The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop 1966 GMC Mild Restoration (Could use advice)

Hi guys.New to the forum.I got an old 1966 GMC 3/4 ton long bed.Im no expert on this sort of thing,but Im gonna try to do a mild restoration on this thing,by getting it running again and then giving it a rattle can paint job.First order of business will be to get it running.Its been sitting a LONG time.I got a new battery,new alternator,plugs,starter,oil,etc...So gonna try and get it running this week.
After that Im gonna paint it.Its got a lot of small dings where very mild surface rust is showing and I want to give it a paint job to preserve it from deteriorating any further.I figure I can always have it redone someday if it looks to ghetto.
So any advice along the way would be great.Any paint brand recommendations for a guy on a tight budget.Id like to hear some opinions on Rustoleum VS Dupli Color,or any other options.Thanks.
Heres a few pics of the old broad:

[IMG]http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q609/danzig1/IMG_4198.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q609/danzig1/IMG_4182-1.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q609/danzig1/IMG_4190.jpg[/IMG]

NIce truck Danzig

My opinion of course,
but, consider buying some quality, (but cheap) tractor or implement paint sold at tractor or farm supply stores; and compatible primer/sealer. I believe that Rustoleum and Valspar both make this type of paint and package it in quart cans.
They come in all sorts of colors including black; so you can approximate the original color in two tone like you have it now.
I think that you'll find that enough rattle cans will cost a small fortune and these types of paints when purchased in quart cans will be more economical. Results will be way better than the splotchy look of rattle can paint.
Now, you'd have to borrow or rent a compressor & spray gun, but I think you'd get a reputable job (better than rattle cans).

As far as prep, after thorough washing and cleaning, I'd invest in a can of wax and grease remover. Section at a time start wiping it down then sand that area down till it's scuffed up real good... You don't need to go down to bare metal; just enough to provide some "tooth" for the new primer/paint and expose the areas needing filler or repair. As for repairing dings... fill and level them with a good quality product like
EverCoat makes ...you can find a gallon their filler for $20 or so.

Once you get the truck prepped and masked off ; you can pop for the spray outfit rental and shoot it in one day...

my 2 cents!
mike

Forget the rattle cans and the rental and just roll and brush it on. Its clear your looking at lowest cost so look to get the best materials you can afford and go for it. I'd recommend more research on best painting practices and adjust those to your situation as best as possible. A rolled on paint job properly sanded between coats will look fine. Less Dime just takes more Time.

Back in the day it wasn't uncommon for someone to take house paint and a brush and paint the car/truck...now-a-daze they call it a rat rod and guys pay BIG bucks for that old look!

Alright.So I may just give the non rattle can option a try.Does seem to be cheaper and will no doubt give a better result.Ive used Dupli Color for minor projects in the past and liked it.But I also have heard good things about Rustoleum.Curious as to which brand offers the best protection?Seems both offer non rattle can options.

You can use rustoleum or "dupped into using it color" but not with the words "best protection".
If you go the brush or roller route add a little hardener and reducer and heat your paint up to 120 or so and it will flow out better.

I never understood why this body style isn't as popular as the 67-72. To comment on your preservation statement; I'd take the inner door panels off and clean anything out of there which will collect and hold moisture. Same thing with both front fenders because they tend to hold gobbs of dirt, leaves etc at the bottom rear of the fender. If you can afford it, buy a can or two of a good rust conversion chemical (like Eastwood)to stop the rust and prevent it from spreading.

I dont understand that either.The pre 1960 and post 1966 seem to be the most popular.
Anyways:Thanks to everybody for the advice and tips.Hope to fire it up tomorrow,after I put some fresh oil in it,as I think I got it to the point where it should run now.
Gonna wait till July--ish to paint it,so I know Ill have a window of a few good non rainy days.

Got the old gal running.So thats one step out of the way. Back to the paint.A few of you have chimed in on the rattlecan and it seems to not be the best route.So Im almost afraid to ask,but has anyone tried Maaco's economy $200+ paint job?
Im not looking for a show truck.I basically just want to protect it from the elements. Also curious if anyone has painted their trucks with this "POR 15" stuff?Not sure how that would work

If you do the prep work you'll get a better job from Macco with better quality paint than 200 of rattle can any day all day, POR isn't' paint' and doesn't play well with many brands of paint.

We used the POR-15 on the areas of fthe floor, and underside where there was rust present- we stripped down and wired wheeled all the rust we could from the metal - then cleaned and etched the metal with POR-15's marine clean and prep & ready before we painted the POR-15 on- then we shot over the POR-15 with Epoxy primer (or if the section wasn't being finish painted- we applied a coat of Chassis coat black over the POR-15). We have yet to see any adverse reactions betweent he POR-15 and the epoxy but keep in mind we only used the POR-15 on areas that had rust that we wanted to encapsulate places with solid metal that we weren't going to replace with new steel. The POR-15 is not supposed to be used as a finshed paint product-