Properly painting bare metal after Fabrication

Question

I just received back my swing-out for my 4Runner from the Fabricator and it is bare metal at the moment. I searched around my local metro area to have it powder coated and the three shops that are around, nobody is willing to do anything except wheels.

Now, I have resorted to using paint and this is something that I can do since I have the required space/tools to get the job complete, but..

I have never painted bare metal before and I don't know the process, so I am looking at some guidance for:

• Avoid rust, since this swing-out will be on my 4Runner year-around, I need to use primer and such.
• What paint would possibly achieve the second photo? Satin Black? Mattee Black? I called the manufacturer of the shop and they mentioned "It's powder coat every off-road shop uses", I need to mimic and see if I can get a similar result with paint (Except the textured part).
• Anything else that I might be missing?

Bare Metal Swing-Out from the Fabricator:

This is the goal, using paint.

Answer 1

Learning to spray paint car parts is one of the most satisfying DIY projects out there.

I assume that you have a compressor with enough CFM to move a spray gun. If you do, then go to an auto paint store -- the place where auto body shops buy, not a regular paint store and not an auto parts. Get a dark grey primer and flat black auto paint. Whatever is their minimum, which might be a quart pre-mixed. Get a spray gun at Harbor Freight or similar store. For projects like yours, HF quality is good enough. Then clean the part well with paint thinner, and paint it following the paint manufacturer's instructions.

If you don't have a compressor and by paint you mean brush paint, then the best is to go by an agricultural equipment supplier and get a quart of oil-based red primer and a quart of oil-based black paint. It's what I use on my heavy equipment, trailers, hitches, etc. The final product will rook rough, but that's par for the course.