Paint Questions

[TrueXena]

Ok, here are some newbie paint questions for your guys to ponder and have some input on.

I'm looking at the TB 43-0209 manual, pages 42 & 43, which have the 3 color camo painting scheme for the M151A2.

I'm noticing that they have a pattern for the 'top' and 'side curtains' but not for the 'doors'.

My question is, do they actually want the top and sides to be painted? Wont the paint just peel right off the vinyl once the tops or curtains have been taken off, rolled and/or folded for storage. Is there a special paint they use for vinyl? Why don't they have a pattern for the doors?

Ok, that is enough questions on paint for the day. I'm not needing to know this info in a jiffy. I'm far from repainting anything at this point, I'm just curious.

Thanks!

[moose53]

Ok, here are some newbie paint questions for your guys to ponder and have some input on.

I'm looking at the TB 43-0209 manual, pages 42 & 43, which have the 3 color camo painting scheme for the M151A2.

I'm noticing that they have a pattern for the 'top' and 'side curtains' but not for the 'doors'.

My question is, do they actually want the top and sides to be painted? Wont the paint just peel right off the vinyl once the tops or curtains have been taken off, rolled and/or folded for storage. Is there a special paint they use for vinyl? Why don't they have a pattern for the doors?

Ok, that is enough questions on paint for the day. I'm not needing to know this info in a jiffy. I'm far from repainting anything at this point, I'm just curious.

Thanks!

Okay, first off, there is special paint for vinyl that could be used and wouldn't peel off. It is different from the paint you'd paint the rest of the jeep with. While there were a few completely painted like the manual says, by and large the vinyl accessories were not painted. If you look at the plethora of wartime pics of our jeeps you'll see that it was rarely done, indeed the jeeps rarely had the tops installed much less the side curtains. It really did not make much difference on such a small vehicle. Personally I wouldn't paint them.

Jim

[TrueXena]

What is the special paint used for vinyl? Something one could get from a local paint shop, or is it a specialty item I'll have to ferret out off the internet?

[moose53]

What is the special paint used for vinyl? Something one could get from a local paint shop, or is it a specialty item I'll have to ferret out off the internet?

The stuff most body shops use is called SEM, its kind of a cross between paint and dye in that it penetrates the vinyl surface and wont scratch or wear off... here's a link to a supplier.... http://www.autostyles.com/sem.htm there are probably lots of places to get it if you google it... I dunno if they make colors close enough to the military ones or not...

Jim

[k8icu]

The idea was that the Army wanted the tops and what not painted to match the vehicle. But in reality they didn't do it. In fact that is why the top manufactures started making the tops already died in the three colors and fitting to the pattern of the vehicle...but sigh...our little 1/4 tons went out of service before they got around to making cammoed tops....