Although this particular truck...
Although this particular truck is not a diesel, the paint scheme is a good representation of how graphics can take a boring white truck into the custom world in hurry.
Making the plunge to opt for custom paint on your diesel truck is a big decision and not one that should be taken lightly. There's a lot you should know before you sign a job order and the paint starts flowing out of the gun. We've seen a lot of truck owners go through a little bit of hell due to bad decisions, when it came to custom paint, so we've decided to give you some food for thought on the matter. We talked with several reputable custom paint shops and have distilled what they've said into these four pages. If you still want to go ahead and forge off into directions unrecommended, just be forewarned that it can be a long and messy process.
The end result of a new custom paint job can cause such a strong pull in the emotional chain that people lose sight of their senses and will believe anything. The solid businessman who has earned enough money to be in a situation to own an expensive diesel pickup and have the extra cash available to add custom graphics would seem to be the kind of person who would make measured and reasonable decisions about who should paint his truck and how it should get done. Unfortunately, customizing vehicles is a passionate hobby and many otherwise sane individuals will often lose sight of what's sensible and go off the deep end with trust.
 Having a plan before the paint...  Having a plan before the paint is sprayed is critical. This relatively simple drawing gave everyone confidence that the graphics were going to work before the spray guns were loaded up. |  Notice how the graphics wrap...  Notice how the graphics wrap around into the wheelwell; there's pinstriping separating the colors, and multiple colors are used. |  Want a complete color change?...  Want a complete color change? Then, every piece needs to be painted. |
And that brings us to rule number one. Find out a lot about the person/shop that is going to be painting your truck. If they work out of their garage, or a dirt lot somewhere, ask yourself why that is the case. Usually, there's a reason why a guy has no shop and seems to be several thousand dollars less than all the reputable shops you've encountered. It's a simple saying: "You get what you pay for," but it is usually accurate. A guy without a shop who usually offers no guarantees on the paint might have questionable business practices and may not be there in six months when you come back with an issue to solve, or worse...they might just be less talented than their counterparts who've set up shop with all the right facilities. A shop has gone to the trouble of getting a license, obtaining insurance, and will most likely be there when you come back for warranty work. Chances are the shop has better equipment, too.
Rule number two is to make sure you see lots of vehicles that this company has painted. Ask for references that you can call to inquire about their satisfaction with the process. Check out the vehicles that you are able to look at carefully. Look for defects, and ask if the truck has had repair work done to it.
 Of course, you've heard of...  Of course, you've heard of gold leaf, but what about silver leaf? This cool custom trick is seeing a surge in popularity, seen here in use on a helmet. |  Here's another guy who wanted...  Here's another guy who wanted a complete color change. The doors should be removed for this. |  An established shop will have...  An established shop will have a vast array of supplies and probably a paint system that automatically stirs every can on a regular basis to keep things fresh. |
Rule number three is to stick with your base color. Completely changing the color of your truck-say, from white to red-is cost-prohibitive if done correctly and a mess if not. We know a guy who had a Topkick changed from white to red and it cost him $50,000 to do it. That's because it was done right, the doorjambs were painted, the firewall was painted, under the hood was painted, and everything was painted. If you don't go to this much trouble, then you will always have the reminders of the former color there to annoy you. There's nothing that will kill resale value more than a potential buyer pulling your carpet up and then wondering why the floor is a different color than the rest of the truck. We were able to find shops that would do a color change on a regular-sized pickup for around $10-15,000.
 A paint booth will usually...  A paint booth will usually ensure that your truck is painted in pristine conditions. You might want to look inside and see how clean it is. |  SoCal Paint & Body in Santee,...  SoCal Paint & Body in Santee, California, uses "tear-offs" in their booth, so they can strip a layer of plastic off when paint builds up and then the booth is fresh and clean again. |  Quality materials are important...  Quality materials are important to a good custom paintjob, too. Does your shop use name brand sandpaper, or did they buy it at the swap meet? Look at it. |
The way to add a custom paintjob to your truck, according to Rick Price of SoCal Paint & Body in Santee, California, (619) 449-2500, says the trick is to incorporate the base color into the new custom paint so that the doorjambs and the rest can stay the base color and it makes sense. Adding a two-tone section or flames or graphics over your original color can be done for a reasonable amount of money, too.
Our informal survey of shops determined that a two-tone custom paintjob with a dividing line separating the colors would run in the neighborhood of $3,500 to $6,000. That's for good quality paint, two to four colors in the graphics, pinstriping separating the colors, and quality clear over the top. Which brings up rule number four: Make sure the shop uses quality products. You want to see brands like PPG, DuPont, House of Kolor, or one of these company's derivatives. And don't forget the brand of the clear. There are a lot of shops that will throw on "Johnny Zippo" clear and save some bucks and maybe some time, but the cheapie clears don't have the UV protection that custom paint needs. The clear is your first line of defense against the elements, so make sure they are using the best product available so that you can enjoy your custom paint for many years down the road.