Roll Pan

It's been awhile since I've been interested in modifying a truck, but as of late I've been focusing on some cosmetic kits to customize my truck.  One of the most common modifications is a truck roll pan.  A roll pan is a replacement for a bumper that essentially deletes the bumper and makes it look like a rounded bottom to the back of the truck.

A roll pan makes a truck look very clean and often will hide the trailer hitch.  A common practice is to hide the trailer hitch behind the license plate, which is mounted to the back of the truck roll pan.  The only downside is that the cleaner and smoother apperance isn't as functional as a rear bumper.

The stock rear bumper of a truck is more function than form.  Not only does it serve as a step for access to the truck bed, but it also provides protection in the case of an accident.  Most bumpers are designed for five mile an hour impacts, but will deflect damage and impact at higher speeds.  The most typical experience with impact bumpers are on parking lots where there are slower speeds.  The rear bumper will protect the body of the truck in case of a small bump from another car.  If you have a roll pan, there is more likely a chance to damage the paint and rear body work.

Most roll pans come unpainted, so that they can be better matched to your vehicles paint color.  This adds another cost to the purchase of a roll pan, but is required.  So keep that in mind when ordering your next body piece, the cost of painting can sometimes eclipse the price of the part itself.

So you've decided that you need some car interior paint, but you just aren't sure what would be best.  Guess what, there are more options than good choices and the cost skyrockets if you consider having to repaint a screw up, chipping, cracking, etc..  This article will help you make the best decisions on buying car interior paint and what questions you need to answer before you tape off.

Not all paint is created equal and in my own experiences the most expensive was not always the best.  I spent a lot of time a  few years ago buyin used plastic interior pieces, like door panels and center consoles, painted them, and then resold them on eBay.  The paints which are advertised as being good for plastic, just didn't seem to work properly on the interior car parts.

Krylon was a name that stands out, which was more expensive than typical paint, and was supposed to bond with the plastic parts.  Well, all it ever ended up doing was clogging when spraying and the paint that did make it to the part actually ended up bubbling something fierce.  It was extremely difficult to lay down an even spray of Krylon, so I abandoned that as an interior paint option.

Duplicolor brand paint was the type that I ended up sticking with.  After careful prep of the item, which included a rubbing alcohol bath after a detailed cleaning, I simply laid a couple coats down of the Duplicolor interior paint.  On most items this seemed to do the job and I only added a few steps if the item was going to be exposed to wear and tear.

On items like the door handles, where they would constantly be under use, I'd add a few steps to ensure that the color lasted.  I would do the regular prep work, with cleaning, then rubbing alcohol wipe down.  Then I would use a fine grit sand paper to rough up the smooth plastic surfaces.  Afterward I would rub the item down with rubbing alcohol again, let it dry, and then add a gray or primer coat of Duplicolor paint.  In my experience either one, primer or dark gray, seemed to work really well.

By painting a few interior pieces, you can add a lot of character to the inside of your car.  A few accents the color of the outside of your car can add a nice show quality appearance.  Just make sure and take your time, if you rush at all, it will show and you'll just have to start all over again with sanding.

Duplicolor FB105 Paint Flexible Bumper Coating Black    US $5.95

Duplicolor TP70 Paint Trim Enamel Flat Black Summit    US $5.95

Duplicolor DPE105 Paint Professional Enamel Flat Black    US $5.95