Cheap flat paint

[MyJeepXJ]

WalMart...

Krylon... Flat camo pain in a rattle can...

I did my entire S-10 Blazer in OD Green, except for trim, bumper and grill, I did in flat black.

You will need to repaint every 2 years or so, but its an easy and fun job, and not very expensive!!

Heres some pictures, the paint was about 3 years old, and I just sold the truck... HTH!
http://www.supermotors.org/vehicles/registry/detail.php?id=8583

 

[90KrawlerXJ]

CamoX has the correct proportions for the MERDEC scheme. I used Aervoe desert colors for mine (Earth Brown, Sand, and a little Earth Yellow). I will caution that these colors look a little pastel when applied, but they fade slightly to a more mellow color. Aervoe (www.aervoe.com) is what the military uses for its vehicles and you can buy the paint by the gallon or my favorite, the rattle can. The prep work is crucial, give the paint a rough surface ie 220 grit. I used countless tack cloths before and during painting to ensure a dust free surface. I freehand drew the pattern on my XJ with chalk. If you want an unfinished look, cut out some round and odd shapes of cardboard to shield and somewhat mask lines between colors. I used electrical tape to get a very crisp line between each color, but it meant about 5 hrs of masking between colors. Electrical tape works well because it can be curved in a very tight pattern and is cheap; however, it must be removed as soon as the paint is dry or it will leave residue that sucks to clean. If you go this route, it will leave a ridge between colors, but you can carefully knock it down with Scotchbright

 

[mike86xj]

here is one more tip for those of you who are doing a flat paint over bodywork.
you want to make sure that you use something to seal the bodywork/bare metal area's.
either a primer/sealer or acrylic enamel paint, basically if it has a shine to it it's good.
regular acrylic primer does not seal very well neither does base coat paint, the clear coat provides the protection
I don't know about the krylon stuff, but whatever you use just ask if it seals the surface or not.

Later Mike

 

[PosiDave]

I herculined my old xj with spray in bedliner. I cleaned it with dishsoap and than hand sanded it real fast to get rid of some of the paint fade. I would say if you wanna spend the extra 40 bucks use that under the flat paint. It has bene on for like 2 years but has been sititng for the past 7 months with a blown t-case. it doesnt scratch off as easy as the flat paint.

 

[XJCasper]

My matching Paint of choice for my 1996 XJ is a Gray Hamorite Rustolium.

 

[Volusiaguy]

Posidave and Casper...any pics of the grey rustoleum and the spray-on bedliner xj's?

Thanks

 

[dbswede]

cant be done for 50 bucks like the photo bucket...orange and red cost 150-200 bucks plus clear coat.

 

[8Mud]

This may not fit the "cheap flat" portion of the question, but you can get what is essentially automotive paint at a farm or tractor supply store - the same stuff you'd use to repaint your tractor! Better quality than the rattle can but lower price than automotive paint.

I found almost the same thing at/near the boat repair yards (nearby large river). The same two part (actually 3 part paint, hardener and thinner) Acrylic, used for automotive, but not quite so shinny, more like a satin finish. But it is non porous and doesn't hold stains like a true flat paint does. No clear coat required, unless you want a real shine.
I researched the stuff, It's basically Dupont (under several different labels) and is actually the same mix labeled truck paint.
I found it for about half the price of typical automotive paint. They ordered in 55 gallon drums instead of cans and could mix any color you wanted. I brought my own containers and saved a few more bucks.
I like spraying the old style Acrylic, you can put it on thick.
I've put Acrylic on with a small foam roller, with surprisingly good results. The neighbors bitch when i spray, so I save the compressor for special jobs.

 

[Waterhammer]

I painted a CJ frame with a two part polyurethane I used to use on boat hulls. I thought the stuff was great. 5 years sitting in the elements while I work on it, no fade, chips, anything. I never knew why more offroaders didn't use it. Really hard stuff. I have a cheap spray gun I bought at sears to I apply it with. The only thing to be careful about with those two part paints is that it's crucial to have good ventilation and use a respirator. A byproduct of combining the two parts is creating other compounds, isocyanide being one. That would suck to get in your lungs...