That paint project turned out amazing. This makes me want to find a set of cheap half doors any color and just refinish them myself. I’ll hit the same paint stores you used since I’m nearby
Jalapeño; an extra spicy build
- Thread starter Jamison C
- Start date
sahara2000
TJ Enthusiast
OP
It was a lot of fun and I feel a lot more confident about taking on bigger projects in the future. You just have to accept the fact that you might mess up and spend a little extra $$$ since practice makes perfect.
Thanks guys! Sometimes I feel silly because other members are cutting and welding crazy stuff onto their rigs and I'm over here doing minor mechanical and mostly cosmetic stuff. I love restoration projects which is why I chose to take this stuff on and I'm glad others appreciate it!Great job on the interior and thank you for the detail on your restoration and posting results.
OP
I forgot to update this the other day. Half doors have been on and I've been loving them. They look great both inside and out.
And now for the bad news. The color does not match, not even close. Being colorblind, having the panels off of the jeep, they looked fine, but once back on, they're almost like a khaki color. I thought I could paint the rest of the dash to match, but then those pieces wouldn't match the seats, roll bar padding, or the sun visors, which is one of the unique things about the Sahara edition.
I guess I'l be hitting up SEM to see what the deal is, but I'm pretty bummed after all of this work The results turned out great, just ended up being a completely wrong color.
*edit* Looking over some of the videos I've watched and threads I've read on this color, I think the paint guys may have messed it up. I'll update with my findings.
And now for the bad news. The color does not match, not even close. Being colorblind, having the panels off of the jeep, they looked fine, but once back on, they're almost like a khaki color. I thought I could paint the rest of the dash to match, but then those pieces wouldn't match the seats, roll bar padding, or the sun visors, which is one of the unique things about the Sahara edition.
I guess I'l be hitting up SEM to see what the deal is, but I'm pretty bummed after all of this work
The results turned out great, just ended up being a completely wrong color.*edit* Looking over some of the videos I've watched and threads I've read on this color, I think the paint guys may have messed it up. I'll update with my findings.
Last edited:
kanur
Member
OP
Thanks! I got a compliment on it while I was out and about today too
I've done some work to it I just haven't updated the thread yet. I'll get there at some point lol.
OP
Ok so a fun update. My jeep came with dual tops and since it's getting colder out, and I probably won't have the soft top down that much till spring, I decided to put the hardtop on. It's in great shape but the paint was horribly faded and oxidized. I had kicked around the idea of painting it but right now I can't justify the cost of the paint, even if I did it myself. So I decided to go the $10 Penetrol route.
Some faded photos:
Most people wipe the penetrol on, let it sit for a couple minutes, then wipe it off and buff it. I tried that , but my top was so faded that it wasn't making much of a difference without adding coat after coat. I make a judgement call and slathered it on thick to let it really soak into the paint and dry. I figured I could use a buffer later on to get rid of the excess and runs.
I also made sure to mask off the windows and underneath the top to keep the penetrol off, and managed to get the rear window off and back on myself without breaking it.
Top view. Just that little bit makes all the difference, but once it soaks in the oxidation starts to show again.
Hardtop after Penetrol:
At this point it was looking much better, but even after buffing with a microfiber cloth the top was still looking streaky. I went ahead and pulled out the orbital buffer and got some Meguiar's Ultimate Compound to kill those streaks and really bring out the "sheen" in the top.
Again, I taped off areas I didn't want the foam pad or the compound touching. Yeah I know my jeep is sideways but I needed the light lol.
I went over every area a couple of times and used the compound very liberally to make sure I wasn't leaving any splotches or streaks behind. It came out very glossy (which is how you know it worked), and I actually like it that way. Nice, smooth, streakless, clean finish.
I managed to fling compound everywhere so the jeep needed a wash today. Here are photos of the top after my wash, with before photos to compare to.
Before and afters:
There are a few small splotchy areas that I can't make go away, but shy of painting the top, I think this is the closest I can get to restoring it. I think with a good wax (which I plan to do) I can keep this looking fresh for awhile.
Some faded photos:
Most people wipe the penetrol on, let it sit for a couple minutes, then wipe it off and buff it. I tried that , but my top was so faded that it wasn't making much of a difference without adding coat after coat. I make a judgement call and slathered it on thick to let it really soak into the paint and dry. I figured I could use a buffer later on to get rid of the excess and runs.
I also made sure to mask off the windows and underneath the top to keep the penetrol off, and managed to get the rear window off and back on myself without breaking it.
Top view. Just that little bit makes all the difference, but once it soaks in the oxidation starts to show again.
Hardtop after Penetrol:
At this point it was looking much better, but even after buffing with a microfiber cloth the top was still looking streaky. I went ahead and pulled out the orbital buffer and got some Meguiar's Ultimate Compound to kill those streaks and really bring out the "sheen" in the top.
Again, I taped off areas I didn't want the foam pad or the compound touching. Yeah I know my jeep is sideways but I needed the light lol.
I went over every area a couple of times and used the compound very liberally to make sure I wasn't leaving any splotches or streaks behind. It came out very glossy (which is how you know it worked), and I actually like it that way. Nice, smooth, streakless, clean finish.
I managed to fling compound everywhere so the jeep needed a wash today. Here are photos of the top after my wash, with before photos to compare to.
Before and afters:
There are a few small splotchy areas that I can't make go away, but shy of painting the top, I think this is the closest I can get to restoring it. I think with a good wax (which I plan to do) I can keep this looking fresh for awhile.