The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Back Yard Body Work

Have any of you folks ever painted a truck in the back yard. I have restored a few nice trucks from the ground up but my last buy is a 1957 one-ton dully chevy 235 4 speed with a 1963 GMC cab. I bought this truck for $350 because I wanted a winter beater. The truck was a crappy flat baby blue when I got it. Last weekend Maggie Mae and I painted the truck inside, and out, and under, gloss black. My thyought was that a heavy coat of paint could not hurt and the truck dose look better. I replaced the kingpins and fixed the back breaks and she is running like a watch. This paint job is not perfect as you can imagine, wet paint, outside on a breezy fall day but still looks ok. I have always belived that anything worth doing is worth doing right. Have I comitted a stovebolt crime or is it ok to get a quick caot on the old trucks for a little protection.

One does what he has to. Its Restoration and PRESERVATION. I think yours could fall into either or both catagories. I once painted a 50 pickup outside and after a little buffing I was as proud as a new papa. It looked good even from 10 feet. Remember, doing something is better than doing nothing. Oh, welcome to the Bolt!!

i got a buddy that paints all his cars in the yard... in aridzona... he just sands out all the sand and dirt.

Dan, I know it isn't the preferred way to do it, but since I don't own or have access to a paint booth or even an indoor shop, I have painted several cars and trucks in the back yard. All have turned out pretty well, but it can be frustrating because of flying insects and floating debris. You just have to resolve yourself to the idea that it isn't going to be perfect, but it will be much better than before. Check out the pics of my truck to see a 'backyard paint job'.

hay my brother owns a body shop and paints some cars out side all the 400 dollar jobs is out side and you do the taping off he says

I'm not sure if the EPA would quite approve of a body shop painting a car out side. We had a small 15 man fabrication shop, and we were shut down because of spray booth violations to the tune of a $1000 a day till we got it corrected. That was 20 years ago and we were only spraying plane old lacquer, the paints we use today are a bunch more hazardous and truly a threat to ones health.
Now of course as DYI technicians we can kind of sneak around the EPA, and bend the rules, unless a neighbor complains. Lucky me, I have one of those on each side of me!
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Dan
Yes, you have comitted a SERIOUS Stovebolt crime.

I did this truck on my front lawn without any shelter of any kind.

[img]http://tinyurl.com/yhjr9n[/img]

I fixed the hail dents, door dings and painted this Honda on my front lawn too.

[img]http://tinyurl.com/ykal57[/img]

In the driveway with a brush, until it's time . .
[img]http://thumb11.webshots.net/t/59/659/7/38/95/2922738950096215731cusvpc_th.jpg[/img]

I painted a jeep witha paintbrush a roller one it looked bad but not as bad as holes from rust

You would be supprised at how much wet sanding I've don to make a bad job look good,then buff with a good polishing compound.Mine looks like a pro.PS I'm just a welder.

Beaver: You'd be surprised by how many pros do that too.

Thanks for all the input I dont feel so bad in fact I am quite proud./Users/danthornton/Pictures/iPhoto Library/Originals/2006/Roll 173/DSCF0261.JPG

I have painted on the driveway and in the garage. You get less overspray on everything else if you paint outside. A good colorsanding and buff will bring out most any paint job.

I have to tell yall about my dad a long time ago!
I don't have proof but I remember when he painted a 31 Chevy! Ok ready for this with a hand pump fly sprayer in his driveway.

Chester, I remember watching my grandpa do the samething on a 56 pink and white Destoto front fender.
when he was done sanding and polishing it ya could'nt tell where the fender had been worked.
Welcome to the forum.
George

The current issue of Auto Restorer magazine has a good article by Larry Lyles on construction of an inexpensive paint booth using PVC pipe, sheet plastic, furnace filters and an attic fan.

I once heard of a guy using house paint and a roller on his vehicle. Then there's the guy who covered the entire body of his truck with sea shells.

[img]http://www.oldtruckstuff.com/mytrucks/front_one.jpg[/img]

Painted in the lawn with tractor paint and a brush.

Good to see some more like minded guys pop up around here!

I'm contemplating painting my beat around '88 K2500 with the same paint.. altho i'd probably use the paint in a sprayer for that one.

I'm of the opinion that a truck is built for working, and putting a high dollar nancy-*** expensive paintjob on it makes about as much sense as sewing boobs on a bullfrog.. but to each their own.

Some folks make you take your shoes off before they let you get in their truck, and keep it in a heated garage, never letting it see so much as a drop of rain for fear it'll ruin it.

I hop in my trucks with muck up to my knees in the rain, sleet, snow, hail.. every now and then i'll open both doors and hose it out.

It's a truck, not a caddy.

Whats a good primer and paint to use for the back yard paint job? I was checking out some vendors and was confused by all the different paints out there. I want to paint my burb in the spring. Thanks

sub65, I use Dupont Nason and have had good results with it. I am sure there are a number of others that would be fine as well. Since we are talking about an outdoor paint job, you wouldn't want to get the most expensive stuff around. Check with your local suppliers, compare prices and go from there.