Sounds like you've got your game plan figured out, but I'll still throw the pics up since I mentioned it earlier.
I don't have a before picture of the door to show just how small the spot was, but it was roughly quarter sized right on the body line above the handle. Here's how it sits now, it's probably 30' good, closer than that & it's obvious that patch work was done since we didn't get the color exact & couldn't do a proper blend (basically it was do what we did or end up painting the entire door).
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We also hit the edge of the front fenders, they blended better since they'd were replaced at some point when the PO hit a deer, but it's still noticeable up close (I'd say it's 15' good). Those I do have a before picture for, it was taken a few months before we patched it, but the spot hadn't grown much.
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Since it wasn't OE paint it didn't delam as we sanded it, so we didn't have to go as far back before getting solid paint. We could've gone a little further & made it less noticeable, but to be clear, this was a "****, I've got bare metal & it's starting to get surface rust." type of paint job. We did a decent job & the paints not going to come off or anything, but it's not the quality level that'd go out on a paying job. Also I plan on repainting the entire truck when I swap beds, so that factored into the decision as well.
I figured as much. I just figured that if the new tailgate only needs paint, the only thing that would need to be painted (along with the bodywork to fix rust and replace rockers) would be the entire rear right side quarter panel and hood (no bodywork to hood)
Body work meaning no rust repair.
The problem with only painting the quarter is that unless the shop mixes their own paint & spends time tweaking the mix to get it the exact shade (damn near impossible given you've got 21 years of fading to factor in) the fresh paint is going to stick out like a sore thumb without blending.
Sounds like its time to take some leave and drag gramps to the shop for a hands on lesson. sure he can't paint, but maybe he would be willing to teach?
Exactly what I was going to say. It'd be a great way to spend some time together & learn a new skill.
The paint booth is in need of work. Most of the lights don't work anymore, and it has something going on with the venting system. Besides, I feel like his way of doing things may be a little dated. Not knocking him, he has done great work. I'm sure that these days there are different chemicals and materials that work better and last longer (as far as the body work goes).
LED strip lights are cheap. We still have to do the overhead ones & another coat of new paint, but just replacing the side lights made a world of difference. These are the only booth shots I've got that are from approximately the same angle, pictures really don't do the improvement justice.
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Also, just gonna throw this out there...paint booths also make nice detailing booths, so even if you don't want to do the work it might be worth spending a little bit on lights to have that option available to you.
Materials may change, and the requirments of those materials may change, but the underlying basis of good bodywork is always the same. Hard work, and attention to detail. The instructions on the cans will tell you everything else you need to know.
^x2. Just because some of his methods might be dated doesn't mean the new ways are better.