Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

How Best to Deal With Faded Clear Coat

IanConrey

New Member
Original poster
Joined
Jun 17, 2023
Messages
7
Location
Ellijay, GA
Forgive me if this has been covered. I did a search but couldn't find what I was looking for. So I've got a couple of spots on the front end of the jeep where the clear coat as worn off. I've watched several videos of guys re-finishing these themselves, but given that my jeep is a '99 I figured that even if I somehow did this without really screwing up, it wouldn't match the rest of the jeep simply because of age. Should I have a professional re-paint these sections or not even bother with them? Also, I've got a rust spot that had gone clean through. You can peel it right off. Any thoughts on fixing this? I've attached a picture that shows both the rust and faded clear coat.

20230623_140519.jpg


20230623_140452.jpg
 
Should I have a professional re-paint these sections or not even bother with them?

Yes, if you're concerned with the look and/or quality of the finished product. I'm not saying an amateur can't do it, I'm saying there's a lot of knowledge, skills and tools involved in making a quality paint job. What you are expecting will dictate how you need to go about this. Also, be warned, painting those "sections" will very quickly turn into painting the whole Jeep. Just from those 2 pics I can see, to do it right, the entire front end will have to be painted and blending down the doors/rockers. So what's left after that? Two tiny quarter panels and a small tailgate.

Having said that, you might be able to get away with a scuff-n-shoot on the cowl and hood for a while, but not the fender.

I've got a rust spot that had gone clean through. You can peel it right off. Any thoughts on fixing this?

The repair area will wind up being 4-5 times what you can see on the surface. I can't quite tell, but looking at the fender-to-flare line, it looks like that fender or maybe the flare has already been repainted.
 
Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts