I'm considering painting my '94 Trooper with Rustoleum flat black, rolled on. The original paint on my Trooper is in very poor condition, all scratched up all over the vehicle and almost missing completely on the hood (due to the California sun). I would like to have the opinions of those who have used Rustoleum to paint their vehicles...Were you satisfied and would you honestly do it again on a vehicle you planned on keeping for at least a few years? Your feedback will be very much appreciated.
Rolled-on Rustoleum flat black paint job on '94 Trooper... Opinions, please!
- Thread starter LJinLA
- Start date
4x4x4doors
Explorer
Had an aunt do it to a Buick. Actually turned out pretty nice. She kept it a couple of years before selling it. Always parked outside. When this picture was taken, it was wet from slow melt.
IdaSHO
IDACAMPER
With the proper prep and using hardener it can be pretty nice.
I used rustoleum for the exterior paint on my custom camper.
Incredibly tough and cheap.
I thinned with Naptha, used a valspar hardener, and rolled using small sponge rollers.
Just dont expect it to maintain a shine very long.
it will "chalk" after a while in the elements.
I used rustoleum for the exterior paint on my custom camper.
Incredibly tough and cheap.
I thinned with Naptha, used a valspar hardener, and rolled using small sponge rollers.
Just dont expect it to maintain a shine very long.
it will "chalk" after a while in the elements.
tanglefoot
ExPoseur
I was thinking about rolling but ended up spraying instead (Rustoleum glossy white spraycans). I liked the result. Did the entire truck and camper. The simple, opaque colors seem to turn out much better than the more complex ones. I had tried spraying metallic blue previously and that did not turn out nearly as well. I would do it again. I've had it about 10 years since then and plan to keep it much longer.
nfpgasmask
Adventurer
To be honest, unless it is a throwaway vehicle, I would never, ever paint it flat. True flat will look like crap very quickly. It will fade, get chalky, stain and generally look just as bad as your Trooper does now. How do I know this? Because been there done that.
You would be much, much better off just getting a MAACO quick spray job. It will look 100 times better and last much longer. The process of masking off an entire vehicle is the worst part, and if you go with flat you will have do a lot of upkeep to maintain the look, which I assure you will look bad right from the get go.
Now, if you are talking about a MATTE finish, this is slightly different. Matte is different than flat. Matte is more like an eggshell finish. Matte finishes will have a more uniform look, and will be easier to wash and maintain. Matte finishes can look really cool when done right, but I doubt you will accomplish a good finish with a roll on method.
I spray painted my first Trooper with Krylon flat. It looked awesome...for about 2 weeks. Then it look horrid and the sun destroyed it rapidly.
If you're on a budget, a $300-$500 MAACO job is going to be better, quicker, easier and last longer.
Bart
You would be much, much better off just getting a MAACO quick spray job. It will look 100 times better and last much longer. The process of masking off an entire vehicle is the worst part, and if you go with flat you will have do a lot of upkeep to maintain the look, which I assure you will look bad right from the get go.
Now, if you are talking about a MATTE finish, this is slightly different. Matte is different than flat. Matte is more like an eggshell finish. Matte finishes will have a more uniform look, and will be easier to wash and maintain. Matte finishes can look really cool when done right, but I doubt you will accomplish a good finish with a roll on method.
I spray painted my first Trooper with Krylon flat. It looked awesome...for about 2 weeks. Then it look horrid and the sun destroyed it rapidly.
If you're on a budget, a $300-$500 MAACO job is going to be better, quicker, easier and last longer.
Bart
Hondaslayer
Adventurer
Have you considered truck bed liner? IIRC you can get a few different colors now (back when I could only get black) and it's tough as nails.
Zeiderman
Adventurer
I did the front bumper on my CJ5 several years ago, I mixed satin and flat and then thinner. Buffed when done and looking straight on it's flat, off angle has a little deep shine to it. Durable???? Very I step, sit, place tools on it etc. Holds up very well. While nice, it is time consuming. I snap some pics later today.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Kmrtnsn
Explorer
I have a friend with an Fj80 that is flat black above the belt line and Bed-liner below, looks bad-*** but I bet his AC works a lot harder than mine does. I know another guy who had a shop paint his pick up in olive drab liner type material and it looks amazing. Me, I'd spray it with something like Dura-bak textured coating in desert tan.
Some love it, some hate it...
So, looking at the responses here, on the other forum and the responses I've gotten in email...it's clear that some who have done the Rustoleum job on their vehicles love it, while others hate it. It's almost as if they are talking about two very different types of paint. It's a bit confusing, indeed.
Let's keep the responses coming...guy, I much appreciate them.
I'm very tempted to go for it, when reading the positive feedback. Maybe I'll do the hood first, which is in pretty dire condition, and see how that turns out.
So, looking at the responses here, on the other forum and the responses I've gotten in email...it's clear that some who have done the Rustoleum job on their vehicles love it, while others hate it. It's almost as if they are talking about two very different types of paint. It's a bit confusing, indeed.
Let's keep the responses coming...guy, I much appreciate them.
I'm very tempted to go for it, when reading the positive feedback. Maybe I'll do the hood first, which is in pretty dire condition, and see how that turns out.
It would be great to see the pics.. What did use as thinner?
nfpgasmask
Adventurer
The thing is, what looks good is subjective and will very person to person. I actually like the "flat" look on the right vehicle when done well. It has a very military-ish look and that can be cool. But there is fine line between it looking like crap and it looking good. And from my personal experience, with cheap paint, it will look good at first, but it will be hard to maintain and it will fade and chip fast. I also think, that flat black is the worst color because any imperfections are going to be very noticeable right away. With lighter colors, like the khacki color I did on my first Trooper, imperfections will hide easier.
So, for instance, to me, these examples look absolutely ghetto and horrid:
Now here's a quick example of what I would call "matte" black. Like I said above, more of any eggshell finish than a truly flat finish. This, on the right vehicle and when done well, can look pretty cool:
So it really just comes down to your personal preference.
Another thing to consider is heat. I don't know what color your Trooper is now, but if it is a lighter color, you will soon find that is hellish to be inside once it is black. My VX is black and when it's hot outside, it's pretty miserable to be in.
HTH,
Bart
So, for instance, to me, these examples look absolutely ghetto and horrid:
Now here's a quick example of what I would call "matte" black. Like I said above, more of any eggshell finish than a truly flat finish. This, on the right vehicle and when done well, can look pretty cool:
So it really just comes down to your personal preference.
Another thing to consider is heat. I don't know what color your Trooper is now, but if it is a lighter color, you will soon find that is hellish to be inside once it is black. My VX is black and when it's hot outside, it's pretty miserable to be in.
HTH,
Bart
Zeiderman
Adventurer
Mineral spirites, thin it to the consistency of milk. Also stir, don't shake, even with the initial can. I just used the cheap roller and tray sets from Wally. Wet said between coats when dry with soap and water.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Last edited:
The thing is, what looks good is subjective and will very person to person. I actually like the "flat" look on the right vehicle when done well. It has a very military-ish look and that can be cool. But there is fine line between it looking like crap and it looking good. And from my personal experience, with cheap paint, it will look good at first, but it will be hard to maintain and it will fade and chip fast. I also think, that flat black is the worst color because any imperfections are going to be very noticeable right away. With lighter colors, like the khacki color I did on my first Trooper, imperfections will hide easier.
So, for instance, to me, these examples look absolutely ghetto and horrid:
Now here's a quick example of what I would call "matte" black. Like I said above, more of any eggshell finish than a truly flat finish. This, on the right vehicle and when done well, can look pretty cool:
So it really just comes down to your personal preference.
Another thing to consider is heat. I don't know what color your Trooper is now, but if it is a lighter color, you will soon find that is hellish to be inside once it is black. My VX is black and when it's hot outside, it's pretty miserable to be in.
HTH,
Bart
Thanks for the pictures/examples. Yes, I also like the military look of flat black. I've seen it on a couple of 1st gen Troopers, and it was outstanding. In both cases, it was done with Rustoleum flat black and the owners have said they would do it again. They also added, though, that they are not particularly picky about their trucks, favoring function over looks. Flat black is easy to re-touch when scratched. I doubt the same thing can be said about "matte" black, as in your third picture, though I admit it looks very cool.
My Trooper is dark blue...the heat has never bothered me a bit in this vehicle since buying it two and a half years ago.
Do you happen to remember what the percentage was, approximately? I've seen 20% mineral spirits recommented a lot by those who generally liked the outcome of their painting.
Also, do you remember if it was the old style (badly-smelling, highly-polluting) mineral spirits, by many considered to be the real thing, or the new odorless kind?
Last edited: