The Search Has Ended

[Dan Hunter]

Geez, I thought I was going to have to purchase a new camper shell/topper.

I got a windowless (including the front) shell for $300. This means I'll finally have to replace the passenger side mirror that fell off. That also means that I'll remove my interior rear view mirror as it no longer serves a purpose and still blocks the view.. The shell has grey carpet on the inside and the guy included a matching grey bed carpet liner. Though it's green and my truck is blue, it's in great condition and a HUGE bargain.

This time next year, I'll be covering the ENTIRE exterior with bed liner. As it is, brush and trees are generating endless random pinstripes. My paint is in such bad condition that when I taped my pole saw to the tailgate and pulled the tape off, the blue pulled up and I was left with primer.

Pictures tomorrow.

 

[docdray]

ENTIRE EXTERIOR, truck too???

 

[Dan Hunter]

Yeppers. It doesn't need to be as deep and springy so it isn't all that heavy but it really holds up against tree branch scratching.

My neighbor's Toyota Tacoma has the treatment and it is surprisingly attractive.

 

[gmctd]

That blue is one of the colors of which GM had perennial problems with the paint peeling off in large sheets, leaving the black primer exposed - I'd use super sticky duct tape to pull as much of it up as possible prior to any further coating procedures or your bed liner will soon develop large puss-filled blisters............no, wait, that's your skin after bad sunburn........just large blisters, eh..........

 

[Dan Hunter]

OK, how about idea number two that technically is idea three...or idea one repeated.

I painted my 84 chevy in the front yard of my buddy's rental property using a Wagner Power Painter and a gallon of Parker Duck Boat Paint. I recall it was a very tough finish. It'd certainly be lighter and cheaper. Though Cabelas doesn't sell it, Parker's site still shows Bay Gray. It should work with my blue interior and grey carpet inside the bed.

GMCTD, I like the duct tape idea. That'd be easier to pull off than the packing tape that tends to tear apart. I'll strip it of all the chrome and pull the bumpers and grill to ease masking and probably sand through much of the blue. I've got to find a new hood or get off my butt and do the hood scoop mod I've talked about.

I think I'll take my generator and my Wagner out to the ranch and paint it in a small clearing to control the breeze. This time, I'll even mask the threads on the wheels. Didn't last time. Probably one of the stupider things I've ever done.

What fun. It's strange because there was a day when I maintained a certain pride in how pristine I maintained it. Now, I get a lot of pleasure out of wading into it with mods. It's been a while since I've done anything to it so I'm as excited as Michael Jackson with a rhinoplasty appointed or Lindsay Lohan on the table for another breast augmentation.

 

[Dan Hunter]

I have two gallons of bay gray paint on the way and will begin stripping parts to ease masking. I have a friend with a barn that's gonna let me use it to paint. What fun.

 

[gmctd]

You prolly already got a handle on this, but fwiw, don't even use duct tape for masking purposes - masking tape mastic is formulated to pull-off easily, leaving no residue

 

[docdray]

you may know this, you need as clean a surface as possible and as low a humidity as possible. metal is notorious for fish eyeing with just a little moisture in, around, on or looking at the paint.. post picks when done please.

 

[Dan Hunter]

Oh-tay.