Bed Liner for Stregth, and scratch repair

[dpricenator]

This was discussed briefly in another thread yesterday and I wanted to post it here for the rest of the forums.

When I got the Parma Grave Digger Body, it had already been painted on the inside. I got it on clearance and must have been a return, because why would you paint the inside before you drilled holes? Maybe that's why it was returned. Anyway.......I was stealing the body idea from @Vanning. He had sprayed truck bed liner on the roof and hood, saying it protected the lexan from unsightly scratches. Well here is my experience with it.

I masked off everything but the roof and hood, starting just below the transition from the horizontal surface to the vertical surface. I sprayed a decent coat of grey primer down and let it do a quick dry in the sun. Then I went with 2 heavy coats of truck bed liner. I used the $11 can at walmart, figuring it would be better than the $6 can. I let it dry, but not set, which was a mistake. When I peeled the masking tape back, it messed my edges up in a few spots, but over all, it looked good. Nice matte black slightly textured finish. Well over the next 10 sessions, I took some pretty good crashes, a couple long asphalt slides, etc. There were scratches all over the roof and hood. On one particularly long slide I wore thru the bed liner. the roof looked like it had a bad road rash.

So last night I taped off the car again. Grabbed some 150 grit and knocked down all the heavy scratches, and loose paint. Then set it out on my ramp and sprayed it again. after 2 heavy coats, I brought it back in to dry. This orning I untapped it, taking more care to pull down and away at a 45* angle. Edges look good this time. And while the surface is not ever going to be perfect, considering I didn't fill or bondo the scratches, it looks great. All the edges are cleaned up, and it again has nice clean roof and hood.

Only problem, is that this time around I Used the $6 can, figuring it couldn't be that much worse than the $11 can. I know I'm an idiot. Yeah the $11 is way better and I am sure there are many other products that would be even better. The $6 can at walmart has a slightly shiny surface. Not glossy, but a bit shiny. I figure I can use a can 2 or 3 times to clean up the body and each time the places that didn't get scratched up just get stronger. Anyway, it you have a rounded out body, like the VW Bug or the grave digger, or even a truck with a taller roof, this method will prolong the life of the lexan, and it's easy to get the paint job back to looking good.

Here is a pic with the scratches, and I'll get a new pic up here in a bit.

T-bone Bumper Front View

• dpricenator
• Jul 12, 2017
• 2

 

[dpricenator]

And here are a few of just the body showing the difference in a quick re-spray.

New Paint Sun

• dpricenator
• Jul 21, 2017

New Paint Roof

• dpricenator
• Jul 21, 2017

you can still see the scratches but they look a lot better.

New Paint, Dent

• dpricenator
• Jul 21, 2017
• 1

So I sent this thing on a trip to the moon, and landed on the rear corner of the body. I...

Hood

• dpricenator
• Jul 21, 2017

 

[Jlolley]

I use the paint on for the inside, but did use it on the outside roof and hood of my Outcast. Herculiner worked great in that application. Using. Dupli color now, cheaper but not as thick.

 

[steve p]

were did yo get that body!!!! I love it

 

[dpricenator]

It is a Parma Body, that I may have found on the Parma site. It was on clearance and came "Pre-Painted" with the black. I think that it may have been a return from someone who had already painted it. Otherwise who would paint the body before you bored out the mounting holes? Made for a tough job getting them drilled in the correct place. Magnets were they key to that. Anyway, 2 layers of dry wall mesh and 2 tubes of Shoe goo, and it's super tough. Especially since it no longer uses the center roll tower. Anyway, thanks. I really like that it covers the shock towers, protecting them and the rear socks from crash damage. I stole the body style from @Vanning 's Kraton. I liked it so much I had to do it and Just say sorry for the theft. It's not like we bash the same spot or anything.

 

[Vanning]

I'm back to cutting new lexan for my new RC build. My old faithful VW bugs body had to get retired. No more life was left in it for bashing. I wish someone would make indestructible bodies for 1/10 and 1/8. I've seen them for the X-Maxx. Someone in Russia makes them. They are some sort of rubber. Also... some sort of better body mount system would be nice.