Who wants to talk to me about paint?

[Dorsai]

First...good news! After having been unemployed since late July, I just accepted a new job as a data scientist at Cox Enterprises, where I'll be applying machine learning and AI algorithms to problems around network reliability and performance. I'm super stoked about this one, it's just about the perfect job for me.

Which means, it's time for repainting my truck to get back on the agenda. I'd been planning to have a friend of my brother do the work, but he's out of the painting business now, so I need to find someplace else. I've never had a vehicle painted before, how do I go about finding someone to do it?

Some random thoughts as to what I'm looking for:

I want it painted back as close to original as possible - Ford's Candy Apple Red, and I'd like the pinstriping re-applied as well

I'm not looking for a show-quality paint job. But I do want it done correctly, with everything properly masked or removed as appropriate, no overspray, etc.

I do need some bodywork. Nothing severe, but there are several significant dings that need fixing, as well as one moderate dent. I'm fine with modest use of filler, as long as it is done correctly.

I also have a little bit of rust at the lower rear corners of the bed. It's not quite rusted through yet, but it's close - patches here are probably appropriate. I'd like this done correctly as well.

I *may* be interested in color-matched bedliner. I'm still thinking my way through this one - your opinions/advice/horror stories on this are welcome.

Time and cost are concerns, but they're not my biggest concerns. I don't have unlimited funds to throw at this, but I am willing to pay (within reason) to have the job done right. Likewise, this isn't a daily driver so it doesn't have to be turned around immediately, but neither do I want it sitting in the back lot of a shop somewhere for a year waiting for a lull in the endless flow of insurance repaints.

So, how do I go about this? Can I expect to find one place to do it all, or do I need to break the job up into smaller components, like getting the body work done at one place, the paint at another, and maybe the pinstriping somewhere else? Please advise!

[Gary Lewis]

Congrat's, Matthew!!!!!!!!! Well done! Sounds like a fun job.

As for the paint job, I'd enquire via local car clubs. They will know who is good and who isn't. But have the same outfit do the body work as does the painting. Otherwise the painters will find something the body man did "wrong".

[kramttocs]

Yes, congrats!

I agree in having it all done at the same place with the exception of the bedliner. Go to a dedicated installer for that.

My vote would be yes on the matched bedliner. Some colors I'd say no but I think red on a mainly solid red truck looks great. Never had a color matched one personally though aside from what is inside the cowl trough. Just my opinion.

On the removal/masking, my advice would be anything you want removed - do it yourself before hand.

 

[Dorsai]

Congrat's, Matthew!!!!!!!!! Well done! Sounds like a fun job.

Thanks! It really should be - my professional background is almost all networking, and now I get to apply data science to that? Yes, I think I will enjoy this one.

They will know who is good and who isn't. But have the same outfit do the body work as does the painting. Otherwise the painters will find something the body man did "wrong".

Hmmm, good point.

My vote would be yes on the matched bedliner. Some colors I'd say no but I think red on a mainly solid red truck looks great.

I got the idea from a truck I saw when I was getting the exhaust on mine replaced not long after I got it. There was a nice '62 F100 in a bright red with matching bedliner sitting outside and it just looked great.

[1986F150Six]

Congrat's, Matthew!!!!!!!!! Well done! Sounds like a fun job.

Thanks! It really should be - my professional background is almost all networking, and now I get to apply data science to that? Yes, I think I will enjoy this one.

They will know who is good and who isn't. But have the same outfit do the body work as does the painting. Otherwise the painters will find something the body man did "wrong".

Hmmm, good point.

My vote would be yes on the matched bedliner. Some colors I'd say no but I think red on a mainly solid red truck looks great.

I got the idea from a truck I saw when I was getting the exhaust on mine replaced not long after I got it. There was a nice '62 F100 in a bright red with matching bedliner sitting outside and it just looked great.

Matthew, if you are going to have a sprayed in bedliner, check with the installer prior to having the truck painted. I was told by Rhino Liner that the liner would not be warranted if not sprayed on original paint as the heat involved is known to lift freshly painted surfaces.

This just means that the bed does not require painting. You will need to decide where you want the bedliner to begin and end.

[kramttocs]

Matthew, if you are going to have a sprayed in bedliner, check with the installer prior to having the truck painted. I was told by Rhino Liner that the liner would not be warranted if not sprayed on original paint as the heat involved is known to lift freshly painted surfaces.

This just means that the bed does not require painting. You will need to decide where you want the bedliner to begin and end.

Very good point!

LineX told me something like a 3 week cure time before they'd apply the bedliner. If you do under the rails on the bedliner, it's not much of an issue aside from the very back uprights and the tailgate where there will be some overlap.

[Rembrant]

So, how do I go about this? Can I expect to find one place to do it all, or do I need to break the job up into smaller components, like getting the body work done at one place, the paint at another, and maybe the pinstriping somewhere else? Please advise!

I shopped around a little bit, but ended up going with a shop just down the street from my work. They were close...and I mean, like a few hundred feet away, and as luck would have it, the shop manager had had a couple of Bullnose Flaresides back in the day, so he knew the trucks very well.

I did as much work as I could on my own. I pulled the grill and headlights, bumpers, etc. If you are able to do any of this stuff in advance, it can save you some money. Windshield trim, emblems, mirrors, tailights, interior door panels, etc...anything you can do to save time for them means saving money.

Other than that, get one shop to do all of the work.

One issue I find with body shops and engine shops as that they can be brutally slow sometimes (if not all the time). Personally, I'd try to get some kind of commitment as to when they will start and when they will finish. They may say "Oh, we can do your truck in two weeks"....well, find out if that means an actual two weeks start to finish, or two weeks spread over 2 months...lol. Been there, done that, and know others that have as well. JMTCW.

Good luck. A freshly painted truck is something that is very exciting.

 

[Littlebeefy]

Hi Matthew,

I'm also in Atlanta, and have done similar work on my truck to what you're doing. I took it to Jake and Donnie at Bulldawg Collision in Gainesville and they did rust repair and paint. They also worked with Line-X of Lanier across the street from them) to bedline from firewall to tailgate. The interior was original paint before it was bedlined, but they also did a freshly painted rear bumper in Line-X (no curing period) and a fiberglass top.

When they did the paint and bodywork, they took off the fenders, doors, tailgate, hood, glass, rubber and all trim prior to masking and painting the whole car. At this point there is a small patch of the original color behind the drivers kick panel. Other than that it would not be possible to find out what color it was before. They did lots of rust repair on the original panels and that was extremely high quality metalwork. Their price was also extremely reasonable.

I will echo what others have already said: how long will it take? Bulldawg was not particularly fast. I'm embarrassed to tell you how long they took, but it was about an order of magnitude longer than they said they would. They did it for the quoted price but had no sense of urgency whatsoever.

[Dorsai]

Matthew, if you are going to have a sprayed in bedliner, check with the installer prior to having the truck painted. I was told by Rhino Liner that the liner would not be warranted if not sprayed on original paint as the heat involved is known to lift freshly painted surfaces.

Ah, that I did not know. See why I ask questions here?

I did as much work as I could on my own. I pulled the grill and headlights, bumpers, etc. If you are able to do any of this stuff in advance, it can save you some money. Windshield trim, emblems, mirrors, tailights, interior door panels, etc...anything you can do to save time for them means saving money.

Makes sense, and this is definitely something I can do. I've been noodling replacing the bumpers anyway, this might be the time to do it.

I'm also in Atlanta, and have done similar work on my truck to what you're doing. I took it to Jake and Donnie at Bulldawg Collision in Gainesville and they did rust repair and paint.

I will check them out. I have an acquaintance with a Grand Wagoneer that received a nice repaint a few years ago, I'm going to find out where he got it done...and there's a chain body/paint shop near me that will be my third comparison, if they'll even quote me for a job like this. But how many points should I dock Bulldawg for their questionable taste in college sports?

Also, any chance you'd be willing to PM me how much you paid for the job? I recognize that we have different trucks and requirements, but I don't have even a vague clue what this kind of job will cost me.

[Gary Lewis]

Matthew, if you are going to have a sprayed in bedliner, check with the installer prior to having the truck painted. I was told by Rhino Liner that the liner would not be warranted if not sprayed on original paint as the heat involved is known to lift freshly painted surfaces.

Ah, that I did not know. See why I ask questions here?

I did as much work as I could on my own. I pulled the grill and headlights, bumpers, etc. If you are able to do any of this stuff in advance, it can save you some money. Windshield trim, emblems, mirrors, tailights, interior door panels, etc...anything you can do to save time for them means saving money.

Makes sense, and this is definitely something I can do. I've been noodling replacing the bumpers anyway, this might be the time to do it.

I'm also in Atlanta, and have done similar work on my truck to what you're doing. I took it to Jake and Donnie at Bulldawg Collision in Gainesville and they did rust repair and paint.

I will check them out. I have an acquaintance with a Grand Wagoneer that received a nice repaint a few years ago, I'm going to find out where he got it done...and there's a chain body/paint shop near me that will be my third comparison, if they'll even quote me for a job like this. But how many points should I dock Bulldawg for their questionable taste in college sports?

Also, any chance you'd be willing to PM me how much you paid for the job? I recognize that we have different trucks and requirements, but I don't have even a vague clue what this kind of job will cost me.

Matthew - You saw Big Blue. My paint/body man, John, eyeballed it when I first got it and gave me a guesstimate of $6K. The rust is showing through above the rear wheel wells and there's obviously Bondo in the cab corners. Otherwise it is pretty solid.

And I'll second the "order of magnitude" statement of time to complete. For some reason those guys have no sense of time nor urgency. Maybe they are all artists? We engineers have a hard time dealing with that.