Hey guys. You have been so much help . I was pondering . My son wants to paint his 1989 Dakota 4x4. He saw the Bed liner paint and was wanting to paint the whole truck with it. Any points on this. Thanks
Russell

 

I'm not sure my self what is the process on the prep work and all. But my guess is you may find some hints in this post. https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...my-88-dak.html

 

I have seen a Jeep in person that was completely done it bed liner. I have also seen a new Ram (somewhere on this site) that has been done in it. That stuff is obviously SUPER durable, but chit will stick to it like you cant imagine! Cleans easy with a scrub brush and hose, but mud and dirt sticks to the textured surface.

Prep for it would be a good cleaning, and then sanding with some heaveir than normal grit. something like 150 to 180 grit paper. Havent used any ina while, but when I did, It was not cheap to have sprayed on. I had a "rice burner" back in the day and I did the lower 6" of the fiberglass body kit in bed liner. Was some tough stuff! could drag it on the ground at every "dip" and it held up longer than the fiberglass did!

 

I know you aren't using Rhino liner, but I am sure the roll on or probably most definately the spray on POR-15 liner are similar in nature. This is from the Rhino Linings website, so yeah, the stuff is super durable, literally bomb-proof.

San Diego, CA – January 29, 2008 Rhino Linings Corporation, the global leader in sprayed-on linings for trucks as well as commercial, industrial and military applications, will be featured on the Discovery Channel’s “Smash Lab - Blast Proof Building” episode scheduled to air February 26, 2008 at 10:00pm. In the episode Smash Lab designers and engineers face an almost impossible challenge -- to use truck bed liner coating, normally used to protect vehicles from scratches and knocks, to protect an entire building from a massive explosion.As part of this series, which takes everyday materials and puts them to extraordinary uses, the Smash Lab team sprayed a Rhino Linings® protective coating on a truck bed, numerous cinderblock walls, and the front face of a large, two-story cement structure. Then, using a professional pyrotechnics expert, show producers then conducted a series of blasts and ballistic tests to evaluate the strength and resistance of the company’s exclusive polymer materials. These same materials are typically used to protect pickup truck cargo beds, as well as industrial and commercial applications, against abrasion, impacts, corrosion, skidding and sound vibrations.“The primary role of all our product formulations is protection”, cited Christa Martin, Director of Global Marketing. “In this instance, our Rhino Extreme™ 90 product was used to keep structures standing and reduce flying shrapnel. As a result, our product withstood every blast and stood strong against every test thrown at it by the Smash Lab team! ”

I would personally prefer to paint the vehicle with CARC paint though.

 

Make sure whatever liner you use is UV resistant or it will fade. As with any paint preparation is key.

 

My 2 cents on this...

It can be done, and wouldn't be a hard job. My recommendation though for this job would be to use a professional brand as they are catalyzed like auto paint. downside is they are more costly and you would need some tools/equipment ( a compressor, spray gun) to use it.

The roll on stuff will work but as stated but it will fade over time. The herculiner brand is the most popular of the roll ons and is probably the best option but rustoleum brand is is alot cheaper (runs about $45 per gallon) and is probably pretty good stuff!

 

Read this article, it explains everything you need to know.

http://www.rd.com/40195/article40195.html

*edit*
My personal recomendation is to go to harbor freight and pick up some 100 or 150 grit sandpaper, and use blocks to scuff the paint being gentle enough that you avoid going to bare metal.