Painting and re-finishing
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Painting and re-finishing
Painting tips
As most of you guys/gals like to work on your cars like I do, to either save some $$ and accomplish things yourself, I have some tips for when you paint ANY exterior plastic part on your car.
I'm in the process of painting some side view mirrors for a friend. Now if most of you think that all you need to do is 1) prep the part 2) paint the part 3) clear coat the part 4) reinstall the part and marvel at the great job you've done, I have to say you are sadly mistaken. There's more to it after applying the clear coat.
This is what I did with great results, so far.
After you apply LOTS of coats of clear, let it dry for a day or two. You'll notice that it isn't quite as shiny/glossy like the rest of your car and has a rough texture to it too. No need to worry. Go grab some 2000 grit wet/dry sand paper and let it soak in water for about an hour or so so it doesn't crease and cause any deep scratches. Lightly sand it and wipe off the residue as you go along. This will give the surface a VERY smooth feel and dull the finish a bit. Don't sand it too much or you'll sand through the clear coat and then you'll have to start from scratch. Once you're satisfied with how it feels, wipe it down thoroughly. Now get some rubbing compound and a soft rag to bring out the shine. Don't go too crazy with the rubbing compound also because you can also go through the clear coat. You can follow up with 3M swirl mark remover or Meguiar's #9 to even bring out the shine more. But if the rubbing compound brought out the shine then this step can be skipped.
Now put the part aside for about a week so the paint has time to cure and then you can apply a polish/wax.
I'll post some pics later to show how it looks as I'm in the waiting process The thing you have to do is be patient. If you rush around and do a half *** job it won't turn out good. Believe me I KNOW
Hope this helps.
Courtesy Silvr bullet TorontoCivics.com
As most of you guys/gals like to work on your cars like I do, to either save some $$ and accomplish things yourself, I have some tips for when you paint ANY exterior plastic part on your car.
I'm in the process of painting some side view mirrors for a friend. Now if most of you think that all you need to do is 1) prep the part 2) paint the part 3) clear coat the part 4) reinstall the part and marvel at the great job you've done, I have to say you are sadly mistaken. There's more to it after applying the clear coat.
This is what I did with great results, so far.
After you apply LOTS of coats of clear, let it dry for a day or two. You'll notice that it isn't quite as shiny/glossy like the rest of your car and has a rough texture to it too. No need to worry. Go grab some 2000 grit wet/dry sand paper and let it soak in water for about an hour or so so it doesn't crease and cause any deep scratches. Lightly sand it and wipe off the residue as you go along. This will give the surface a VERY smooth feel and dull the finish a bit. Don't sand it too much or you'll sand through the clear coat and then you'll have to start from scratch. Once you're satisfied with how it feels, wipe it down thoroughly. Now get some rubbing compound and a soft rag to bring out the shine. Don't go too crazy with the rubbing compound also because you can also go through the clear coat. You can follow up with 3M swirl mark remover or Meguiar's #9 to even bring out the shine more. But if the rubbing compound brought out the shine then this step can be skipped.
Now put the part aside for about a week so the paint has time to cure and then you can apply a polish/wax.
I'll post some pics later to show how it looks as I'm in the waiting process The thing you have to do is be patient. If you rush around and do a half *** job it won't turn out good. Believe me I KNOW
Hope this helps.
Courtesy Silvr bullet TorontoCivics.com
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u dotn need ot wait that long for curing..about 2 days hsould be enough ina warm environment.... and also i think 2000 is too high a grit, its almost as smooth as paper..use 1500
u dotn need ot wait that long for curing..about 2 days hsould be enough ina warm environment.... and also i think 2000 is too high a grit, its almost as smooth as paper..use 1500
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