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Painting a CUCV?

danochamp

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Location
Columbus, IN
I've never painted anything before and am planning on taking this to a shop to have done for me because I don't want to screw anything up. I was thinking desert tan with black bumpers and brush guards.

Has anyone had their truck painted before, if so what did it cost?

Also what could i do on my own that's fairly simple that would lower the cost of painting?

Thanks.
 

dmc-4359

Member
102
1
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Location
Chapin, SC
Most of the effort in a decent paint job goes towards prep work. If you do all of the metal filling, sanding and even remove necessary trim pieces to make the masking job easier (or better yet, just mask it yourself and trailer it over) then you would stand to save a lot of money on the job. I'll go ahead and say that those are some of the most unpleasant tasks you'll ever do with your truck though. The specific act of laying paint really isn't that difficult once you have a good surface to work with.
 

hndrsonj

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You could always use the Gillespie aerosol cans, just prep the surface before you shoot it. Several people have done it here and they turned out good, it's easy and really cheap compared to a shop doing it.[thumbzup]
 

danochamp

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Columbus, IN
Thanks guys, I really want the paint to last and look good. I was wondering what kind of paint you'd recommend if I want it to last forever?
 

lavarok

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Location
Fellsmere, FL
I had a shop quote me around $2100 to do a 3 color camo job on my M1010 using Sherwin Williams CARC. These guys painted some HMMWVs for Titan corp last year.

I am debating it only because the truck is so nice. My other vehicles have received Gillespie rattle can jobs with decent results.

EDIT: I should add that $450 or so was listed as "prep" work so I have to agree with the poster above that you can save a boatload doing your own prep.
 
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danochamp

New member
39
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Location
Columbus, IN
I had a shop quote me around $2100 to do a 3 color camo job on my M1010 using Sherwin Williams CARC. These guys painted some HMMWVs for Titan corp last year.

I am debating it only because the truck is so nice. My other vehicles have received Gillespie rattle can jobs with decent results.

EDIT: I should add that $450 or so was listed as "prep" work so I have to agree with the poster above that you can save a boatload doing your own prep.

That seems really high to me...is it the 3-tone that bumps it up that much?

What would it cost to just get a 1-tone paint job?
 

lavarok

Well-known member
1,119
33
48
Location
Fellsmere, FL
I agree it does sound very high. The shop is one of the most expensive in town. Unforutnately, they are also the only guys with a booth big enough for the ambulance.
 

hovenga67

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Evansdale/IA
I paint cars on the side I could do a camo job for 1200 as long as there isn't alot of dents and no rust. I don't think I am going to be able to get carc looks like I have to use gilespie on mine. I
 

ctmustang

Member
714
1
18
Location
Thomasville-N.C.
Paint it yourself. Sand it down with 400-600grit and wipe it down with acetone and spray it. It will look good for a long time. I've been doing it this way for years. It's nerve wrecking if you think about it too long. I just painted my 1009 and including 1 gal gillespie 383 green and a gallon of acetone I have about 90 bucks in it and looks good.
CT
 

danochamp

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Columbus, IN
Kay I might give it a shot. I guess if I screw up I'll just sand it down again. Don't you have to mix the paint and stuff though. How hard is that?
 

jeep-Jeep

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Location
Liberty Hill Texas
do it yourself and you will bond with the truck and feel more accomplishment than paying someone else .
The military had grunts doing paint jobs so do not be too critical about the job done:beer:
 

beanman1

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Location
in the south
guys guys guys i know some of yall are far from me but i paint cars out of my back yard and i have an account with automotive paint suppliers to get the paint i know i am a good ways away but i can do the prep work remove minor dings and dent and the paint for 1000 please let me paint your truck if you want someone else to do it
 

Warren Lovell

Member
476
4
18
Location
SAN DIEGO, CA
If you're going to paint the truck yourself, and have never painted before, then go to the Tri City website and get a dvd on paint and bodywork. It'll break down the process.

Kustom Shop - Smokin' Gun DVD's - volumes 2, 3, 4 and 5 Get Body and paint - Bare metal to clearcoat

If you're only going to paint only one vehicle in your life, then I would have someone else do it. Painting is an investment of time and money. The money you pay someone else for labor is money you could buy a nice spraygun and compressor with.

If you do it yourself, then you'll know how well the prep has been done. Painting a vehicle is work, but the satisfaction of seeing your work everyday is worth it...if you did your homework and practised. Start on the small parts first, get your technique down...how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!

The prep is 90% of the the paint job. Laying down the paint isn't so hard. But everything you do prior to painting will show up in your paint job. Take your time. let your fingers feel the metal. what they feel will show up or not show up in the paint.

I just painted my M1009 tailgate Kustom Shop Desert Storm Tan. I wanted the paint job to last a long time, so I chose a catalyzed urethane paint. If you have painted with carc, and your truck is going to sit outside, then it will fade to the Govliquidation paint scheme we see over the years. I wanted a paint that would not fade out or chalk out - so i went with a urethane semigloss.

When I took the paint off the tailgate, I noticed areas of rust where the vehicle had been scratched in its years of service. Rust is your enemy. I took an air die-grinder and an abrasive disk and took the tailgate down to the metal. I then took out some of the dents that bothered me, and primed the tailgate with epoxy catalyzed primer. (make sure you have a great mask or air system). Epoxy primer is the recommended system over any bare metal.

I then primed over the epoxy with a polyurethane primer surfacer. This will fill all the minute scratches and repairs. I spraycan'd a contrasting guidecoat over the primer surfacer and then block sanded with 400 grit until the tailgate was smooth. if you sand through the primers to the metal, just mix up a small amount of primer surfacer and shoot the area exposed. An important thing to remember is the primer system allows the topcoat to securely bond to the metal. The primer systems have a window of recoat time and the bonding won't take place unless you follow the directions.

Then I masked off all the parts of the truck I didn't want paint on. This is followed by a wipe down with cleaner/degreaser specifically made for painting, then tack ragged for dust and painted. I did my paint job outside, under an awning I made for the purpose of blocking wind.

Military vehicles were meant to be repainted when the flatness of the finish or the effect of the camoflauge degraded. The military has expendable resources for painting. I was amazed though at how nice a group of deuces looked at 50 feet. Only walking up to the trucks did I see the real story! Overspray city.

I am painting my truck a side at a time to allow me to do the rust prevention and bodywork, which is the most time consuming part of the paint job. The inside of the tailgate was done first. The outside of the tailgate was done last with the paint break put under the area where the weatherstrip will go.

Warren
 

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swyne

New member
85
0
0
Location
upstate,NY
Hey!! alot of us have done our own jobs. Me being one of them. I took the leep any decided I can. Got alot of helpful info and tips prior to starting (all from the guys here) and put all my ducks in a row and "GET R DONE". I was real hesitant on doing this. But didn't have the xtra cash to pay someone else. Here are my pics painted my truck
 
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