Has anybody painted the interior of their hardtop?

[Haggis]

I just picked up a hardtop for my LJ. My wife doesn't like the white gel coat in the interior and suggested I paint it charcoal to match the Jeep's interior. Any suggestions as far as technique or paint product? Any pics?

[TheGillz]

http://jeepforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=479862&highlight=painted+hard+top

Here is one idea on the JK.

[Haggis]

Thanks for the link, Gillz. That looks awesome. Just what I was looking for.

[TheGillz]

Hey, my pleasure. It does look pretty killer. I didn't know spray can stuff could look so well. Post up what you do!

[stick]

I painted the outside of my hardtop with Krlyon Fusion paint. It's a paint for plastics. It has held up well. I see no reason it wouldn't work on the inside of the top. I was actually going to paint the inside of the top too, but I used a brown colored paint and I figured it would make the inside of the Jeep too dark.

[Haggis]

Picked up the Dupli Color rattlecan spray on liner today. Got six cans (a case) 'cause it was cheaper at the local auto parts store than if I would bought just the four I figured I need. The weather here is crappy, rain and chilling (mid 40s) so I'll wait to the weather improves abit to shot it. Inside is all sanded with 250 grit and cleaned and ready to go. I don't think it will be any darker inside than with the dark charcol color of the softop, but if it is that's O.K., I like a dark interior. I take some shots along the way and post up the finished results.

[IH8RDS]

Picked up the Dupli Color rattlecan spray on liner today.

Be careful.... that stuff is addictive :smilies27

[TheGillz]

Would you say that stuff is as tough/good as rhino or other popular bed liners? And if so how would you prep bare steel for application?

[Beowulf]

Haggis,

Before you go this route have you sat in a Jeep with a dark top liner? I really like the white interior of the Hardtop compared to my soft top. The lightness of color seems to brighten up the interior and keeps it from seeming so cave like.

I wish they would have made the underside of the cloth on the soft top a lighter color to keep the same hard top feel.

I just want to make sure you have experienced the darker liner before doing something so permanent as applying paint.

If you do paint the top though, please post up pics as I would like to see how it turns out.

[Haggis]

My '98 had a hardtop with the white interior. Neither of us like it then, and I've had several rigs in my time with complete black interiors and always like it. But thanks for the heads up, I am going to test the liner first ot see if I'll be happy with the texture and feel of it before I shot the whole interior.

[Haggis]

Well the weather took a good turn today, and as I'm waiting for the materials to get in for the next restoration job I had the time to get to it.

Here's the hardtop interior in it's factory state.
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg105/haggis65/100_2813a.jpg

I started by masking off anything I didn't want liner one and removed the front latches, covering the mounting holes with tape so as to not gum them up. Using my variable speed angle grinder on it's lowest rpm setting and a 4 1/2 " Sashco Buffy Pad I scuffed up the interior. The Buffy Pad is basically a Norton buff pad (it's made by Norton for Sashco) but with a finer grit to use on removing stain and grime from logs. I finished up by hand sanding with 250 grit to get all the spots the grinder couldn't reach. Then the hardtop got cleaned off by some air and then wiped down with denatured alcohol. I used the Dupli-color bed liner in the rattle cans and did three light coats in all leaving about 20 minutees in between coats. The can suggested 5 minutes, but I wanted to make sure it was setting up good. This built up the coating to about the thickness of 2 sheets of tablet paper. The resulting coating looks awesome and has a nice feel to it. I thought it was like neoprene in texture my wife thought it felt like snake skin. Either way Michelle is real happy with it and so am I.

Heres a shot of it finished and a detail picture too.
http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg105/haggis65/100_2814a.jpg http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg105/haggis65/100_2815a.jpg

Can't wait to get it on the Jeep and see what it's like mounted up. I like the new look, makes the top seem custom without a cheap plastic look. I'll let it sit a couple of days to makes sure its set up real nice and the stink is blown out. If you do this do it outside, the fumes are strong. I used my respirator and wore long sleeves, goggles and an old hat.

[XXXpedition]

mark,
that turned out nice - could you do mine too???
:-))))
sven

[Haggis]

mark,
that turned out nice - could you do mine too???
:-))))
sven
Sven, I'd be happy to. I'll even buy the $32 dollars worth of bed liner if you'll buy the plane tickets. That seems fair and I've always wanted to visit Germany.:hehe:

[XXXpedition]

hmm, i'll think about it...

[BigAl]

Looks great, I did a bumper on my brothers jeep with that stuff and it has held up very well.

[TheGillz]

That looks great well done!

Question thought, did they have it in other colors? Like white? I am wondering if it would do well on the trailer build I am doing.

[Haggis]

Question thought, did they have it in other colors? Like white? I am wondering if it would do well on the trailer build I am doing.
I don't honestly know. On the display rack in the store there was just the black rattle cans and a gallon pail with spraypack. I didnt see any literature on colors or if it is tintable/ topcoatable (is that a word?). I tested it out on the steps on my skidsteer forks just to check out the look and texture of it. Seems to have bonded fairly tight and is resisting my "Scratch" test. My truck has the rockers Rhino lined with color matched tint. It's been 7 years and it's held up excellently, including the color. You might want to go that route, a bit more expensive and heavier, but I think it would be much more durable. If you want I can shot a pic of my rockers for you.

[86cj]

This has been on my to do list since I first sat in the LJ, I don't like the white.... I like the end result....Good Job......

I am glad I checked this out because I was looking at the new plastic paints. I used the Duplicolor spray on the underside of my Dually back in the fall of 97'. It has held up great even in the wheelwells after a decade of road salt and A/T tires ( it does only have 50,000 miles and dirt roads are rare). When I wash truck I wipe the wheelwells with a sponge only. Duplicolor is more like a paint that has a mild texture not a thick bedliner, it also does not like to flex, but does stick very well with proper prep (mine was sprayed on with only 13 miles on the truck so prep was easy).

[Haggis]

Well thank you sir, but I've got to credit Gillz (and who ever the original poster on the other forum was) for the link and for pointing me in the right direction.

[highlandercj-7]

My hardtop is painted inside and out to match the exterior color of the CJ. Using the same Dupont base coat clear coat system as the rest of the vehicle. It's worked great for the past 11 years, She was painted in 97'

[JRhetts]

I think this is a related topic, hopefully not off-topic.

If you feel the need to reduce the heat inside your JK, the outside may be the place to concentrate your efforts. I found that even on 70 deg days that the inside temp of the overall interior compartment was disproportionately HOT. Indeed, at 70 deg outside temp, often I could not hold my hand on the inside of the (hard top) roof panels (the factory options only offer black and gray, as far as I can tell).

So, I had the three roof panels sprayed "Jeep" white by Speedliner. Now, with the sun shining equally on one of the dark side panels and on the roof, the side is so hot I again cannot hold my hand on it, while the roof is COOL to the touch. This is a dramatic difference, making the interior compartment MUCH COOLER, and it also allows me to store the roof panels on their top sides without concern about rubbing or any other damage, esp. when driving rough gnarley trails.

Also, I feel free to toss stuff from the interior onto the roof without concern about doing damage to it.

[Haggis]

Just thought I'd post up how well the Duplicolor Bed Liner is holding up in my Jeep.

It's been 15 months now since I shot the inside of my '04 Unlimited and it looks like new. We're real happy with how it turned out and it seeems to help with roads noise some. I've got nothing but compliments on how it looks and the Jeep guys that have ridden it it all say they like it better than the white gel coat in their Jeeps hardtops. Here's a couple of photos for those who are interested.

From the side...

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg105/haggis65/100_1314a.jpg

From the rear...

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg105/haggis65/100_1315a.jpg

I do have one small scratch by the passenger rear window sill were a carelessly piled goose decoy rubbed it's beak on the sill during a 2 hour ride. My excuse was that it was raining cat's and dogs and I was just trying to get out of the downpour as fast as posssible. We'll give it a touch up the next time we pull the top off.

[JPFreek1]

I actually had the interior of my hardtop sprayed with Lizardskin ceramic insulation. It looks smooth, no longer is white (it's black now), and most importantly it's an insulation and has served very well during the hot days here in Texas.

[JIMBO]

:sombrero: I insulated the interior of my '08 RUBI and it makes the Nevada desert, "comfy"

Cuts down exterior sound enough to use cell phones, in traffic


http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm83/jimbowby/PICT0153.jpg


http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm83/jimbowby/PICT0016.jpg

7 months now, very good product

:costumed-smiley-007:safari-rig::safari-rig: JIMBO

[winkosmosis]

I painted the outside of my hardtop with Krlyon Fusion paint. It's a paint for plastics. It has held up well. I see no reason it wouldn't work on the inside of the top. I was actually going to paint the inside of the top too, but I used a brown colored paint and I figured it would make the inside of the Jeep too dark.

Beige would be good. I love the beige interior in my XJ. I have a Miata with a black interior, and it makes me feel like I'm in a cocoon