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2007 F150, Dark Blue Pearl Metallic First of all, if this is not the correct forum for this, please move it. About 10-11 years ago, a pecan fell from a tree and put a small chip (about a 1/4" in diameter) in in my roofs paint. I used some chip repair to fill it and all was good. Well, it wasn't. As the years went buy, the chip started getting bigger. FF to 2016. The chip was now the size of a quarter. I took it to several P&B shops and they ALL said the same thing, the whole roof needed to be repainted. $300. But, only one was able to do it that week. 4 days later and $300, my roof looked purty again. FF again, to present day. There are 3 spots on the very front of the roof near the windshield that have lost its paint and have started to rust. The shop that did the repair is NO MORE. I have no money to get this fixed. BUT, there is a family friend that has 6 years P&B shop experience that is willing to help me out. He only asks that I supply the material and have my son help him. My son can get some of the material I need from the P&B shop Mgr. at the Ford dealership he works at. I will be buying the Dupli-Color paint (code DX-M7083A-Dark Blue Pearl), primer, and clear coat, from Advance and NAPA, or any local paint shop that carries Dupli-Color spray paints. Okay, before I go on, this Q&A part is for the professional paint and body shop guys here. No offense to the exp. DIY'ers. I just want to be educated by the REAL PROS here. First, he can only do the repair with spray paint cans. I have found the correct color. What is the process from beginning to end will he be doing, with the materials I will be providing him? Will he need an etching primer, then a primer over that primer before painting? What grit sand papers will he need? Will he sand between coats of primer? What cleaning agents will he need to clean his work (mineral spirits, acetone, 91% isopropyl alcohol, etc.)? He has told me his process, somewhat. I don't want to step on his toes, AND, he told me he has an open mind to suggestions. I did tell him I would seek advice and he is very cool with that. Anything I left out please fill in the blanks. I'm sure some of you are thinking this is not the way to do it. I know this, but unless you fund this procedure, this is the best I can do. Thank You for your advice!
You need to be able to paint the entire panel seamlessly, glass and other trim needs to removed. If you tape a line down at the glass, you don't end up with a hard line, and could allow water, dirt, and wind under the paint.
In your case the panel needs to be stripped to bare metal first, and scuffed, primer, paint, clear
In other words, that job is more than you can do with rattle cans. Have your friend do it with professional equipment. If he doesn't have it, he should be able to rent it.
There's a reason that even a half way decent paint job will cost you over $2500. There's a hell of a lot more to auto painting that anyone can tell in a forum. Particularly if you already have a problem which you clearly do. I've seen some decent paint jobs done with rattle cans but if you're expecting to make it look like new, I'll just say it ain't gonna happen! If you're willing to settle for a job that looks the Earl Shibb $99 Special then rattle cans are fine, But you'll need a lot of them. I mean a LOT! My first auto body boss started that way and he used a CASE of cans for one job and that was just for an ordinary car, an F-150 will need three times that and that's IF the cans are full and most of them today aren't. Like most professional jobs, 95% of the work in painting is in the prep. And that's the part that most people skip over. Instead of us trying to teach you everything that you might possibly need to know, I would say go buy a good book on paint and body work and also look at some the paint suppliers websites, they cover the basics pretty well. You might also go see if you local school system teach any adult education classes for paint and body work. After you've done all of that, go practice painting for a few months before you attempt to paint something that you're particular about.
Oh on top of everything else, it's doubtful that you're going to able to match your paint with rattle cans. You're paint is so old and faded that they NEED to paint the entire vehicle in order to have the colors on every panel match. That means that the ENTIRE vehicle should be painted and all at the same time and all with paint from the same batch.
You're going to need a lot more supplies than those mentioned! "mineral spirits, acetone, 91% isopropyl alcohol, ". I've never used any of those for auto painting and I've never heard of anyone that did. CLEARLY you guys don't know what you're doing. That's not to be rude about it but that's the truth of the matter.
I don't know if NAPA still sells automotive paint but go to your local NAPA dealer and see what kind of handouts they have. The one here used to carry Martin-Senour paint and they had some good handouts that explained the basic process and the products to use.
IMO, if your buddy doesn't already have the equipment to properly paint a vehicle, then he probably doesn't have the necessary skills either. I'm not going to type out a lengthy explanation of all of the reasons why, just take my word for it.
There's a reason that even a half way decent paint job will cost you over $2500. There's a hell of a lot more to auto painting that anyone can tell in a forum. Particularly if you already have a problem which you clearly do. I've seen some decent paint jobs done with rattle cans but if you're expecting to make it look like new, I'll just say it ain't gonna happen! If you're willing to settle for a job that looks the Earl Shibb $99 Special then rattle cans are fine, But you'll need a lot of them. I mean a LOT! My first auto body boss started that way and he used a CASE of cans for one job and that was just for an ordinary car, an F-150 will need three times that and that's IF the cans are full and most of them today aren't. Like most professional jobs, 95% of the work in painting is in the prep. And that's the part that most people skip over. Instead of us trying to teach you everything that you might possibly need to know, I would say go buy a good book on paint and body work and also look at some the paint suppliers websites, they cover the basics pretty well. You might also go see if you local school system teach any adult education classes for paint and body work. After you've done all of that, go practice painting for a few months before you attempt to paint something that you're particular about.
Oh on top of everything else, it's doubtful that you're going to able to match your paint with rattle cans. You're paint is so old and faded that they NEED to paint the entire vehicle in order to have the colors on every panel match. That means that the ENTIRE vehicle should be painted and all at the same time and all with paint from the same batch.
You're going to need a lot more supplies than those mentioned! "mineral spirits, acetone, 91% isopropyl alcohol, ". I've never used any of those for auto painting and I've never heard of anyone that did. CLEARLY you guys don't know what you're doing. That's not to be rude about it but that's the truth of the matter.
I don't know if NAPA still sells automotive paint but go to your local NAPA dealer and see what kind of handouts they have. The one here used to carry Martin-Senour paint and they had some good handouts that explained the basic process and the products to use.
IMO, if your buddy doesn't already have the equipment to properly paint a vehicle, then he probably doesn't have the necessary skills either. I'm not going to type out a lengthy explanation of all of the reasons why, just take my word for it.
Joe, he doesn't want to paint the whole truck, just the roof. An exact match isn't critical, it can be masked at seam lines. Heck, he could even paint the roof white to cut down some of the heat.
Joe, he doesn't want to paint the whole truck, just the roof. An exact match isn't critical, it can be masked at seam lines. Heck, he could even paint the roof white to cut down some of the heat.
I like your thinking GLC.
The guy that's doing the work used to work at the Ford dealership my son works at. He and my son were friends when he was there. My son and him made the arrangements for my truck. My son will be coming to get my truck next weekend to bring to his shop. He will have it 2-4 days, or however long it takes. He's doing the whole roof.
IT'S DONE!
Now that the roof is complete, and clear coated, how long do I have to wait to detail the roof? A week, 2 weeks, 30 days? And, what products should be used? Polish, wax, sealant, spray detailer? Any particular name brand/brands?
I would leave it alone for at least 30 days. Then use the least aggressive product to get the desired results - probably a very mild cleaner wax by hand.
I would leave it alone for at least 30 days. Then use the least aggressive product to get the desired results - probably a very mild cleaner wax by hand.
I have a container of MEGUIARS paste cleaner wax. That should suffice.
The guy did an excellent job.
No, the paint/clear coat wasn't baked. He did leave it in a paint booth for 3 days though. His shop has 3 booths and the one it was in was not in use. When he brought it back to my son, he has been driving it back and forth to work and leaves it parked in an open parking lot. Temperatures get up to 95*-97* with a real feel of 105*-113*. I will be getting it back tomorrow. My son lives about 110 miles away and wanted to wait until Sunday, his day off, to bring it back to me. He left me his 2004 Lariat (new body style) to drive.
He detailed my truck, inside and out, but only used a micro fiber wash mitt on the roof with just water. When I get it back I will take some better pics of it.
BTW, notice there is no tire shine on the tires. I hate that crap!
Thanks to all that have responded.
Last edited by BlueOvalFitter; 08-25-2019 at 03:25 AM.
08-08-2019, 01:11 AM
Take Me To Paint And Body Work School
