Painting the Rockers

[LocoLocal]

Does anyone have experience with painting just the rockers after replacement? What did you do?

My floor pan replacement has turned into a floor pan, inner and outer rocker and floor support replacement. The truck's paint is original and otherwise the body and paint are in decent shape so I don't want to mess with it too much. Luckily, the truck is black and so are the replacement sheet metal parts but I know there will be some paint removed during the cutting and welding process. Seeing as it's lower on the truck, I don't think it will be as noticeable (at least not more noticeable than the status quo of rusty, hole-y rockers), so I figured I would just paint the spots where paint has to be taken off for the patch job.

Any tips or advice would be appreciated. I am a terrible mechanic and an even worse body guy!

 

[Ricko1966]

Put up some pics of the area,cl9se and from far enough so I can see where we can blend or hide the paint lines.

 

[Grit dog]

Just like you’d paint anything else. Smooth, sand, prep, mask off areas to be primed and painted, cover the rest of the truck from overspray, prime and paint.

 

[Grit dog]

Put up some pics of the area,cl9se and from far enough so I can see where we can blend or hide the paint lines.

Good point, or even better. Original paint below the belt line can’t be “that” good still can it? Rock chips, little bubbly bubbly, undersides blasted form years of road use? Voids full of dirt/mud/debris need cleaned?
Painting the whole truck belt line down would serve to protect it better if it’s gonna be driven and or stored in less than prefect conditions.
That whole area and over the wheel wells is where 90% of the rust starts.

 

[LocoLocal]

Put up some pics of the area,cl9se and from far enough so I can see where we can blend or hide the paint lines.

Still working on the welding process but I will get some up. Getting after it an hour here and an hour there so it may not be for another couple of weeks.

 

[LocoLocal]

Good point, or even better. Original paint below the belt line can’t be “that” good still can it? Rock chips, little bubbly bubbly, undersides blasted form years of road use? Voids full of dirt/mud/debris need cleaned?
Painting the whole truck belt line down would serve to protect it better if it’s gonna be driven and or stored in less than prefect conditions.
That whole area and over the wheel wells is where 90% of the rust starts.

It definitely isn't that good, but I am also not striving for perfection. The front wheel wells are good, the back wheel wells are not. Those will be done eventually. I can live with the rust in those sections but couldn't live with the rust in the cab. This is a really good suggestion and would likely save me time down the road but I don't think I am going to dive in that deep right now - just sticking to cab rust remediation. I would love to repaint the whole truck one day.

 

[Grit dog]

^10-4. Then what I’d do is prep everything that you’ve repaired for paint.
Scuff the surrounding areas you would blend into with 1000grit, tape it off slightly higher than you scuffed and then shoot the bare metal with 1 shot of epoxy or etching primer and then single stage color coat the new parts and most of the scuffed blend area and then plan on a little light sanding and polishing at the blend area if you wish or it don’t look as good as you’d hoped.

 

[LocoLocal]

^10-4. Then what I’d do is prep everything that you’ve repaired for paint.
Scuff the surrounding areas you would blend into with 1000grit, tape it off slightly higher than you scuffed and then shoot the bare metal with 1 shot of epoxy or etching primer and then single stage color coat the new parts and most of the scuffed blend area and then plan on a little light sanding and polishing at the blend area if you wish or it don’t look as good as you’d hoped.

Man, this is an awesome, thorough response. Much appreciated!

 

[Grit dog]

Might sound complicated but watch some videos. And it’s also the perfect area to practice since it’s not as visible.
And it’s also not like if you screw it up it’s permanent. You can simply “erase” what you don’t like and do it over a bit differently.

 

[LocoLocal]

Might sound complicated but watch some videos. And it’s also the perfect area to practice since it’s not as visible.
And it’s also not like if you screw it up it’s permanent. You can simply “erase” what you don’t like and do it over a bit differently.

That last sentence is comforting.

I think your advice was very straight forward. I’ve been watching a lot of videos and there's a lot of different tips and tricks that different people use. I've tried to keep track of all that.

I hope my next post is post-fabrication, but I am still working on finishing up the welding and have a kid due March 31. So the clock is ticking...