George Boulton
July 9, 2024
Customizing your pickup's paint job is a great way to personalize your truck
How do you go about it? Well, the journey begins by selecting the perfect color palette. At the base level, remember, if you’re buying a new pickup, the manufacturer will have a wider range of colors available that the handful shown in the showroom.
Car plants don’t really batch paint any more, unless they’re building up stock, and when they’re painting ‘smarties’ it’s no harder to do an unusual color than it is another Atlas Blue. It’ll cost you a little bit more, and the delivery date will likely to further out, but it’s cheaper than taking your truck to the custom shop.
But maybe the custom shop is where you want to be. There are plenty of designers and artists out there willing to develop something bespoke. That might be a color, a graphic design, flames, racing stripes, geometric patterns, potentially tweaked to enhance the vehicle’s natural features, drawing attention to it’s muscularity or aggressive stance.
On the other hand, if your tastes go more towards portraiture, then airbrushing can do anything from Pinky and the Brain to Taylor Swift – but be aware this is unlikely to enhance resale values (unless you have Darth Vader – ‘cos everyone likes a Darth Vader truck).
It’s important to remember that the color you see on a swatch is not necessarily the color you’ll receive on your truck, because this isn’t just a question of pigment.
The curvature of body panels will highlight some areas, and put others in shade. The specific geometry can make a flat color sparkle – or do the polar opposite. Texture is important too. From pearlescent finishes that shimmer in the sunlight to rugged, bedliner coatings that offer durability and a tough aesthetic, the texture adds depth and character to the paintwork.
The process itself is a blend of craftsmanship and technology. High-quality paints and clear coats are applied carefully to ensure a flawless finish that won’t flake on an off-road adventure.
It’s very easy to get wrong, tricky to succeed, which is why there’s thousands of hours’ work behind those showroom staple shades – but when a custom job goes well, the result is a durable, eye-catching exterior that turns heads on the highway and at the trailhead.
Custom paint jobs are more than just aesthetic enhancements; they are declarations of individuality.
They showcase the owner’s creativity and passion, transforming a standard pickup into a unique expression of personal identity.
Whether it’s for standing out in a crowd or simply enjoying a personalized ride, a custom paint job is the ultimate way to add personality to your pickup truck. And if you hate it, you can always do it again.
