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EDIT: I moved this thread to the "Build" section.
I modified my J10 about 15 years ago...lowered the front end a bit, stripped the decals and chrome, added roll pans, and painted it in PPG DP90 epoxy primer. Then I got busy on other things and left it in epoxy only. The epoxy held up surprisingly well without a UV resistant top coat, but has slowly started to erode from UV exposure in recent years. So I decided to repaint. Tried chemical stripping the old epoxy and gave up....tenacious nasty mess. Two weeks ago I tore it down to components and hauled the bed, fenders and hood to a media blaster. The cab, doors, inner fenders, and rear portion of the frame will be phase two.
Last week I chopped a hole in the side of the furnace plenum and added a big hose to pipe warm air into the attached garage. I also wrapped the inside of garage with plastic...instant paint booth. Hoping the HVLP turbine spray system I purchased is low overspray as advertised. Plan is to paint in two major sessions...first will be the bed, fenders and hood. Then the cab and rear half of the frame, which will be blasted in a couple of weeks. Epoxy primer goes on first, then urethane primer while the epoxy is still "open/un-cured". Once all the pieces are sealed with the epoxy, I'll move on to final top coat paint. This time, I'll use Eastwood hot rod black satin (single stage urethane) as a top coat. I'm using Raptor as a spray in bed liner...not as durable as Line-X or Rhino, but I like the look and ease of application.....this isn't really a work truck.
The cab will get a new windshield in the process. Staying with the blacked out look. I found a w/s gasket without the slits for chrome, so it will look a little more finished than the old chrome capable seal.
Might lower the rear suspension a bit by raising the spring attach points....depends how it looks in new paint. I just lowered the cab another 1/2 inch by removing the (already sectioned) forward cab donuts. The 1" at the rear were replaced with the 1/2" from the front. So, the front of the cab sits on a very thin nylon washer. The radiator/front sheet metal supports were lowered on the first go around. So the cab is now at rock bottom unless I start chopping into the floor supports. The radiator cap to hood clearance is 1/4", and there is 1/4" between the steering box and bottom of the (lowered) radiator. I'm happy with the rake angle, but don't like the large gap between wheels and rear fenders. So again, a spring pivot mod looks like the most realistic solution.
Other than the Raptor, I'm using Eastwood products. Used their "After Blast" on the stripped front fenders yesterday. It's a weak phosphoric acid and cleaner mixture. Keeps the bare metal from rusting for up to a couple of months (depending on where the part is stored). It really does work well. By the way, on the recommendation from the stripper I sanded the blasted surface with 220 before applying the After Blast. Also used it in the seams where the flares attach to the front fenders.
The step side rear fenders are fiberglass. The gel coat on the top is covered with tiny stress cracks. I'm not about to mess with new matt/resin and gel coat. Plan is to spray on Raptor, which is supposed to have good filling characteristics and is tough, yet flexible. I spoke with their tech guys and they think it might work. It sands pretty well, and can be over coated with the Eastwood urethane primer and/or finish urethane. We shall see....
I modified my J10 about 15 years ago...lowered the front end a bit, stripped the decals and chrome, added roll pans, and painted it in PPG DP90 epoxy primer. Then I got busy on other things and left it in epoxy only. The epoxy held up surprisingly well without a UV resistant top coat, but has slowly started to erode from UV exposure in recent years. So I decided to repaint. Tried chemical stripping the old epoxy and gave up....tenacious nasty mess. Two weeks ago I tore it down to components and hauled the bed, fenders and hood to a media blaster. The cab, doors, inner fenders, and rear portion of the frame will be phase two.
Last week I chopped a hole in the side of the furnace plenum and added a big hose to pipe warm air into the attached garage. I also wrapped the inside of garage with plastic...instant paint booth. Hoping the HVLP turbine spray system I purchased is low overspray as advertised. Plan is to paint in two major sessions...first will be the bed, fenders and hood. Then the cab and rear half of the frame, which will be blasted in a couple of weeks. Epoxy primer goes on first, then urethane primer while the epoxy is still "open/un-cured". Once all the pieces are sealed with the epoxy, I'll move on to final top coat paint. This time, I'll use Eastwood hot rod black satin (single stage urethane) as a top coat. I'm using Raptor as a spray in bed liner...not as durable as Line-X or Rhino, but I like the look and ease of application.....this isn't really a work truck.
The cab will get a new windshield in the process. Staying with the blacked out look. I found a w/s gasket without the slits for chrome, so it will look a little more finished than the old chrome capable seal.
Might lower the rear suspension a bit by raising the spring attach points....depends how it looks in new paint. I just lowered the cab another 1/2 inch by removing the (already sectioned) forward cab donuts. The 1" at the rear were replaced with the 1/2" from the front. So, the front of the cab sits on a very thin nylon washer. The radiator/front sheet metal supports were lowered on the first go around. So the cab is now at rock bottom unless I start chopping into the floor supports. The radiator cap to hood clearance is 1/4", and there is 1/4" between the steering box and bottom of the (lowered) radiator. I'm happy with the rake angle, but don't like the large gap between wheels and rear fenders. So again, a spring pivot mod looks like the most realistic solution.
Other than the Raptor, I'm using Eastwood products. Used their "After Blast" on the stripped front fenders yesterday. It's a weak phosphoric acid and cleaner mixture. Keeps the bare metal from rusting for up to a couple of months (depending on where the part is stored). It really does work well. By the way, on the recommendation from the stripper I sanded the blasted surface with 220 before applying the After Blast. Also used it in the seams where the flares attach to the front fenders.
The step side rear fenders are fiberglass. The gel coat on the top is covered with tiny stress cracks. I'm not about to mess with new matt/resin and gel coat. Plan is to spray on Raptor, which is supposed to have good filling characteristics and is tough, yet flexible. I spoke with their tech guys and they think it might work. It sands pretty well, and can be over coated with the Eastwood urethane primer and/or finish urethane. We shall see....
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