Rust bubbles, oxidized clear coat, can i fix this at home?

[wopachop]

Hi everyone bought this 2002 truck that has paint damage. It spent a good amount of time down in Cabo getting rusted. There are several areas i would like to tackle myself. This is my daily driver work truck so it doesnt have to look perfect.

Been watching videos and wonder if i can achieve decent results using rattle can base coat and clear. Hoping for advice from people here as to what exactly would be the techniques for the different areas of damage. For example on the hood can i wet sand the oxidized section and then use a machine with compound? Or is the clear coat so far gone i would need to spray new? Since the hood also has cracks, is it best to spray the whole thing? That doesnt sound good because im hoping to do everything myself to save money. Never done any paint correction before. So some of my questions might seem extremely basic.

For clarity i can number the different areas i would like to try and fix. Thanks for any advice!!

1. Rust bubbles on roof
2. Faded clear coat on hood (about 10" x 10" section)
3. Cracks in paint on the hood (there are many, all about 1.5 inches long)
4. Passenger side of truck bed was previously repaired after a tire blowout.

[Mike Phillips]

To me, just going by the pictures, there looks to be a lot of areas that will need to be repaired and then repainted and by the time you're done, due to the extensive patchwork, it might look like patchwork.


If you got a "good deal" on the truck, maybe part of the good deal is taking the money you saved, (because it was a good deal) and getting it painted.


If you don't need it too look like a new truck then maybe look into the Rustoleum Roller Paint Job and learn now to cut and buff afterwards, or spray it with truck bed liner and be done with it. I had a guy come by Autogeek last week with "shiny" even "glossy" truck bed liner, looked good on the bumper.


)

[wopachop]

Any of you guys grind away rusted paint and do a patch job at home? Hoping to learn where to buy paint and clear coat. What grit paper to use. Links to vidoes that might answer questions.

[DaveT435]

I have and I'm about to do a fairly good size project. I have a compressor and just ordered a spray gun though. I'm going for a professional looking job. You would have to use a DA with sand paper to feather the paint away from the area first so when you're done with the repair job you'll be able to paint without seeing a definite line. You would definitely want to spray the whole hood, with the kind of failure you have going on I'm sure the rest of the hood isn't far behind. Do you have a compressor??

[DaveT435]

There are some auto body and painting forums on Facebook which allow pros and beginners. It may be a little better option to get the answers you're looking for. I'm more than happy to answer any of your questions I can

[wopachop]

Yep i have facebook and open to hanging out anywhere that people share tips and advice.
Yes have a compressor.

[DaveT435]

That's s plus. You should get a grinder and some 80 grit sanding discs to grind the rust out. You'll need some plastic body filler (Bondo) I'm assuming none of the rust went all the way through. Do you have a DA? Electric of pneumatic?

[wopachop]

How does it work? Grind rust. Bondo. That part i feel somewhat comfortable with. The next step im lost.

I can somehow buy a rattle can that is custom mixed to match my 2002 original color?