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Bright red doors on a dark green jeep just didn't cut it. And although sound, they were getting tired both inside and out. So, for a quick and cheap fix, a trip to our local Canadian Tire was in order (www.canadiantire.ca). By the end of a few lazy afternoons worth of work, we had a colour matched set of doors just waiting to get some famous BC pin-striping that won't make us cringe or cry and can be touched up in a jiffy.
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We’re now ready to wipe the old paint down with our wax and grease remover to ensure we have a clean surface. Sanding time. Our doors were in pretty good shape so we started with 320 grit on a sanding block to scuff the surface for primer. We don't have to take it down to bare steel, just enough to give the primer something to bite into. This is still factory paint on our doors, so we don't want to sand too deep and take off our factory-galvanizing coat. Remember to keep clear of the edges of your work area, as it is easy to go down to the bare steel here. In hard to reach areas, the scuffing pads get the nod for their ability to prep the surface and conform into different shapes needed in tight areas.
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Surface sanded/scuffed and almost ready for primer. In our example we could see some high and low spots. The highs were easily sanded out and lows were fixed with a little 3M Bondo we picked up. They were less than an 1/8" deep so the body filler will work out great. Following the directions included, we mixed, filled, let harden and sanded smooth, remembering to feel the surface with your fingertips for high and low spots. Your final product will show any defects missed at this point, so take your time.
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Taping up anything we don't want to get paint on, and after another quick wipe down with our wax and grease remover, we're ready for primer. Primer is used for a few reasons. One is to seal the old paint and possible bodywork we just applied. Another is to give our topcoat of paint something to bite into and keep from peeling off. Primer also gives us a nice uniform colour and texture for our final paint. Without it, our paint could peel, bubble, or show through to the bodywork under it. There are many choices and types of primers available; pick one that will be compatible with whatever paint you choose to put on top.
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After waiting the required drying time, we gave our door a quick sanding with 400-grit to prep it for paint. FINALLY! Because of the strength of our wax and grease remover, we decided against using it to clean off our primer before our topcoat. We washed the surface with a combination of Medical alcohol and water. This gently cleans the surface and removes the electrical charge built up in the panel, helping metal flake paints to lay flat. Following the directions on the can of paint, we applied two coats waiting for the appropriate time between them. You’re finished the exterior, next issue we’ll makeover the interior panels.
Story & photos by Bryan Irons
For every old adage you’ve heard, an opposing one exists, ”It’s what’s on the inside that counts.” For us off-roaders, this statement rings true. If your rig does not have “the goods” where it counts on the inside, it doesn’t matter what it looks like, right?
”Outward appearances can be deceiving.” Also true, and many times applies to us as well. Nobody likes to be seen in a beat up, faded, rusty jalopy, even if it is mechanically sound. Sure it gets attention, but often not the right kind (ie: Officer Ruinyourday). To spruce up your rig, you can get doors or fenders from a wrecker, but finding one that is the right colour can cause you to pull your hair out, so most likely a paint job is required. Who really wants to spend big bucks at a shop to paint your bush rig? Not “I.” But something HAD to be done with the recently acquired half-doors for our trail rig.
To revamp the exterior, our supplies included: Norton sand paper in assorted grits (www.nortonabrasives.com), a small Norton sanding block, maroon 3M paint and body scuff pads, 3M masking tape, a wax and grease remover that leaves no residue, 3M Bondo (3mcollision.com), some medical alcohol, primer and Dupli-color colour matching paint (www.duplicolor.com). While you’re there, grab a few dust masks and rubber gloves.
Canadian Tire has a wide selection of Dupli-color colour matching paints for most domestic and imported vehicles. Bring in you vehicles paint code or match it to the cap of the can. If you are dealing with a custom colour, many paint supply locations can make rattle cans in custom colours.
Our first step was to clean and disassemble the body panels to a point where you can easily work on them, preferably off the vehicle. For us, this included the latches, mirrors, interior door panel and trim. Get some sandwich bags and label them with what hardware you put in them; it’s a time saver in the end! This was fairly straight forward and simple; if you have any doubts about your parts or in dismantling your rig, pick up a Haynes manual for your vehicle while your at Canadian Tire for other supplies. Make sure to clean them up as best you can both inside and out; dust and debris missed at this point can come back and cause havoc to your final results. A good exterior soap will do just fine such as TSP (Tri-Sodium Phosphate). If you are doing a door like us with interior panels, give it a wash after it’s apart as well.