At last, with all the body prep done, I can get to the topcoat. First, yes, that is my driveway. Not a dust free environment, for sure, but I'm going on the cheap with this one.
Taped off and ready.
This is the first coat done.
I wasn't worried about getting high build-up on the first pass. It's more of a starter coat so that I can learn how the spray gun works and what tweaks my technique needs. In the pic below, you'll note a few runs. I was able to get them to go away.
Multiple coats on it now.
A bit dark, but it's giving you a sense of what it will be.
A better shot. (That red primer on the bottom of the doors will be coated with bedliner later.)
To carry the black bedliner into other components was always the plan. I want to have the bumpers protected, as well as the aluminum and plastic grill. But first they need to be thoroughly cleaned.
Grill dismantled.
I went with Herculiner, which got good reviews and wasn't terribly expensive.
Believe it or not, all those jacaranda flowers weren't an issue in my "drying" bay (i.e., the kids' swing set).
The cowl vent and headlight surrounds were next.
This is just stamped aluminum, and it was all scratched up. I didn't want a new paint job with a battered grill, and I like the blacked out look.
The plastic center insert was also a bit rough and faded.
