Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Painting a truck cap

I found one of these that fits my truck, but it’s the wrong color. Any of you guys ever had one painted, or know what it might cost?

I have a cab height 6 1/2 cap on a Dakota, $200. 6yrs. ago, auto paint prices are much higher now not to mention labor.

I went through this a year ago when I swapped trucks and the colors were different. Expect to pay around $600 or so for the work (more if it's a 3 stage color like pearl white).

4 cans of Rustoleum, max. Start on the sides and back. Thatta way, if'n you run out, it's behind the cab and on the roof where nobody can see it......

I called Maaco and they said to prep, prime, paint, and seal would be $350. Didn’t sound too bad to me. My truck is white, and the cap is silver so it wouldn’t be any big deal. Didn’t seem like too bad of a deal to save over $1000.

Why not save $1320?

Typically I would, and I’m actually pretty decent at that kinda thing. BUT, I don’t have a good place to do it, and if I just shoot it outside it’s gonna look like mashed goat schit, guaranteed. The wind and dirt are so bad around here that it would be a nice reddish shade of white. I do most stuff myself, but this is probably going to be hired out.

If you paint it with Rustoleum......it will look like it was painted with Rustoleum..........Not to mention the fact that there is about a .00001% chance that the color will match.

WGAF? It's a shell fer chrissakes.......grin

Not everyone drives a piece of crap.....or wants to.

Hell, I guess I could rattle can it. Could make it rainbow with wheels and rifle to match. Wouldn’t hurt if I took it out and knocked all 4 corners off of it.

If a guy keeps a good, protective layer of dirt on it, nobody sees the paint shade difference.....

I'd almost bet some money that GonHuntin regularly washes his truck, so he can stand back and admire how well his shell matches the truck paint. And I bet his socks match.

Haha, hey now, you posted some pretty fancy pictures of some carbon fiber lookin stuff on your truck...

I agree though, I wash my truck once a year whether it needs it or not. Most of the time it’s in February so I can get the blood out before it starts to stink when it warms up. The dirt on the outside keeps the scratches down when I’m driving through the pastures.

Btw, Don, you’re pretty handy with that kydex. You may have to quit your day job.

I used Rustoleum to paint an old camp trailer I'm renovating. They have a few limited colors in bulk and I have a small spray gun. Luckily, one of their few bulk colors was what we wanted. It came out looking very good.

OK, I'm done yanking you guys chains for the day. Have a great Christmas, gents......spending the morning with the boys, so I'll check in later.

How much money would you almost bet??

My tacoma usually gets washed once a year, after deer season, to remove the blood from the bed and the mud from underneath......it doesn't have a shell.......and, yes, my socks match.

You too, sir. Merry Christmas!

I have had mine painted twice, as I have updated trucks. The GM dealership that I purchase my trucks from paints my Leer topper for $750. Looks great. I can't tell that it was not that color originally.

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Clean and scuff the surface.