1. Remove silver pieces such as waterfall, steering wheel controls, radio cover door, etc.

2. Started removing the silver to expose the black plastic with a fine scuff pad. This process took way too long so I bought a 800 grit sanding block/sponge and removed the silver that way (went a lot faster and smoother this way), Basically sand until you see no more silver.

3. After removing all of the silver from the pieces I went over each piece with 1000 and 1500 grit just to smooth out the pieces.

4. Thoroughly wipe down all of the pieces with rubbing alcohol to clean and remove any dust residue caused from sanding (get a rubbing alcohol that is safe on plastics. Some out there that can burn through and actually melt plastic).

5. After everything is clean, smooth and dry....begin painting. Very important to do light coats first. Build up the paint as opposed to applying thick and getting runs in the paint.

6. Before you apply clear coat wetsand the pieces lightly with 1500 or 2000 grit to remove any orange peel. Once the orange peel is removed, wipe down the pieces with a clean microfiber towel and then apply the clear coat (apply the clear in multiple light coats followed by a medium to heavy coat).

7. Allow a minumum of 3-4 hours to dry completely (if you can, let the clear coated pieces bake in the sun).

8.. Remove any orange peel from the clear coat with wetsanding and 2000 or 2500 grit.

9. Once the orange peel is removed, wipe down the pieces with a clean microfiber towel

10. Apply 4 coats of rubbing compound and wax to make the finished project really shine.


THANKS A LOT FLEA!

 

No problem! Just be prepared to get a bunch of replys saying, "This thread is useless without pics!". I'll post one of mine so hopefully no one does that.

Mine:

 

mm interesting might try this when i have more time, thanks!

 

Awesome write-up. If I wanted to paint the "SCION" on the HU panel a different color, how would you go about doing that exactly? I'm just thinking of using a toothpick, but I just want to get the advice from someone who knows what they're talking about.

Also, you talk about how to do it... but how much paint should one get (especially since I'm planning to do the outer pieces in one color, and the center piece in a different color)? I think the clearcoating stands out too much, but would not clearcoating make it look too dull?

 

I will be looking into this probably this weekend. Great write up

 

that is exactly what I want my dash to look like, great job!!

 

Did this in one day. Unit_Xero's dash.







His radio door cover is still drying from the clear coat.

 

Noob question, wtf is orange peel?

 

Here is an example of orange peel on a set of tinted tails (not mine or done by me).


Orange peel is the paint film having an uneven texture that resembles the skin of an orange. Many factors can result in this such as uneven spraying or the spraying of paint in a variety of different angles. When you run your finger over it you'll feel how rough and bumpy it is.

 

If a paint can says to wait about 20 minutes between each coat (talking basecoat here), how long should you wait before wetsanding the last coat in preparation for applying the clear coat? Thanks!

 

^Depends, are you spraying during day or night time? I would say wait 35-45 minutes before wet sanding. Let the paint really dry. Nothing worse than wet sanding still wet paint, just to create a huge mess.

 

With a spray can youd want to wait 4 hrs in the summer or warm weather. 8 hrs in the winter. Even if the paint seems dry it might be soft or its just the top coat thats dry. Take it from me. THere would be allot of times where we painted a car at 4 PM the night before in the winter and I wet sanded it at 10 in the morning and the paint was soft because the 1000 grit paper would start clogging. Its not a fed up job. It just means you need to wait a little bit or keep going but go carefully so you don't burn thgouth the paint.

And good man knows what hes talking about! FLEA does some mighty fine work but orange peel is accomplished by putting too thick of a clear coat the wrong way. When your painting a car say your doing the color. Theres no way to put the color on real thick and have orange peel unless you really dont know what your doing because color w out clear is real real thin. When you spray it its almost like water but a little thicker. The clear coat or paint with clear in it is where you get orange peel and orange peel isnt a bad thing. IT looks bad but its no big deal if you have it. Most shops spray thick and leave orange peel so that when its dry its easier to wet sand, and you know for sure you covered everything. Wet sanding removes orange peel and dust from the paint. Its almost impossible to paint w out orange peel and w out dust unless your the machine at toyota. Again wet sanding, machine buffing, and machine polishing is always a way to go after a paint job.

 

I'll probably be spraying night time inside (yes I know it will take forever anyway, lol). I'll just make sure it's really dry before doing the clear coat. Thanks FLEA!

Another quick thing... If I'm painting some of the black pieces silver, would it make sense to use primer to ensure the true silver comes out (rather than just spraying onto the prepped piece itself)?

 

Spraying the black pieces in the car need to be first sprayed with plastic adhesion promoter (no not the stuff at auto zone) The black plastic is called raw plastic. Plastic with no paint on it already. If you go ahead and paint over that w out plastic adhesion promoter over time it can peal and chip because paint doesn't stick to those surfaces. Especially the vents on the dash board or the handle trim on the door panels. (around the chrome door handle that opens the door) Not the handle everybody pulls on. The gauges and the handles that everybody pull on is also raw plastic but isnt as soft or raw as the dash board plastic or the door panels. That should be ok to paint as long as its not picked at or anything. To do those pieces you first want to scuff it down with the gray 3M scuff pad (auto zone) not the red because its too rough. Then wipe it down with the tack cloth. Then spray the auto zone plastic adhesive promoter, and a real thin coat of the sealer primer u can find at auto zone (not filler primer). Then you can paint. Wait a min or 2 between mist coats and 5 - 10 min between heavier coats. If you want it real nice I wouldn't suggest doing any more than a mist coat at a time. Its not the way I would do things now but if I were doing this at home w out the equipment and materials thats exactly how I would do it.

 

You can use primer, adhesion promoter or sandable primer. I ususally just scuff the pieces up really good, smooth them down, wipe down any debris such as dirt, dust, etc. The paint sticks to it really well. If you don't want to do it that way I say go the primer route.

 

Definitely use a tack cloth...that's my best friend. ^Exactly what i-Kona said. Spray light mists. Better to build up the paint than to do one heavy spray with drips and runs which you'll have to wet sand down.

 

nice pics. now lets get my car back together haha

 

Radio door is done.

 

koo koo. have this for awhile and get my cf. what do you think flea?

 

CF will set it off. I can get a CF trim kit for $30 brand new. But you'd have to wait around the end of this month...April 26-30 to get it.