for me, too flat, and a little too "rough" looking, though if it was for a trail rig i'd need to reconsider.

 

right now i'm in the process of discovering just how much rust is really under that factory paint and previous owners bondo :cry: so far not so encouraging.