Apparently the paint was peeling off the truck and so the PO sprayed primer on it. I was thinking of spraying it with Rustoleum flat green. Has anybody else spray painted their truck? What kind of prep should I do? I know on the parts that still have some original paint will need to be sanded down so it will stick, but what kind of prep should be done to get that nice even coat? Its a 96 4x4 and that's where it will mostly be, in the woods and swamp, so I'm not looking at getting a high end paint job. If it gets screatched up, I can just pull out another can and spray over it. But I don't want it to look like crap. Any suggestions?

 

Moving to the correct section. The result all depends on the amount of prep you put into it. Sand, sand, then sand again. Prime, sand, prime again and sand again. Using less and less grit each time. Then paint. Sand again, paint. Sand again. Followed by clear coat. Though it seems to me your best bet, considering the intended use, is to plasti dip it. Tons of videos on you tube.

 

If it's a woods truck, bed liner on the bottom 1/3, Rattle can the rest, Rustoleum is the best rattle can paint, just make damn sure it's dry between coats or it will wrinkle...Herculiner is the best DIY bed liner.

Plasti Dip likes to tear...But I've had it on my front bumper cover of my 98 Ram 2500 for 3 years, just re-did it today because of UV damage, but no rock chips at all...Really impressed, but it's never been off road because 4x2.

 

A good finish is 90% in the prep.
Sand back to a solid surface (on an old truck, this will be mostly back to the original primer), fill any dings, sand, fill any remaining low spots, sand, prime, sand, base coat, light sand, top coat, wet sand, clear coat, compound, polish.

Don't let any bare metal remain bare for long, or rust will set in (especially in humid climates)... hit them with primer in the interim.

I'd suggest Bulldog primer/sealer, to get good adhesion.
I used Raptor Liner on my bed... it went on fine.
Valspar is a good quality paint without a premium price tag.
If it is a woods truck, Rustolium is a good call.

 

Was it the clear coat separating from the base coat? Base to primer? All the above plus body rust? You need a good prep as said. Remove rust to bare metal and feather edge the paint before anything. Prime and finish as you wish. " prime, sand, base coat, light sand, top coat, wet sand, clear coat, compound, polish."
I hate to see half a$$ paint work and plasti cote/bed liner for a finish but that's just me. If i was building truck for just wheeling i would go with a rock guard finish(line X, Xtra, Rhinoliner etc..) with color matching and clear coat. At least it will look finished instead of left bare flat-satin black. Just my $.02 worth.

 

I agree... if you're going to spend any time and or money on paint, do it properly... if you can't afford to good paint job, at least do good prep... prep is more labor than dollars... do that right and even a low cost top coat will look half decent and hold up... also, there is less work to scuff back the cheap top coat and go again with good paint latter, when more funds are available.

 

Personally, I don't see the point in putting a lot of time/effort/money into a paint job on a truck that regularly goes off-road. I sometimes go thru places that are heavy with thorny bushes/trees, that really do a number on paint....... I would be cringing in my seat hearing those sounds if I had just invested several hundred (thousand?) into paint work.....

Now, for a pavement queen, then yeah, do it once, do it right, don't worry about it again.

 

Its just a hunt and fish truck. Flat Rustoleum will be just fine. when bushes or tree limbs scratch down the side, I just shake up another can and scratch is gone. I haven't noticed any rust issues and where the original paint is still there, it looks like a clear/base separation issue. Not sure because he really screwed it up.

 

I had a friend do that to his jeep. I criticized him for doing it, but he was genuinely happy with how it turned out. About a million youtube videos out there, supposedly $50 gets it done. No overspray to worry about!

 

That's where you break out the 2 Pack Polyurethane (bullet-proof paint)... brush wont touch it.
Short of leaning on real sharp rocks it holds up to abuse just fine.
But it is the opposite end of the price spectrum to where you want to be.
Rustolium, and rattle can touch-up is economy end of the spectrum, and will serve the purpose.