Painting ideas and technique.

[Matt]

Lets use this thread to suggest what to use and how to use it on what part of the XK. We can start with tubed fender and rails. Steel that will see some abuse.

I think a few good coats of rust preventing primer, then some gloss or matte black rustolium spray paint followed by a few coats of spray clear is the best way to go. Looks great if done properly and very easy to touch up.

I had a set of N-Fab bars on my silverado that were powder coated black. They looked good when new, but after they started getting beat up from offroading i could NEVER get my "touch ups" to look like the original powder coating. I eventually just sprayed them with the gloss black and some clear... from then on they were a breeze to touch up.

[NeilSmith]

ok we get it you guys don't like bed liner especially the roll on crap. Now give some suggestions on what to use in its place.

The big thing use to be powder coating. I remember when it first came out, they said you would dent the steel before you could scratch the powder coating. But now I watch tv shows building bikes and they are always scratching the new powder coating. Is it as strong as they say ? I dont know. A good paint job will last a lifetime , until you scratch it, which will happen on the tube fenders or rails. Paint does scratch easily. I would do a nice etching primer first. And then just use a quality satin gloss black spray paint. SEM makes the best, I think but its like $12 a can. Wurth also makes a good product. The thing is its EASY to touch up. Even if the piece is originally powder coated black, you can easily touch it up with some spray paint.

[Matt]

Yeah that was my point... easy touch up. The problem with touching up black powder coat is that I found it very difficult (basically impossible) to get the touched up area to match the rest. You could clearly see all of the touched up areas, so you're stuck repainting the whole thing (hence, why bother powder coating it in the first place?).

Once i sprayed the whole thing, i could easily touch up an area of it and make it blend in perfectly without having to paint the entire rail again.

[Sal-XK]

Not sure what happen there I merged the thread then it go deleted then the posts got deleted what PITA.

[NeilSmith]

Lets just say I was going to do some parts for myself. Being a pro, I have access to products that you guys don't unfortunately but you could pay a shop to do the same thing.
If the rails come in bare metal, hopefully the manufacturer oiled them down for transport to prevent rust. You do not want to paint over any rust. I dont believe in any refinishing product that claims to stop, convert, seal, trap, or prevent rust. Rustoleum , POR15, they are just paint. There is nothing special about them. All you need is air and moisture and you have rust. The only way to prevent air and moisture getting to the metal is a catalysed urethane clear coat system.
The bare steel should be cleaned thouroghly with a wax / grease remover. No soap and water. Mineral spirits or naptha is ok for starters if the part is really oily but I would follow up with a professional wax and grease remover. PPG , DuPont , RM, they all make a wax and grease remover. After it is clean, you do not want to get your greasy little fingerprints on the metal. I recommend using disposable rubber gloves.
So its now clean. The first product sprayed need to be a self - etching primer. Paint does not have etching properties meaning it will not stick to bare metal. Spray paint or even automotive basecoat or single-stage paint adheres thru a chemical adhesion, not thru a mechanical adhesion Meaning you cant just sand the bare metal and expect it to stick. The self-etching primer is basically a zinc-phosphate coating that actually bites into the metal. You can get it in spray can form for home use but I prefer the professional kind that of course, you probably cant buy.
After the etch, I would spray a primer-surfacer. This will fill any tiny imperfections and after sanding will provide a smooth surface in which to paint.
Next comes a primer - sealer. This fills any light sand scratches from sanding the primer - surfacer and also gives a uniformed color to achieve better coverage when applying your color coats.
Next comes the paint. You can use a nice, quality spray paint if you like. Its probably the only thing you can easily get to use in your garage. I like SEM brand black trim paint. It is designed to match oem black trim. It is expensive, about $12 a can.
Over the color coats should be applied a clear coat. In the perfect world, it would be a 2 part, catalysed urethane clear. The same thing that is on the exterior of your car. The modern clear systems are guaranteed for life against hazing, fading, peeling, cracking, crows feet, acid rain , etc. You can even add a flattening agent to kill the shine to a satin or even flat sheen. You at home will probably have to use a spray can clear. This is nowhere as good because it is not catalysed and therefore will not be waterproof and will not have the uv protection needed. But it may be your only option.

[Matt]

Some great info in there man! Thanks

[Sal-XK]

That is some nice info bro thanks for posting that up. I plan on doing the bottom of my XK bumper to bumper. Those are the areas I hit the most and I want something that can resist light starches but is real easy to touch up. What are your thoughts on this project types of paints that kind of stuff. I was thinking about using the bed liner for this project but now you guys have me unsure about it.

[Holaday07 4.7]

Sorry to be bashing on the bed liner earlier, it just got so overused with the roll on stuff that looks terrible. I think done right with line-x or Rhino Lining it is a cool product, but those places are not cheap.

[NeilSmith]

bed liner has its place. if i was to buy a truck i would definitely have the bed lined with line-x. but its not cheap. the cheap roll-on products are a waste of money. regular paints are going to scratch if you slide it across a tree or some rocks. i would probably go the spray can route . is it the best paint option ? NO. not by a long shot. but it is the best for being able to touch up which will probably have to be done often .

[Matt]

Neil, is there a heavy duty (almost industrial) type of clear coat that would resist damage better and maybe be easier to clean up with some fine grit wet sanding? Like something possibly used for construction or farm equipment protection. I've noticed those coatings hold up extremely well and take a good beating..... not sure what they use though. Maybe its another option?