$185 Paint Job

Hey guys

Wanted to do a write up of how I painted my truck for $185. I used rustoleum exterior paint. I chose the color "Smoke Gray." It actually resembles the cement color alot.

Be aware that is post is far in the past and my truck looks very different now. I am doing a full build on instagram @tacoresto

Here is a photo of how it turned out

Let me tell you how the pricing broke down

4 quarts of paint, $9 each
1 dual action sander, $59 online
1 HVLP gun from harbor freight, $29
Lots of sandpaper ~$25
5 scuff pads, $15
Tape $10
Acetone, $10



The prep was the most important part. My prep consisted of a dual action sander, 80grit, 120grit and 220grit sandpaper and scuff pads. If I needed to get down to metal I started with the glow grit and moved up. Otherwise I just did a straight 220 with the DA and scuff pads on uneven surfaces.

I AM IN NO WAY SAYING THIS IS A PRO JOB. THIS IS MY OWN METHOD I DECIDED TO TRY FROM WATCHING A FEW HOURS WORTH OF YOUTUBE TUTORIALS. Just so you know the paint turned out decent, not perfect. I think that has a lot to do with the 25$ HVLP gun.


I wanted the door jambs to match. This meant taking off all weather stripping and even removing some interior. Sanding in these areas was difficult but made possible with the scuff pads.

Youtube of the paint prep. I had some fun with it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irGSuvNK2x4

Here are some photos of the prep. I did have some fun with the paint because why not. I also made a youtube video of the prep. I am going to make another video showing off the paint. That is to come.



My actual process of painting was cutting the paint with 1 part acetone to 2 parts of paint and simply putting it through the HVLP. MAKE SURE TO MIX IT WELL! Better results would probably be obtained with a better gun and better mixing.


Since then I added new rims and 35's

You can see my hood finish isnt completely uniform. This is the least uniform part of the entire truck




Then I added a slew of other items to the truck. Like I said, you can see my full build on instagram @tacoresto

I will be posting a youtube video of the painting soon. Hope you enjoy!

 

Good job

Looks great.

 

Wow! Great job!

 

Great work man! Truck looks legit. Now, go get it dirty!

 

Goddamnit that’s impressive

 

That’s super legit. You’re truck looks great, good job!

 

It turned out great

 

It's got to be better than the typical shit Toyota paint job! Looks good man.

 

Looks pretty solid man..
just gotta ask tho..why did you paint ur fogs? o.0

 

Inspiration or desperation. Great job!

 

I really love the topo details on the hood and the OG racing colors. Very nice, and even though I'm sure it could be nitpicked on person and under inspection grade lighting, the personal touch outweighs any technical criticism, even your own.

 

Regular Rustoleum exterior paint will not look good long-term on a vehicle and won't look as good as a good auto paint from day one.

With all the time and sweat that goes in to prepping a vehicle for paint, especially if you do it right, I'd recommend a good two stage auto paint (single stage is great, but I've found it to be more expensive overall).

The other piece is Rustoleum takes a long time to dry (multiple hours vs 10 minutes), and you should sand between coats, making the overall job much longer and more labor intensive.

This post is not meant to be critical to OP, he clearly knew what he wanted.

It is to encourage others that decide to paint to look into the benefits of a true two stage auto paint.

I used the $10 (w coupon) HF gun for years before a recent upgrade. It lays paint great.

Yes, auto paint would double the cost, but will last much longer.

 

Great job bro Body shop Painter here.

 

This is sick. Your truck is bitchin

 

No sense in saving what is going to be replaced

 

the rustoleum was an extremely forgiving paint. If I decide to pain again, which is a possibility, I will definitely go more expensive

 

There was a lot of tiger stripe on the hood but I guess the decal covers it.

 

Looks awesome, just dont spill gas on it.

 

Pretty Impressed. Looks good.