machine23

So i was looking through a mustangs magazine the other day and was checking out an article about a 60's stang being redone. all of the paint was stripped off and it was just sitting in a shop waiting to be primed and painted. The natural color of the metal looked so awesome on this stang and it made me wonder how a 4runner would look with all the old crappy paint stripped off leaving behind bare metal. of course rust would be an issue, so maybe just a clear coat just to protect it. but im wondering if clear coat would stick to metal on its own. i dont know, but im really wanting to look further into this idea. a bare metal truck with black trim pieces and zero chrome, followed by hid lighting would just look badass to me. any thoughts?

i have like zero experience painting vehicles, so im really just looking for some input and or constructive criticism

MaK92-4RnR

bare metal is a beautiful thing. I did all the body work on my 67 mustang i seriously contemplated polishing it, and just spraying a clear coat on it. It might still with a 600-800 grit sand paper polish. who knows.

arlindsay1992

iTrader: (8)

No paint mean no body filler, no way to hide rust repairs. I agree it looks cool. Back when I was into BMX I loved raw metal frames. But a bicycle frame is easier to make than a car's body. You can't weld in patch panels and have them be invisible. But I suppose if you had a perfect 4Runner to begin with, it might work. But who would strip the paint off of a perfect 4Runner?

paintwerk

Why not just get it painted with a silver paint that looks like bare metal?

I would think there is going to be filler on even the most perfect 4 Runner, unless all the non removable panels (roof, rear quarters, etc.) are from 1 piece of steel.

It would look badass though.

scope103

If badass is what you want, what could be more badass than visible welding?

But I share his concern that clear coat won't stick well to bare metal (no primer). Surely somebody, somewhere, has tried this?

SCToy

There is a Datsun 510 coupe on ratsun with clear coat on bare metal. It's pretty cool.

machine23

so it is established that the bare metal look would definitely look awesome, especially with welding spots here and there. not worried about the filler, my runner has 270k, the body isn't perfect. just need to find out about clear coat over metal. to google i go! \m/

Dirt Driver

I guess I don't have the same tastes because I think it would look like a perpetual work in progress. Non-ratrods painted in flat black look the same to me...like they've been primered with a $5 rattle can and that's as far as they got. Flash rust appearing before paint will be a big concern, too.

FYI, lower-quality clear paints will almost definitely rust at some point, especially those found in spray cans.

Resto-noob

iTrader: (3)

I agree with you, especially on the flat black thing. Nothing looks worse than a one coat rattle can flat black paint job. A nice flat black is hard to beat, but I've never seen one in person.

To the OP, go for it, I'd love to see what you come up with.

SCToy

malteserunner

iTrader: (1)

I thought about this when I had my first 4Runner. The hood had been replaced with a new aftermarket part that was primered black. I never painted it, and each time it got washed, some of the black primer would rub off. After a while, the metal was showing through the paint. It looked sweet, so I cleared over it. Don't know how long the finish would last, however, since I sold that 4Runner not long after.

RatLabGuy

Delorian = all stainless steel car.

abecedarian

"clear" powder coat

Resto-noob

iTrader: (3)

Only you left coasters would think of such a thing. Here, I can't leave metal unprotected overnight.

machine23

and only you "right coasters" would say left coasters...the term is west coasters