Bedliner...blasphemy?

I've been doing a lot of research on Bed liners for the Willys. Although I'd like to keep everything stock (rebuild with my grandfather, we like the original look) the tub itself is fiberglass from the PO. The bedliner is an option for 1) aesthetics and 2) durability.

the tub is 40 years old and fading fast. I don't want it to flake away.

Has anyone done a fiberglass tub? Pros and cons?

I don't want to debate products, just converse about the idea and process in general!

**56 cj5 - 4cyl f-head**

 

Using bedliner on the interior is a common addition. I don't care for the appearance, but usually the bedliner is colored black, and I think the contrast looks strange. You can color the bedliner to almost any color you like. Some have done the bedliner all-over - it's a look. I don't see the advantage for a fiberglass tub.

Why don't you sand out the tub and paint it? I don't think it will be that much more work than bedliner - you're going to need to prepare the surface for bedliner anyway. Catalyzed auto paint (2K acrylic enamel or acrylic urethane) is very tough, tougher than the fiberglass gel coat certainly. Whatever you spray on will only be as durable as its bond with whatever is underneath.

Any all-over paint job will be a big investment in time and effort. One option is for you to prepare the Jeep (strip the seats, lights, windshield, etc.), sand and prep the body, then take it to a one-day paint shop for painting. I've done a couple of cars this way, and they turned out very good, much better than I expected.

SPI sells a polyurea bedliner kit that is well regarded. You should be able to get your local auto paint store to tint it for you, if you want a specific color. They have a forum you can read - http://www.spiuserforum.com/forumdisplay.php?43-Bedliner& - click on the product - http://www.southernpolyurethanes.com/Product lines.htm

 

One disadvantage I see to bed liner is that it's tough to get off. Makes it hard to change colors if you or a future owner want a new look. Our A1 has bedliner applied by the previous owner. I don't like it.

I think Tim's suggestion is a good way to go.

 

@Tim

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm not ruling anything out at this point. I would just like to clean the whole rig up and make it look nice again.

Like I stated, I really am looking for a clean/durable look. I don't HATE the way a bedliner looks if it's done right but, I've seen more than my far share of $hitty rolled on jobs out there as well! The Jeep at this point is striped inside so now is as good of a time as any to get this cleaned up.

 

I used Turboliner on the glass tub of the flatty but I only put it on around the lip of the tub where the top would wear the paint off, under the cowel windshield gasket, and on the sill protection. I don't have a problem with it on the interior but I don't like the whole tub done with it. For the record, that glass tub is also about 40 years old and actually holding up well.

Whatever you do, don't use Herculiner. My experience with that crap is that it fades at a rate someplace close to the speed of light.

 

Also, check Craig's List for auto painters looking for work. Sometimes you can find an independent or individual that will spray the paint inexpensively, if you do all the prep.

 

So, obviously the prep for fiberglass is not going to be as involved as etching a metal tub.

In searching various forums and "how-to's" it looks like most people do the following:
1)Clean with warm sudsy water
2)Degrease
3)Sand the gelcoat down with 200+ grit
4)Clean again
5)Sand again
6)Clean again
7)Clean again

The key being, cleaning it over and over to ensure that you have a solid base for the acrylic to adhere to?

 

I think it's like painting over old paint, that the new paint needs some "tooth" to hold to.

That's likely more steps than you need. I'd say clean it with Dawn dishwashing soap (always the recommended soap for this - don't know why) and clean water. Then, if it's not painted, it's likely enough to go over it with a red Scotchbrite pad and get into every nook and cranny. Then tack it, and wipe it down with quality wax and grease remover, and you're ready for primer.

The etch primer is only for bare steel, and it's mostly used by body shops. They like it because it's fast. Custom shops and amateurs typically use epoxy primer for a first coat.

I've never painted fiberglass, but if the body has never been painted, I expect you will need a primer coat before you apply anything more, be it paint or bedliner. Always read the applications information for the products that you use - that will tell you what you can put under or over each product, what the time window is, and so forth.

If you are really serious about this, I suggest you ask here http://www.autobody101.com/forums/ or on the SPI forums for recommendations. If you take it somewhere for paint, the painter should wipe it down again... but you will want to deliver it as clean as possible.

Also - regarding Dawn - likely any dish soap will work, but Dawn is a proven brand that works well and that's what everybody recommends. Some car wash soaps have silicones in them (will leave fish eyes in the paint), and you want to avoid anything that might have strange additives. You will be safe with Dawn.

 

Tim-Dawn is used because of its ability to emulsify grease and oily substances. Works well when a dog gets skunked for the same reason.

 

@TIM

Thanks for all the responses!

Yes, I am serious about getting it done. I know sometimes things come along hap-hazardly but, since everything is out of the tub, why not move forward on this portion of the restore! Right?

Here's a fairly recent picture. The Jeep itself in my grandfather's barn so, I haven't got a more recent one but, you can get the jist of what the inside looks like right now.

 

Re Dawn -

Yes, that makes sense.

But I still wonder what is special about Dawn instead of say, Palmolive? They are both detergents, and they both should emulsify grease and oil equally well. Hmm.

Anyway, I now buy nothing but Dawn for washing dishes.

 

Yes, looks like it's never been painted.

You can take the hood, fenders and grille off, and paint those separately. You can also paint most of the firewall without removing the engine - then it will be the same color when you open the hood.

I kinda think this would be a comparatively easy job, since it's never been painted and there's no body work or rust to deal with. I would paint it myself.

 

Yeah, everything seems to be on the level as far as the body. No cracks or holes that shouldn't be there!

Funny story...when I was 13 or so my grandfather decided that I was old enough to learn to drive the jeep around the farm...at the time, the brakes weren't in the best shape so he said "Just use the clutch there, and you'll be fine! It's not like you're going to crash into anything" Well, I backed right into my grandma's clothes line and snapped the post in half! Luckily, it hit the mounted spare tire and not the body! Otherwise, we wouldn't even be talking about this!

I'm excited to start the cleanup, and I'll be sure to post the before and after pictures!

I'll just take my sweet time and get it done right the first time! As my grandfather says, if you can hang your name on it at the end of the day, that's all the approval you'll ever need.

 

An auto paint store can supply you with a "pre-wash" which is made to dissolve grease and wax. The also have special wiping towels that are extremely low lint. They aren't tack cloths; I like 'em better since they aren't sticky. Use rubber gloves in a fresh air environment.

I like the idea of using a bedliner, but I'd still want to have a relatively smooth surface. POR 15 could work as well, although it would have to be top coated -- but you could top coat with any color you want. You also can get tinted POR15 if I recall correctly.

 

Hate to be negative, but POR-15 on fiberglass? It's no harder than catalyzed auto body paint, and it weathers badly. And its main attraction is how it covers rust ...

 

Yeah, I appreciate your input as that's what I asked for but, I don't think that POR15 is the product that I'll need to lay down on a fiberglass tub. As I've read, it's mainly a rust inhibitor and a base for their secondary product be it colored paint, or a raptor liner type product.

**thanks for the heads up on the degreaser and the towels Kamel, that's something I'll need regardless of the final product**

 

I did my metal tub with a textured roll on, Plasticote I think. I like the way it looks and so far it seems to be fairly durable.


It certainly looks a lot better than it did!