Advice on painting my TJ

FirstJeep

TJ Enthusiast
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I hope I’m posting this in the right place but I’ll ask it here anyway. I’ve been wanting to paint my 2000 Wrangler for awhile no. I have a friend that said he would help me as he has the right kind of paint sprayer but he’s gotten busy and I’m kinda tired of waiting. I bought one of those Wagner spray painters to use to paint some outdoor furniture and an iron fence. I was wondering if the spray painter I got would work to spray my Jeep. I’ve already wet sanded it down so I was just wondering if that spray painter I got would do the job. The spray painter is a Wagner Flexio 3000 if that info helps any and I want to paint it black, not the glossy black but a kind of flat black. If this sprayer will work what kind of paint do y’all recommend? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
You could use it but it will not turn out well. To get it even close to decent will require tons of work as the sprayer isn’t designed for automotive paints.

If you’re doing the work to paint it yourself, see if there is a rental place that rents equipment or friends/ family that has the right HVLP sprayer. The finished product is gonna be on there for while so make the investment once and get better results.

Unless you’ve got experience painting, an inexperienced painter with improper equipment is gonna turn out a pretty bad finish. Just my two cents.
 
If you aren’t trying to match a paint, then just get a good quality auto paint. Success is in the prep, I agree with the above, don’t cheap out on a sprayer if you are going to go at this solo. Cheers for your bravery! I just did half doors and that was enough for me!
 
I used plastidip on a full mustang and while it turned out great and has lasted for three years, that was enough to know I don’t have the skills to use actual paint :)
 
I used plastidip on a full mustang and while it turned out great and has lasted for three years, that was enough to know I don’t have the skills to use actual paint :)
I plasti diped my TJ (avatar) 5 years ago for less that $500. At that time it was my son's and he was a poor high school kid. I have re sprayed the doors and the hood once.
 
As someone who has spray painted an entire car over the course of a couple of weeks by removing every panel and diligently obeying the curing times between coats, it can turn out great. Spray paint by someone who knows what they're doing is far superior to someone who doesn't with an hvlp gun.

This entire car was done with rustoleum painters touch dark gloss grey. No clear coat because I've never had good luck with it out of a spray can. Just prepped religiously and painted with an eye for detail. Used the existing paint (white) as the "primer".

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Personally I wouldn't attempt to paint my jeep unless I didn't care what it looked like in which case it wouldn't need painting.
Some people can do it and it looks ok most people cant and it looks worse than before they attempted a paint job.

With the skill set a painter can make a good enough job with anything, some even use a camel hair brush and heated paint.
The old saying "Anyone who can piss can paint" becomes obviously untrue the moment you step back and look at your handiwork. :)
Raptor line it!
 
I have used Harborfreight HVLP with a tank air compressor for spraying acrylic urethane enamel on over 100 bathtubs yrs ago. It actually worked well. I typically use a turbine and an American turbine gun, but ended up needing a cheap solution for a hotel rehab. I went through two guns in a week then tossed them in the trash. Just for information Tub Refinishing came from Auto Refinishing we use the same type of coatings.
 
You could consider a wrap. Or spray can it with bedliner. Some guys love that stuff. Others hate it.

Pics of your jeep would help us greatly.
 
I have used Harborfreight HVLP with a tank air compressor for spraying acrylic urethane enamel on over 100 bathtubs yrs ago. It actually worked well. I typically use a turbine and an American turbine gun, but ended up needing a cheap solution for a hotel rehab. I went through two guns in a week then tossed them in the trash. Just for information Tub Refinishing came from Auto Refinishing we use the same type of coatings.
Not many bathtubs rolling around the roads lol

BT.jpg
 
I plasti diped my TJ (avatar) 5 years ago for less that $500. At that time it was my son's and he was a poor high school kid. I have re sprayed the doors and the hood once.
A3A2C41C-F548-469C-8C73-6BB57DF5FD31.jpeg


Price is a big bonus to plastidip! I spent $299 three years ago and it still looks the same. Granted it spends most of its life in the garage, but no fading or peeling at all.
 
View attachment 257016

Price is a big bonus to plastidip! I spent $299 three years ago and it still looks the same. Granted it spends most of its life in the garage, but no fading or peeling at all.
You have got me interested in Plastidip now, I was going to wrap my Sahara flares and hood panel Graphite to break up the all black but this looks a better option, does it cover scratches?

Cheers
 
Get some quality 3M vinyl and wrap it. I did my old car hood in carbon fiber for $25. Maaco was going to paint the entire car and remove dents for $1200. The car cost me $750 and I'm cheap. It still looks good 2 years later.
p.s. The wife wanted carbon fiber over gloss black.
Hyundai hood (4).jpg
Hyundai hood new2 (2).jpg
 
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You have got me interested in Plastidip now, I was going to wrap my Sahara flares and hood panel Graphite to break up the all black but this looks a better option, does it cover scratches?

Cheers
Yup, the old Ford’s had horrible paint. The scratches it covered, the places where the paint flakes off in chunks and it left a sharp ridge, those spots had to sanded down.

Many folks rag on it as being cheap and not durable, but that’s generally due to it being applied to dirty or wet surfaces and poor prep work or being poorly applied.

I took my time with it all and three years later still looks exactly the same as the day I applied it.
 
Get some quality 3M vinyl and wrap it. I did my old car hood in carbon fiber for $25. Maaco was going to paint the entire car and remove dents for $1200. The car cost me $750 and I'm cheap. It still looks good 2 years later.
p.s. The wife wanted carbon fiber over gloss black.
View attachment 257022View attachment 257023
I have mega fails at putting decals on let alone curved vinyl! and they wanted too much in Perth to wrap the flares and chip guards, Plastidip looks like a cheap easier to self do option? also need to find a match to my silver & graphite ecco wheels or the silver grey centre bezel. I have a deepish scratch on one flare and if I stuff it up will have to have them re sprayed.
 
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Yup, the old Ford’s had horrible paint. The scratches it covered, the places where the paint flakes off in chunks and it left a sharp ridge, those spots had to sanded down.

Many folks rag on it as being cheap and not durable, but that’s generally due to it being applied to dirty or wet surfaces and poor prep work or being poorly applied.

I took my time with it all and three years later still looks exactly the same as the day I applied it.
Thanks did you use their primer?
 
Thanks did you use their primer?
It was five gallons total, two base coat gray and three of the green. If your just doing trim pieces you may not need the base coat.

Check out dipyourcar on YouTube. Tons of videos and how to’s. After watching all the videos, that’s where I ended up buying my kit from.
 
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