DIY JEEP Interior and Exterior Trim Painting: The Good, The Bad and Why You Should Have Someone Else Do It!

If you're like many, you're always looking for a way to "Do It Yourself". It could be for any number of reasons; to save money, learn something new, or maybe you don't really have a choice but to DIY. Based on the countless awesome Facebook forums and YouTube videos out there, a lot of Jeeple, choose to go it on their own when it comes to painting interior and exterior trim and accessories on their Jeeps!  While it might seem like the perfect idea at first, this article will give you some things to think about before making your decision.

Pros of DIY spray paint jobs on your Jeep

Of course, there's the obvious: saving some $$. Buying paint at a home improvement store, department store, or even automotive store is likely to be less expensive than other alternatives. The variety of color choice is certainly there, in fact you could probably get hundreds of shades and finishes of every color in the rainbow. Another advantage might be ease of application, after all, how difficult is it to point, press, and shoot a spray can?  Funny you should ask...

Cons of going it on your own

Less doesn't always mean more especially when it comes to value for your money, time, and stress level!  Paying less for store bought spray paint, brings the risk of poor adhesion, difficulty weathering the elements and rigors of Jeeping and inconsistent color and coverage. Having to apply more coats, touch up a bunch of missed spots or "do over" an application that scrapes off with any nudge, means more paint, more time, and that equals more $$.  Oh, and there’s the mess and smell.  Spray cans tend to have a lot of over spray and whether indoor or out (and I highly recommend out because of the paint fumes), you’re likely to experience getting paint in places you didn’t intend it to go!

What about color consistency? Have you seen the tons of options out there on the store shelves? Unless you get enough cans to complete your entire job (and future jobs if you want it to match) you run the risk of your Jeep being “50 Shades of Gray”, which is only good in a book or movie, not on your vehicle! Even with seemingly endless color options, maybe you’re that person who can’t quite find the right hue of the purple, or yellow, or blue you might want.

Consider the actual time and effort in the "easy application". While spray painting with a rattle can might not seem like rocket science, it certainly has a learning curve. Did you know the nozzle is adjustable to spray in two ways? That is, when it’s not sticking and clogging which leads to sputtering and spewing and very inconsistent coverage, or in some cases lack of coverage. Did you know that the part should be lightly sanded, and have an adhesion promoter and primer applied BEFORE you even get to the color? There’s that cost factor again…oh and that’s not including a clear coat or two. There goes that saving money and ease of application.

Why you should have someone else do it

Let’s face it, there’s a reason why we do some things ourselves and why there are times we pay to have someone else do it, or provide it for us.  We can’t do everything! And even if we could, we can’t do everything well and we’re not meant to. There ARE quality, affordable options available. Using a genuine OEM Mopar paint, brings assurance of a color and finish that is going to last through all the rigors a vehicle, and in particular a Jeep, is going to be put through.  Whether it’s rock crawling, mudding, or mall crawling, in winter or summer, sun or storms, heck even the high pressure car wash, the paint makes a difference!

Using genuine paint also guarantees that the color, is the color EVERY time, EVERY part, EVERY paint job.  Sure, you can buy interior and exterior trim already painted from other shops like Amazon, or the big box stores, but again, not all hues are the same. Red, isn’t always red, pink isn’t always pink, you get the idea, we’re back to 50 shades (not a reflection of what’s on my mind). With a quality shop, you get the BEST paint, in the RIGHT shade, and the EXACT shade you want.

Back to the rocket science, ok not that, but some decent technical skill. There is no better application than with a professional HPLV spray gun using an air compressor set at just the right PSI to give you the perfect spray and coverage.  While the videos on YouTube may make it look easy, there is definitely practice, skill and patience needed to paint parts like they were done professionally. 

There can even be a difference in paint shade and quality using OEM paint in a rattle can versus a mixed quart sprayed on with a paint gun. When held up to an actual vehicle, the parts sprayed with a rattle can were a visibly different shade than the vehicle, while the parts sprayed with the same OEM color using a spray gun matched the vehicle shade exactly.  I don’t know about you but when I want bikini pearl interior and exterior trim, I want bikini pearl and I don’t want to have to fuss around sanding, washing, applying adhesion what? Promoter? Just let me put them in my shopping cart, have them show up at my door in 7-14 days and in 10 minutes my Jeep can be Unique!

Let ColorMyJeep.com provide you with a top shelf product. One that is , the perfect color and will be sure to get you ducked, or at least noticed in a crowd of Jeeps at a Jeep event!