So now that I'm getting close to doing the desert tan paint job (HA! Been saying that for months!), I wanted some opinions.

My paint job is going to turn out real similar to Eric's:



My question is whether I should paint certain accessories black or tan. I think I'll keep my Lebaron hood vents black, unless someone convinces me otherwise. Same with the roof rack. Where I get iffy are the Bushwacker flat flares. Keep 'em black or go tan? How about bumpers? Black or tan? Brush guard, black or tan? Snorkel, black or tan?

I go to Baja semi-regularly and think that if I have an all-desert tan vehicle, the bad guys might think it's a military vehicle and...act appropriately. Something to consider, I guess. For now, my inclination is to go black with vents, rack, flares, bumpers, & guard, BUT go tan with the snorkel. What sayest you?

Anyway, I REALLY am getting close to painting! Just gotta do some fender trimming first and cut out for the Lebaron hood vents and snorkel.

For some reason, I'm thirsty all of a sudden. Guess I'll go down to the local Irish pub for lunch and a few...

 

I like the solid tan then do black accessories IMO I would do all the grill , mirrors , hood louvers , gas door , handles stuff like that rock sliders bumpers ect. If you wanna get real creative get like diy rock rings and paint those tan, looks just like beadlock just it doesn't hold your tire it just sits on the inside lip of your wheel and weld on ! Tan control arms and steering / coils maybe???

 

I my self would paint everything (Bumpers, Fender flairs, Etc., Etc.) back to original factory color. So you don't have to do the door jams. To me, painting a XJ tan. and being out in the desert. Is like painting your ice shanty white. And wondering why you can't find it out on the frozen lake. I have seen a lot of hunters in the Northern Wisconsin woods, Who couldn't find their Forest Green truck, After hunting. kinda funny actually. JMO!

 

Reasons for going tan:

1. The original color (black) just soaks in the heat.
2. The dirt and dust will be less obvious on the flat tan paint.
3. When fixing scratches, dents, and doing other repairs, I can simply spray the flat tan paint over the area without having to worry about blending it in.
4. I think it'll look damn cool!

 

Reason #1 If that was true, Shouldn't you be painting it white. Or silver to reflect the sunlight. #2 That i do believe, How often did you have to wash it before? #3 Flat paint does not blend in. Especially after it has sat for a day. I spent 4 years painting Hemmits Attachment 123475for Oshkosh Truck Corp. Believe me, to repair a small spot in the camo, I would end up redoing the whole side #4 It does look good, but then I also liked the zebra stripes on Jeep Wagoners in the old show "Doktari". The show that had Clarance the crossed eye lion.

 

1. White would show more dirt and dust than tan would. And silver is really just grey when we're talking flat paint and I'm not into looking like some naval landingcraft.
2. I very rarely wash my Jeep and it looks like absolute CRAP since most of the clear coat has flaked off. And washing it doesn't help since then you can see how bad it is. With the clear coat gone, rust is inevitable, even in SoCal.
   
   Not mine. If mine only looked this good!
3. Spot repaints have been more than acceptable with desert tan HMMWVs, I've noticed.

 

I not trying to talk you out of "TAN". It's your Jeep, paint it any color you want. If I was to go through the work of sanding off (and feathering out) the flaking clear. Then masking it off. I would choose to paint it Gloss black with a coat of clear my self. And the main reason being the door/hatch jams, along with under the hood. And should you ever choose to sell it later, It would be a lot more attractive to the next buyer. Than flat tan, black door/hatch jams, and a Grey interior. The other reason, I wouldn't use flat paint. Is it absorbs sunlight creating heat inside. You think black cars are hot inside, just wait. If you where to be in heavily wooded forests most the time. Great, go for it. But out in a sun baked environment all the time. I would be Leary my self. A gloss black will have more reflective proprieties than a flat paint. Probably why the insides of solar panels are flat black, instead of gloss black. JMO!

 

Found this old post I did when I was trying to decide. Figured I might as well close the loop. Turned out pretty much how I wanted it! I also painted the door sills so everything matches. I still have to install the Lebaron hood vents. Not sure if they'll be black or matching tan. I keep flipping back and forth. Anyway, thanks again for everyone's input.



Paint is flat "Desert Storm Tan" by Hot Rodz.

 

Came out nice.

You bringing this up though made me wonder whatever happened to 91 limited owner. I'm sure he's since passed away as he had terminal cancer that metastasized to his brain. Just lost a loved one the same way last year, very sad. Sigh.

 

OP that turned out nice.

Hah I loved that show when I was little.

 

In the same color, yes.

In different colors, no.

The color counts FAR more than the sheen.



Ian, that looks really sharp!

 

Owned a lot of different colored cars over the years to many to count. White is far easier to keep clean than most any other color............Unless it is a Drag Race car and hot rubber and VHT from the slicks shows up really bad on white quarter panels. It's hard to remove unless you have the cleaner to do it but looks bad on race day after the first pass lol.

 

Here's a "before" pic. There is absolutely NO clear coat left on that hood and I was down to the primer in most parts. It was starting to go deeper-than-surface rust on the roof, which is why I pushed to get the painting done sooner rather than later. Because I play in the desert more often than not, the flat tan really hides the dust well.



Maybe it's just me, but the "before" Jeep looks old and tired, while the "after" Jeep looks young and spry! Ha!

 

Black or Tan?
Black AND Tan is worth a second look.
Apply a paint plan that you can work with for touch ups in the future. Jeeps seem to attract contact of inanimate objects.
PS, Nyala likes those rigs!