Repainting Roof (Advice Needed)

Hello all,

I have a 2007 Double Cab coming up on 199,000 miles, been fixing up a few small things I've neglected here and there. A big one I'm planning to tackle this weekend is the roof, the winters here in Idaho are pretty heavy so I'm trying to get this done before winter. I have already bought the duplicolor paint for my color code, and yes i have also bought the molding for both sides that is missing, ($150 a pop from the dealer ).

Im looking for any and all advice for prepping and painting properly! Sand paper grit number, how many coats, how much to sand and when to sand, how many clear coats, cure time, etc.

Any advice/guidance would be helpful! I will be trying to paint it Friday night and letting it sit in the garage while I reseal the valve cover on Saturday, (found oil on a spark plug, ) never done that either so this weekend will be quite an adventure. Thank you for any advice!

 

When or if my roof fades,I am getting it Rhino lined in a matching color.
Good luck on your repair O.P.

 

My advice is to return the Duplicolor and get an automotive paint shop to do a custom color match base/clear spray can. I started doing that about 10 years ago. The quality of the final product is so much better it’s amazing! There are tons of great videos to help with prep. Get professional level sand paper and masking tape/paper too. It’s not really that much more expensive. Our local paint place is really helpful with advice and tips too.

 

How much is it to get a shop to get you a color match spray? What grit sandpaper?

 

I’m in SoCal and had my mgm roof repainted for 600 last year and you should be able to find the moulding a lot cheaper I paid 60 bucks for each (they’re side specific) from my local stealership and they’re known to ass rape

 

i'd sand it down, hit it with some 400 grit, then 800 and 1200 and then prime and paint it, nobody is going to be looking at your roof.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/step-by-step-how-to-spray-paint-with-quality-results.400182/

 

That's bad. I'd start with at most 320 and work in 3 stages until it feels smooth and looks gradient. Then hit it with a primer since you'll probably be to the original primer in some places. I'd honestly go all the way out to the first physical dimples in the steel, if not the doors. As others have said, duplicolor will not last more than a few years. Get a pro grade quart and quality 2k clear, then get ready to sand some more and buff to perfection

When in doubt, 3M.

 

if it's a real Toyota you'll make the roof white which is also cheaper

 

I can't help you with painting advice, but what is under where those tracks are that the trim slides in? I ask because my truck is newer and somehow a piece appears to be moving around. Is something going to leak under there? Is it hiding seams between different roof parts?

 

i think I paid $40 each? It wasn’t exactly cheap, but it was under $100 total with the primer but the match was perfect, and the clear laid out perfectly. I think it was 400 for prep with a good sanding block and a careful color sanding and polish afterwards. (All based on shop recommendations.) It was rust repair on my daughter’s Subaru. It was a nearly invisible repair when I was done.

 

I agree with the sandpaper grits above for the prep. Take your time on this part and ensure everything is smooth and no dust remains before spraying! Buy a tack cloth and wipe it all down before you spray.

Make sure you tape off and cover everything you are not painting to prevent overspray. Doesn’t really matter what paint you use as it’s on the roof! Use a good quality auto primer, however! I’d ensure that was smooth to the touch before basecoating as well. Use some 1500 grit and smooth out the primer.

For the clear, I would use Spraymax 2k Glamour. A bit expensive but well worth it!! Make sure you wear a respirator with that shit and ensure the activator is mixed in well before starting!

When spraying, try to do complete front to back or side to side coverage. Don’t stop in the middle then start again or you will have uneven spots. The way I painted mine was to hit it with two light overlapping coats, 5 minutes dry time between, then go thicker to get good even coverage. Do this with the clear as well. Make sure to give the base at least an hour dry time before hitting it with clear. Let the 2k clear dry 24 hours before WET sanding! Wet sand the clear with 1000, 1500, 2500 then buff with a wool pad and compound to bring out the shine.

I never thought I could do this using spray cans but mine turned out beautifully! Just take your time and use common sense. Post pics when you’re done!!!!

 

The #1 thing you need to deal with is removing and then sealing the bare metal where all of the rust is. If you do not treat / seal it properly it will come back very fast and ruin your new paint. You should look up a local automotive paint supply shop and go visit and ask their advice. I think you are going to find that the prep work along will take an entire day. First you have to remove the rust, then arrest / encapsulate it, then seal it, then prime it and then paint it…any short cuts and it will come back.

Also - most pro auto paint supply shops can mix and charge custom spray cans of actual pro quality paints for about $40 each and that is what you should use there is a massive quality difference. If they don’t do it locally call these guys and see if they can ship it https://www.mezaautopaint.com/

 

So in the channels there are two plastic clips that hold the rubber in and I assume is like 3m tape that was on the bottom of the rubber

 

Thank you all for the replys! I'll have to read through em all later and call around to some shops when I have more time, since it is the roof I'm not super worried about it looking perfect but definetly going to take all this information and weigh the cost/effort and come up with a plan. Thank you guys a ton!

 

Here’s what I did on a $40 budget:

- tape off sides of car and hood/windshield with plastic dropcloths & painters tape

- sand with 100 grit to remove surface rust and flaking clearcoat

- surface wipe with acetone to clean surface before painting

- spray with rustoleum rust converting paint

- spray with bedliner spray (I did 3 coats)
it took about 1/2 day for prep & paint but came out well, job done on the cheap

 

Looks good. I would certainly consider doing that if I had to. And my paint is MGM, so there is a pretty good chance I will. That or something more professional...

 

I got my whole truck painted a few months ago. Had the roof and part of the hood painted in satin black. Before this I had vinyl wrap on the roof and same pattern on the hood, and that thing baked on there real good with the hot southern Cali sun.

 

Has the Rustoleum kept the Rust off?

 

What kind of wrap did you get? Where did you buy it from?