Finally have a few days of downtime and want to get some stuff done.

My old sliders dented/chipped my rockers. See https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/modi...ybuilt-287412/

I was just going to get some touchup paint, sand, prime and seal. But no where around me carries paint code PAV (dark charcoal pearl)

here are my options-
1. get the paint mixed at NAPA, smallest size they can do is a quart, and I would have to find a spray guy to use- prime paint seal. (labor intensive)
2. seal the chip, and plastidip the rocker
3. order this online https://touchupdirect.com/automotive...1-chrysler-300

My new ACE sliders are in and I want to put them on, but want to get this done before so rust does not spread. Iv never done any body work before. I dont care to fill the dents, just doing this so rust does not spread.

Anyone run into this before? If I had a popular color this would be a no brianer and would be done by now.

 

Anyone????

 

My factory Rubi rails did the same thing, they bent up and dented the rockers and the fenders.

I'm a painter by trade, but I'm not painting mine. I'm going to raptor line them.

Specifically, I have some Poison Spider armor on order. I'm not using the rivnuts either. I'm going to cut them in two pieces, one for the fender and one for the rocker. Then I'm spot welding them to the stock panels, seam sealing the edges and then raptor liner over the whole deal.

You didn't mention clear coat either. Too bad you're not here in Cali, I could do it for you very reasonably. I have access to any paint code, primer, sealer, clear coat, etch primer, blah, blah, etc. plus years of experience.

Like I said though, I'm not even doing all that to mine because I just want something more durable, hence the raptor liner. It's not too bad. I bought a gallon kit off Amazon for just over a Benjamin, and I bought a gun from TCP Global for about $30.

If you still want to paint it, you're probably going to spend a bunch on materials, and don't bother at all if you don't want to clear coat it. The sun will bleach it, if rocks, debris and soap don't destroy it first.

If you DO want to paint it still, I'll be glad to give you a tutorial on what products to use, how to mask it so you don't see a line, how to set up your paint gun, what grits of sand paper to use for each step, etc, etc, etc.

 

If it were mine, I would tape it off, sand, and roll on or spray on a bedliner.

 

Thanks Rooster!

Yeah, I just dont want to accept the fact shes not as pretty as she used to be About to hit 80,000! I dont think I am quite ready to line. I am just gonna plasti-dip for now- in case I want to remove it later. Cant undo the Raptor!

What prep work should I do for where the rust is showing? My plan was to chip away what I could, and use fine sandpaper to get the rest. Then Dip the whole rocker panel.

 

Anywhere your paint is chipped, it sounds like you have this figured out, needs to go. Try not to peel I though, just sand on it and let it break away. If you peel it, you will likely peel back perfectly good paint. I'd start with 180 grit and feather out your broken paint. You should see rings of paint, the ecoat, the base sealer, the color, and the clear though the clear/base transition can be difficult to see for the novice. Don't go nuts with the 180. You just want to rough it out, you can finish your feathering from there with 320.

Rust just plain sucks. It can be near impossible to get it without grinding. Even if it looks gone it may still be there. After you're done sanding, try dealing with the rust with either steel wool or a scotch brite pad. If you use a green kitchen pad be sure not to scuff the paint you want to save. It's really aggressive. If you have a small air grinder with 2" or 3" disks, you can guarantee the rust is gone that way. Just be cautious.

If you're unsure as to the thoroughness of your rust removal, you can treat it with POR-15. Shouldn't be necessary, but it's cheap insurance.

The body line below the door gives you a great opportunity to use edge tape to make a clean transition should you decide to paint it someday. That whole section can be repaired and repainted without needing to paint the whole quarter panel. I think you will want a hard line though for plasti dip so you can easily peel it off later. I've never used plasti dip so I can't comment on its best application. My line of work leans me to specialize in permanent solutions.

Make sure you apply etch primer to any bare metal surfaces before applying any coatings. Etch primer by itself is not going to protect you from rust, but most coatings will not stick to bare metal without proper pre treatment. (Since powder coating wouldn't be possible here, epoxy primer is the best bare metal coating available to the aftermarket, though it is a 2 part product)

 

One more tip. Clean everything before you begin, including areas you want to tape. Run some tape above the repair area. Stray sand scratches are common for the novice sander, so install that safety buffer for your paint.

Cleanliness is crucial for coatings. Wax residue, road grime or any hydrocarbon residue can cause fish eyes and delimitation issues. You can use rubbing alcohol from under the bathroom sink, or diluted acetone. Wax and grease remover would be the ideal choice, though it's not legal in many counties across the country now. Products labeled "bug and tar" remover are usually composed of the same chemicals as wax and grease remover, so if you find any you can use that as well.

 

Attachment 521591









Welp pulled the trigger. Turned out pretty good if I say so myself. 5 coats. 1 can. Sanded rust. (Forgot to take pic of big spot after sanding) washed real good, alcohol rub, taped then dipped. Let dry with tape used razor to peel.

Thanks for everyone's input