Rustbucket seeks paint options

I've debated on my medium for painting my super rusty explorer all winter and I'm reaching out for opinions. I've posted before about how to properly handle the rust (Tackling Runaway Roof Rust!) and I've decided to strip down the whole rig, windows, rub rails, and lights, the whole thing. Sand the worst spots to bare metal and scuff up everything else with my dual action pneumatic sander. Treat with POR15, then primer and paint. The real question is: Do I use a bed liner product for the job or just automotive paint. I've looked around and found the main argument against this is: Fading, hard to clean, and the overall weight it adds to your vehicle. It looks like most of those problems have been solved with the newer lines of Raptor Liner which are harder, with color stay properties, and can be applied in a lighter texture.

What do you think?

Have you done this? Known someone who has? Regretted it? Loved it?

Let me know product suggestions or if there is a good thread of someone who has done this before.

The vehicle is mostly a daily driver that I take camping and overlanding in the summer on some slightly overgrown logging roads.

 

[MONMIX]

bed liner would look way cool and be far more rugged. Probably cheaper too.

 

[CDW6212R]

The rust is the bigger deal, concentrate on getting as much of it gone as possible. I suggest the first step is to use Rust Dissolver from Eastwood. Scraping and brushing, sanding and gauging, all is the first first step, but then you need a chemical to stop the rust from growing etc. The POR15 covers/seals the surface, but it doesn't eat or convert deep rust. Covering it leaves it alive and it works its way out again. So begin with rust killing, the Rust Dissolver is just like water, and will weep into seams, other rust products will not. There's no stopping rust in seams, but the Rust Dissolver will get more than anything else.

Painting over POR15 is not as simple as painting, the surface has to be very clean and sanded to get a bite. Cheap paint won't stick well, I'd try the bedliner though, people love that who go off roading. Ignore the weight or cleaning issues, those are minor. Good luck,

 

[91Rustbucket]

The rust is the bigger deal, concentrate on getting as much of it gone as possible. I suggest the first step is to use Rust Dissolver from Eastwood. Scraping and brushing, sanding and gauging, all is the first first step, but then you need a chemical to stop the rust from growing etc. The POR15 covers/seals the surface, but it doesn't eat or convert deep rust. Covering it leaves it alive and it works its way out again. So begin with rust killing, the Rust Dissolver is just like water, and will weep into seams, other rust products will not. There's no stopping rust in seams, but the Rust Dissolver will get more than anything else.

Painting over POR15 is not as simple as painting, the surface has to be very clean and sanded to get a bite. Cheap paint won't stick well, I'd try the bedliner though, people love that who go off roading. Ignore the weight or cleaning issues, those are minor. Good luck,

Thanks Don, getting the rust gone is my primary concern, I've used a lot of different products over the last couple of years to try to tackle the rust to no avail. This time I'm looking for the Final Solution, no more band aids. POR15 looks promising for the pre-bedliner coat, but you hit at the real question: Do I need to do anything before POR15? I have some OSPHO that I used before and had minor success with (I think the problems were with how I applied it not necessarily the products fault) If you have a good how to or any more suggestions please let me know!

 

[CDW6212R]

Try the Rust Dissolver, that takes care of most shallow rust easily, but it weeps way deeper(into seams and within porous materials) than any other products.