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Painting hard top top white to keep the interior cool.

Roverhi

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Live where it is almost always warm, not Aridzona warm but usually in low 80's to low 90's. Not a fan of A/C so mostly drive with windows down which works on my current silver car. The black top just seems stupid for our environment because of solar heating. Thought that masking off the sides of the top and rattle can painting the flat center section would cut down on the heat. Anyone done this and did it make a noticeable difference?? Sure would be cheaper and easier than adding headliners. Factory only offers body colored tops which are way expensive and only a silver or white truck would have an advantage.
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Catiajockey

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typical hardware store white spray paint will not make enough of a difference to make it worth putting it on. Paints with ceramics in them will do a bit better. But unless you are using something that is specifically advertised to stop heat transfer then you will not see significant results. Any big flat surface in direct sunlight will radiate heat. What you want is an air gap. Something to slow that heat from entering the cabin.
 

Catiajockey

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Don’t paint your top with a rattle can. Have it paint properly or look around for a used white top. (Maybe try searching LKQ)
the OP lives in Hawaii, not sure how readily available LKQ parts will be for them
 

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KPersCO

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Rattle can paint jobs certainly don't belong on JLs, maybe the old YJ. Definitely would start with headliners and see what you think

PS - It's not a car or truck!! lol
 

The Last Cowboy

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You can have a shop prep the top and spray with right over the texture and then use a matte clear coat so that it looks like the white hardtops used to. Expect to pay about $1500 or so for that.

There are some videos on you tube where classic truck guys use white Rustoleum with an additive that I can't remember to get that matte white look for old truck roofs and grills. They buy the paint in a can and use a spray gun to apply it.

Or, you could probably have it LineX'd white for about 7-800 bucks.

There is also a boat paint called Awlgrip. It's not cheap, but you wouldn't need a lot. It can be rolled and brushed on and self levels. After it cures you would never see the brush marks in the texture of the top. It's tough paint and it takes a lot to scratch it.

Just don't do a shitty rattle can job on a Jeep this new. Well, maybe with white Plasidip. That may work
 
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Roverhi

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Don't want to paint the whole top just the flat section. The only time it will be visible to a passer by is iif I accidentally expose the dark side. Thinking about a look like the jeep retractable soft top with the visible sides original black color. The all black tops just seem stupid for anywhere temps exceed 80 degrees unless you love A/C. Wondering if it would make a worthwhile difference.
 

Arterius2

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Don't want to paint the whole top just the flat section. The only time it will be visible to a passer by is iif I accidentally expose the dark side. Thinking about a look like the jeep retractable soft top with the visible sides original black color. The all black tops just seem stupid for anywhere temps exceed 80 degrees unless you love A/C. Wondering if it would make a worthwhile difference.
Try it and report back please. :like:
 

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calemasters

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There are folks that do not like body colored hard tops and prefer the black textured roof. Maybe you can find someone with a silver or white roof that will swap with you.

I would not expect roof color to make much of an interior temperature difference. Window tint can help, but since you do not use AC, I assume you have your windows down.
 
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Windshieldfarmer

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Go to your dealer with a thermometer and take the temp inside a Jeep with a white top and compare to yours 30 minutes later. I’m guessing the difference will be about 10 degrees....headliners yes, paint - NO!
 

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Don't want to paint the whole top just the flat section. The only time it will be visible to a passer by is iif I accidentally expose the dark side. Thinking about a look like the jeep retractable soft top with the visible sides original black color. The all black tops just seem stupid for anywhere temps exceed 80 degrees unless you love A/C. Wondering if it would make a worthwhile difference.
If that’s your plan, I’d go with silver or light gray paint instead of white.

A white section on top of a black hardtop is going to look cheesy.
 

aldo98229

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BTW, sounds like you should have gotten a soft top.
 

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BTW, sounds like you should have gotten a soft top.
my soft top gets hot! went off roading on a mild summer day last year, had the a/c on full blast and i was sweating. i think the hard top does a better job of keeping the heat out.

i finally got my windows tinted with ceramic tint. so far its seemed to have helped quite a bit. the windshield is a big magnifying glass. i tinted it with a real light ceramic tint. that definitely makes a difference.
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