bits of benjamin
01 · Things I tinker with

First Time with Automotive Paint

The repainted Voodoo Blue cowl panel back in place at the base of the FJ's windshield

On a recent trip down to Cedar City for the Utah Shakespeare Festival, we encountered a torrential downpour, which caused the driver side cowl on my FJ to fly off completely. It was already loose, a problem that I’ve known about for the last year or so, but deemed unnecessary to fix. It was being held on by almost-20-year-old brittle plastic clips. Had I known how much time and money it would take to replace it with a new part, I might have turned around on the freeway to go look for it. Maybe not though, as I have a deep-seated loathing of getting soaked when I didn’t plan for it.

What was left behind

The hole the panel left behind: the hood hinge, mounting clips, and an unpainted outline on the A-pillar base An ugly gaping hole that felt like a missing tooth every time I saw it.

Parts and Supplies

  • Cowl panel, primered - purefjcruiser.com
  • Cowl clip set - purefjcruiser.com / amazon.com
  • Cowl panel pad - purefjcruiser.com
  • 3M Half Facepiece Reusable Respirator 6200, NIOSH, Medium - amazon.com
  • Tack Cloths - amazon.com
  • Red Scotch-Brite Pads - amazon.com
  • Voodoo Blue Basecoat Paint - Superior Paint Supply
  • 2K Clear Aerosol - Superior Paint Supply
  • Adhesion Promoter - Superior Paint Supply
  • Wax & Grease Remover - Superior Paint Supply

Prep Work

Respirator selfie I was warned several times by different sources that the 2K clear is very bad for your lungs.

  • Test fit the panel with the clips; lose the clips down the abyss between the fender and the wheel well liner🤦; buy another set off Amazon
  • Set up a fan in the garage to make sure airflow is one direction, taking the overspray away
  • Scratch the primered panel evenly with the red Scotch-Brite Pads to promote adhesion. Done outside to keep dust out of the garage
  • Hang the panel from the rafters so I can get a good angle to spray all around
  • Wipe down with wax & grease remover - two passes
  • Use tack cloth to gently wipe the panel to remove any other contaminants
  • One light coat of adhesion promoter

Spraying

  • Three base coats, with roughly 10-15 minutes between each
  • 30 minutes after last coat, apply clear coat. Two clear coats with 15 minutes between each

After the first base coat After the first coat

Checking the base coat with a flashlight before clear After the final base coat

Cure

The finished panel, glossy, resting on a microfiber towel on the workbench Cured for over 72 hours, waiting for the weekend to install

Install

This was by far the worst step. I broke another clip and lost another clip attempting to get the panel on straight. After fighting with it for over an hour, I finally gave up and called it good enough. I suspect I need to bend the plastic pieces holding the cowl at the center of the windshield to get everything lined up, but I’m unsure how to do that without breaking anything.

The new panel installed next to the windshield The new panel installed next to the windshield

Front view of the FJ with the panel back on Front view of the FJ with the panel back on

How it turned out

Overall, I’m quite happy with how it turned out as a first time job. The paint matches pretty well. There’s a little bit of orange peel going on. But at a glance, I don’t think it’s obvious that it isn’t stock.