painting and adding a roof rack to a cap

I have a cap that will fit a tacoma I'm getting but the new truck is black the old cap is tan. Can the caps be painted? Also if they can be painted, I would like the ability to put a roof rack on it so I can add a cargo box. Does the cost of getting both of these done outweigh the cost of just getting a new cap that comes the way I want it?

 

You can find a shop that will paint that cap for cheaper than you can buy a new one.

Also adding the rack on top should be as easy as drilling holes for the mounting hardware...

 

No.

Paint will be close to $1k and a Thule/Yakima roof rack with rails is nearly $500.

 

I'd keep looking for a used shell with the features and color you want or go new.

It's not cost effective to paint, generally speaking. All the windows and trim are removed, too.. lot of potential for leaks and damage.

 

$1000 to paint a shell? That's nuts.

Couple of options. Do the prep work yourself and have them mask it off instead of removing the hardware. If they do a good job you won’t really notice. Take it to a decent but non-premium autopainter. Take it to your local high school/vocational school/tech school/whoever has an autobody program and have them do it. Prep, mask and paint yourself; it doesn't take a lot of paint. Paint it with bedliner (personally not a fan but some folks like it).

For the roof rack, you could go really cheap and get a roof rack from a junk yard or you can spend the money and buy whatever you want. Mounting the tracks for a Yakima or Thule style system isn’t hard, just kind of a pain and the whole system can get expensive.

 

I put a black cap on an MGM. Looks good IMHO.

I coulda had it painted for $300 CAD, but kept the money for other mods!