# Spray painting a vehicle?



## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

Just a couple questions for everyone. I just want to kind of spray paint a beater truck I have. This truck isn't anything for looks it just has a few different colors of paint on it and I am just looking for a cheap way to get it all the same color and kind of fix this old truck up a little bit inside and out. I have noticed spray can primer at walmart. My question is, would it really be neccessary to sand the truck, or would it be okay to just sand a few of the spots to get them kind of even, get out a few dents, and then throw on the primer? I don't imagine this truck lasting for more the next couple years before its motor or tranny goes out and I'm sending it to the junk yard so it really dosen't matter if the paint job lasts for too long. I'm just wondering how long the paint will be okay if I just use the spray on primer and a flat black spray paint for metal? Or will it more than likely start chiping off pretty quickly after I've spray painted the truck? Any information is helpful, thanks everyone.


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## pheaz (Feb 11, 2011)

If you dont care how it looks I would got to the Auto Zone and buy vehicle undercoat. If you dont mind the look of Rhino Liner for a paint job, I would recommend this method. Reason being you wont have any overspray lines cause it all blends together. Also it will hide blemishes, small scratches and small dents wont be as noticable. Hope this helps.


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## chet (Sep 7, 2007)

> I would got to the Auto Zone


SHAME ON YOU!!!!


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## pheaz (Feb 11, 2011)

chet said:


> > I would got to the Auto Zone
> 
> 
> SHAME ON YOU!!!!


 :lol: Sorry!!  Car Quest in Tooele for your one stop shopping needs. :mrgreen:


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## chet (Sep 7, 2007)

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!


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## 10yearquest (Oct 15, 2009)

Be carefull with undercoat as they are not all the same. I did the bottom 4 inches of my jeeps body this way and the only stuff I liked was the rustoleum "professional grade " ruberized undercoat. All the others I tried did not dry hard, I could scratch through them with my fingernail. Halfway through my project I couldn't find any more and ended up with a gallon can of rustoleum truck bed coating and it is really good stuff. Roll on a couple layers and it will look great!


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

If you don't care how it ends up looking, I would mask the windows, put out about 10 cans of camo paint on the ground near the truck and put a sign out that says, paint my truck and let the locals driving and walking by, do it for you. :lol:


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## MKP (Mar 7, 2010)

Bears Butt said:


> If you don't care how it ends up looking, I would mask the windows, put out about 10 cans of camo paint on the ground near the truck and put a sign out that says, paint my truck and let the locals driving and walking by, do it for you. :lol:


I like that idea. You might even get a grant from the Endowment for the Arts. :roll:


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## rdneckride (Jul 31, 2011)

I used the Rutoleum spray in bed liner from Harbor Freight on my side kick. This worked great and protected from scratches. I only masked things off and did not sand it at all and after a year it was looking good. My only issues was that it was black and made the body really hot to touch. I ended up spraying a generic color I got cheap form the clearance isle at Home depot on top of it to make it so i was not cooking myself when i placed my arm out the window. The texture was not like the rino or other roll on,liners but more like medium/fine grit sand paper. I used 4 cans to do the whole exterior of the sidekick and got it on sale when harbor freight had it 6 cans for 30 dollars or so. I have used the rubberized undercoating but even the stuff that dries hard will scratch off. I definitely only use that stuff on my undercarriage as the colors do not always match exactly from one can to the next even when using the rustolium stuff.

The prep work is up to you. The more you do the better it will look and the better the spray will adhere. If possible just sand the whole vehicle lightly and this will make whatever you spray on last the few years you expect the truck to.

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsea ... d+Coating+


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## Wind In His Hair (Dec 31, 2009)

Two kids in my neighborhood just painted their cars with "chalkboard paint". They just painted right over the existing paint without any prep work. I LMAO when they told me they were doing this, but it really didn't look half bad. It's matte black, kinda has that old school rat rod sort of finish to it, but they can write on it with chalk and it washes off with the hose. I'm told there is a green chalkboard paint too. Maybe that would be a good base for different camo patterns. I have no idea how long this stuff would last or how much it costs, but I thought I'd throw that out there.


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