painting trim pieces

[yingjai]

has anyone tried painting their trim pieces? my car came stock with the fake carbon fiber trim and it looks cheap. i was thinking of painting it piano black with glossy look. what type of paint sticks to the semi glossy carbon fiber trim? and what type of paint sticks to the air vent inserts? i want the finished product to be glossy and should i worry about the paint cracking? the picture in the diy thread seems like it's a brushed look.. i didnt want to create a new thread but i couldnt reply.

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[mikecivexxx]

I'm about to take on the same task as you. Use engine paint if you are worried about cracking. That's the advice I've obtained.

[yingjai]

where are the trim painting discussion threads? i found diy's but they dont really discuss

[civic01vtec]

I used Plasti-Kote or whatever it is called by Krylon. Whatever you paint it with, make sure that you clean the pieces good with thinner.

[yingjai]

i searched for the krylon stuff.. seems like ppl used them on xboxes and stuff too, so i guess it's good.

need help with my researching.
basically i need primer paint, then the paint itself, then clearcoat? am i right? what do i use to sand the primer down?

[hwt101]

with the plasticoat from krylon you are supposed to only have to make sure its a clean surface no primer or sanding, it supposedly is made to bond w/plastic and i have used it several different times and never had any problems with it and all i did was rub dwon what i was painting w/denatured alcohol and then paint.

[yingjai]

you know some types of plastics aren't completely smooth? would the finishing result of the paint conform to the texture of the trim or would it form a smooth surface?

[Erikwithak86]

isnt the texture of the trim smooth though? I know I plan on repainting most of my interior pieces, they have tons of little spots on them.

[yingjai]

not the trim around my air vents. i know aftermarket cf or aluminum kits have a sticker for that, but the oem fake cf doesnt cover that part

[flyguy050]

Use Rust-Oleum professional high performance enamel- gloss black
One light coat of black primer, 2 or 3 coats of paint, ive had it in my car for 2 years and it looks just as good as the first day i put it in

[Eyger]

Yeah I would use rustoleum. I would also use a primer underneath, it promotes adhesion as not to flake. Or you could do what I did. Invest in an air compressor, and HVLP paint guns. Then you could just spray real automotive primer, basecoat, and clearcoat! It'll only run you a couple hundred bucks and is well worth the investment.

[RHCP0801]

you brought back a 4 week old thread

[yingjai]

the guy at Lordco told me to use the PlastiKote vinyl paint. he said no primer or anything was needed. i've only tested the paint on a white bucket. havent gone around to remove my trim pieces yet.

[Eyger]

Oh yeah, the other thing I forgot to mention was that you should wipe down your trim pieces with rubbing alcohol or acetone to remove any grease and dirt such as armor all or dirt.

If you buy a paint which is formulated to go straight to plastic, then yes you won't need primer. If you just buy a regular black paint, they you should use a primer. I would trust a regular paint with a primer rather then just straight plastic paint. Paint always has and always will stick best to primer.