Spray Painting the Roof

Yeah spray painting may not be the best looking or most durable finish, but my roof got a few rust spots, so I had to touch them up. The clear coat is peeling hardcore (1988 XJ) Its burgandy, and I want to paint the roof black, because I can't find any spray paint to match the stock burgandy color.

My thoughts were to use Krylon Gloss Black, but I am debating whether to primer the whole roof, or just where the rust spots were cleaned up. Anybody have any suggestions on better paint? I'm not lookin at spending too much money, but I dont want it to come up right away either.

Last question, What is the best way to get the flaky clear coat off the roof? I would like to keep as much factory paint as I can on there, because that stuff is baked on, so i'm guessing it is going to protect better than just spray paint. Wet sand? 1000 grit? Something rougher? On about 1/3 of the roof, I can scratch the clear with my finger nails...

Wet sand with 400 or 500, I'd recommend using Duplicolor semigloss black enamel, not lacquer. The semigloss will look neat and not show imperfections like the gloss will, spray can gloss black on that big of an area will probably not turn out so good.

Rough up the roof some, take off the flaking clear coat, don't just start spraying on paint. I wouldn't expect primer to be necessary except where you're down to bare metal. If you don't prep the roof right, the new paint WILL flake off. Also, you may want to try parking up/down hill or on a side hill, so you can hold the spray can more upright.

wet sand the flaking clearcoat, then paint right over it.

Uh oh better get Maaco!:laugh3:

rustoleum is the best spray paint on the planet!!

that being said krylon is the worst....

spray the whole thing with bedliner.

Bedliner is waaaaay to heavy. And expensive. I've had problems with Rustoleum clogging in the can, which is a little frustrating, and I've had problems with it scratching off real easy... I guess I gotta do a little price comparison and see what is worth it

Whqat hacked said is what I would do except I would go with a 220. You might want to use a good primer with rust inhibitor but it really does depend on your geo location/salt belt. I would also do the whole thing. Anothr good option is to Rhino the top!

Matt_S said:

Uh oh better get Maaco!:laugh3:

Click to expand...

I had Maaco paint my Heep. Half the roof is black and the rest is the factory silver color. From my bad experience with their paint flaking off make sure when you do it you rough up the sides of the raised areas where the roof rack bars go. Mine is flaking off something fierce right around those.
-Collin

I scuffed the roof of maine with a scotchbrite pad and sprayed it with Rustoleum. My paint was in good shape I just wanted a white roof to cut down on the sun's heat. It has been there for about a year and is holding up well.

The trails we ride are wooded so there are a lot of branches and the paint has held up well to the branches.

maaco sucks.
I painted the roof of my escort wagon with a rattle can.
Wet sanded the whole thing after I patched the rust holes from the rivets in the roof rack. I went down to 400. Then I went down to the parts store and got a few can's of duplicolor. I recommend it, had a nice fan spray pattern, not the round pattern that most cans have. it was much more like having a paint gun. You may want to invest in one of those spray can trigger deals, my finger hurt after holding down a spraycan button for that friggin long...