Painting a jeep hard top.

[glockman]

I summon the paint pros of RME. The lj hard top is looking pretty ragged and with winter approaching, I figured should fix it prior to putting it back on and looking crappy.
Here is what I'm looking to fix.



I bought color matching paint from Sherwin Williams in the spring. I think it's single stage. Here is what I got.



I have an hvlp and have painted a bunch of stuff, never a car.

I have instructions for the paint, but I'm stuck at how to get the texture that jeep hard tops have.

The top under the paint is smooth. You can see it in this picture.



So if I scuff, prime then paint it, the spots that were bare top will stick out like a sore thumb. Any paint advice is appreciated.

 

[mbryson]

My guess is that's a specific type of paint that creates its own texture when it's sprayed. Jeep isn't going to really spend anytime doing "special" paint processes on a production line. Difficult to replicate as you are noticing. With the peeling, you're going to want to pressure wash around those areas to rid any "loose" paint (hopefully the whole top will release? It won't).

To do it "right" you'll need to strip the OEM paint, scuff/sand the top, prime/seal/paint. Probably easier if you're not interested in keeping the "texture". The "texture" could be done by spraying from a few feet away with a REALLY open tip but then you'll get more "texture" in the areas adjacent and it just won't look right. Personally, I'd just strip the paint and spray with what you have for a "smooth" finish. There might be a "texture" additive you can add to the paint but I really don't have any updated info since I haven't worked in a body shop since '94

 

[Mouse]

I recently had the hardtop on my gladiator partially repainted. The shop put down a product for the texture before painting it. I do not know what product they used. Old School body shop in Ogden did the work

 

[DAA]

Those spots will only stand out for tall people.

- DAA

 

[Gravy]

When I repainted my yj's top I used hippo liner that had the same texture. It added a few pounds to the hardtop but it really deadend the sound a lot and helped insulate the temps too! All I had to do was add tint to match the color. My buddy had a Schutz gun and helped me.

 

[Kevin B.]

Those spots will only stand out for tall people.

- DAA

I'll see it, and I will judge.

 

[Hickey]

I'd Raptor Line it, if it was me.

 

[str8axleguy]

I'd Raptor Line it, if it was me.

I did this on my last Jeep hard top and it looked like factory paint.

 

[Herzog]

I'll see it, and I will judge.

Height supremacist

 

[zmotorsports]

I painted several old Blazer/Jimmy hard tops years ago and didn't care for either the black or white choice they came with from the factory. When they came into my shop I convinced the owners they could match the top to the body color. I ended up sanding down the tops to remove all of the texture then applied a texture via spray gun then the color over the top of that to get the factory finish. I found that trying to spot match the texture did not work properly and stood out like a sore thumb so the only way I would do them is to completely remove the original texture and reapply one uniform coat prior to the paint.

Later I determined I preferred the smooth look much better and ended up sanding my personal top back down and repainting the same color but smooth with clearcoat. Now I keep tossing around the idea of going gloss black on my Jeep top when I have to have my bumpers re-powdercoated. I keep waffling on going smooth gloss black on the top and bumpers but like the ease of keeping every thing clean with the textured semi-gloss and small scratches don't show up nearly as easily.

 

[J-mobzz]

Not much help but I have 3 quarts of tintable raptor liner you're welcome to have if you want it.

 

[glockman]

I really like raptor liner and may end up going that way. I was hoping to avoid sanding the whole thing smooth mainly because the texture hides scratches better but also because it's less work.

I'll try some of the SEM stuff on the front spots and see how it matches. Thanks for the advice fellas.

 

[mbryson]

I really like raptor liner and may end up going that way. I was hoping to avoid sanding the whole thing smooth mainly because the texture hides scratches better but also because it's less work.

I'll try some of the SEM stuff on the front spots and see how it matches. Thanks for the advice fellas.

With the paint releasing like it is, you’ll have to strip what’s loose. If not, you’ll continue to fight this until you do strip it.

Hard to say if it needs to be fully stripped or just “cleaned up”. I’ve stripped Corvettes and fiberglass tops with a razor blade before. Not sure if that’s worth it as you inevitably gouge the gel coat underneath. I’d hit the top pretty aggressively with a pressure washer and see if you can peel the loose paint off. I’m sure there’s some still there.

 

[glockman]

With the paint releasing like it is, you’ll have to strip what’s loose. If not, you’ll continue to fight this until you do strip it.

Hard to say if it needs to be fully stripped or just “cleaned up”. I’ve stripped Corvettes and fiberglass tops with a razor blade before. Not sure if that’s worth it as you inevitably gouge the gel coat underneath. I’d hit the top pretty aggressively with a pressure washer and see if you can peel the loose paint off. I’m sure there’s some still there.

Not sure if it's me or the pressure washer, but I've removed paint starting in a chip that I assume would have been fine had I not put the pressure where it could get under the paint. I have flicked at the paint edges with a blade and the loose stuff is gone on the chips I've worked on. Not sure if that is a passable effort. I hit the entire top with red scotch bright to scuff it but need to go over it one more time.
If I've scuffed the base appropriately and removed the loose stuff, could I spray the SEM over the bare and painted surface to create a layer that once the entire top is painted will be semi strong?
I assume the chips will start again, pretty much as soon as it's driven and once it gets as bad as it is now, I'll have to redo it again, possibly with a more permanent solution be that raptor liner or something else.
I've lived with it for 8 years, getting worse each year. A reset on that wouldn't be terrible and I've only got about $150 into the paint and primer. It is a Jeep, not a show car or even one that gets washed/detailed on a regular basis. However, I don't want to waste time and money on it and have it peeling in a year.

 

[mbryson]

I do think it will continue to peel. Just comes down to what you want to put up with

 

[mbryson]

Maybe include an adhesion promoter in the process.

A strong solvent could weaken the already compromised topcoat? Hard to say

 

[mbryson]

I looked it up, looks like the common ones work on fiberglass. If it's prepped correctly, why would it continue to fail?

This is my YouTube and Forum education talking here, so don't take it for anything more than that... I have been learning so I can paint my coupe.

The existing paint seems to be flawed and appears to be peeling off. Either the sealer is releasing from the original surface (surface contaminated by something or poor chemical composition) or the existing paint is brittle enough to “flake” off in chunks. If you put new chemicals over the “flawed” paint you could create a hella mess.

Sealer is designed to be relatively inert and give coverage while promoting adhesion to any/all surfaces AND give a consistent base color for the topcoat. It appears to me, the sealer is what’s letting go from the gel coat surface? Whatever you put on top of the existing could peel off as the sealer continues to break down and release from the original painted surface. Laying a bunch of new chemicals and mass over the current topcoat could create all kinds of fun. It may turn out totally fine? There’s just risk involved. Risk being cash for wasted paint products and time.


my guess is that a pressure washer 2” from the paint surface will continue to flick silver paint off the top especially in the areas circled. That is paint (likely sealer?) that would peel off at some point with a new topcoat on it.

At best, it will be pretty challenging to create a consistent “splatter” texture, like OEM, without the spatter “blend” area being obvious? It’s not a show car, it’s a Jeep (although an LJ with a kewl motor) so it’s not expected to be perfect, but doing things twice always sucks


For all of the above reasons/pitfalls, I’d try to strip the top easily and then work from there.


I'm far from an expert on modern paints but fundamentals are still the same. Glad to look at the coupe with you as you start prepping/painting. I'll be painting my Buick over the next months (I hope) and you're more than welcome to hang out if you feel like it.

 

[glockman]

Well, I moved on before reading Marc's well laid out advice.
I scratched at all the flaking spots until the paint seems to be bonded well to the top. Lots of little spots opened up, oddly enough on many of the spots circled in the above pic. Sanded the bare portions with 200 grit and scuffed the rest of the top with red scotch Brite.
I then used duplicolor bed liner on the bare spots. The texture was close, but not exact. I sprayed 3 coats of the Sherwin Williams single stage over all that. It looks way better than the factory coating. You can see the flaked spots it you look really close, I will chose not to look close. Here is the finished product, hope it lasts at least a couple years.




The best I can do at a close up

 

[J-mobzz]

Well, I moved on before reading Marc's well laid out advice.
I scratched at all the flaking spots until the paint seems to be bonded well to the top. Lots of little spots opened up, oddly enough on many of the spots circled in the above pic. Sanded the bare portions with 200 grit and scuffed the rest of the top with red scotch Brite.
I then used duplicolor bed liner on the bare spots. The texture was close, but not exact. I sprayed 3 coats of the Sherwin Williams single stage over all that. It looks way better than the factory coating. You can see the flaked spots it you look really close, I will chose not to look close. Here is the finished product, hope it lasts at least a couple years.

View attachment 141541
View attachment 141542

The best I can do at a close up

View attachment 141543

Looks great!

 

[jeeper]

Good Work!