rocker panel paint/protection

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captainphx

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Hey Guys,

I am thinking about painting the rocker panels black, (along the bottom of the doors on either side of the truck, between the wheel wells). Couple of questions.

Can they paint right over the stock paint? Do the doors have to be removed?
I wouldn't mind if that area of the doors had additional protection (other than just paint) against scratches. Is there something that might be better than paint for that area?
 

Mil T

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Alot of vehicles are painted with a textured type paint like a light bedliner paint and then painted the stock color with the same oem paint over the textured paint. You should be able to paint over the stock paint just by doing some sanding and painting with no problem. If you going to rattlecan it then use Rustoleum paint. It gives the best coverage for what you are doing. If you want a really professonal job then take it to a paint shop.
Mil T
 

Dv8tor

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Umm instead of destroying your factory paint job finish, why not just put a piece of clear vinyl from the body crease down on the lowers? Take it to a graphics body wrapping shop and ask them to cover the lowers. Sanding and tapping off the lower and then painting them is going to be a f'ing disaster. Now your going to have a tape line around the whole truck. Not to mention, if you get it cleared over depending on if you want them to cut the clear coat off at the edge of the "new" paint edge you run the risk of the clear flaking off. If you want it done the correct way, the doors will have to be taken apart but still left on the truck, rip the bed side graphics off(if equipped with that option) remove the tail lights and bed rail covers, remove the flares, remove the headlights and fender vents, sand the entire side of the truck, and clear it that way because you want the whole side of the truck to match. And then depending on how nice the spray booth is an how good of a masking job they do, you might get some over-spray on the truck other than the panels you want painted which is. Pain in the ass to remove. And your truck will never be the same ever again. I'd stick to the vinyl idea if it was me. That's what I'm going to be doing to mine shortly.
 

Fred

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Great advice...you could even go with a 3M Vinyl by Avery...the colors are endless...

Of course there is always Plastidip right over the paint...if you mess up or don't like just peel it off no harm and at $6 a can very inexpensive...
 

Marcs

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I would use 3m clear film if I were you. Altering the vehicle's appearance like that is not going to be good for your resale value.
 
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captainphx

captainphx

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Great advice...you could even go with a 3M Vinyl by Avery...the colors are endless...

Of course there is always Plastidip right over the paint...if you mess up or don't like just peel it off no harm and at $6 a can very inexpensive...

So definitely won't be painting. I am planning on doing the plastidip, just to make sure I like it, and then maybe vinyl. But, how durable is the plastidip? Does it hold up to car washes, for instance?
 
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