Bit the bullet...painting the plastics  By  brandjur (Read 1,749 times)

Sure. Let me try. I hope this helps.

Reserve a week to do this just in case you need the extra few days.
Use clean latex gloves so you don't get oil on the panels.

1. Remove all panels and unscrew, lights housings, chrome, or anything not getting painted from the panels.

Sanding
2. Sand with 220 grit to get the shine off. Don't sand too deep.
3. Sand with 420 grit to smooth it out.
3 1/2. I [wet/dry] vacuumed and then wet the garage floor so I wouldn't stir up dust as I walked around.

Clean Prep
4. Wipe with wet lint free cloth. I used the blue shop towels. This gets most of the dust off. Let dry.
5. Wipe with mineral spirit on lint free cloth. This removes any oil or wax. Let dry.
6. I wiped again with wet towel to remove mineral spirits and dust. Let dry.
7. Wipe with Tack Cloth. They are cheap at Home Depot. I bought 2 packs at around 2.50 each.

Adhesion and Primer
8. Spray 2 layers of Adhesion Promoter from Duplicolor. I found this at Pep Boys. It is specifically for plastic. Wait to dry per directions.
9. Spray 2 layers of Filler Primer from Rustoleum. Wait to dry per directions.
10. "Lightly" wet sand the Filler Primer with 600 grit sandpaper to knock off the high spots and make smoother. You could also follow-up with regular primer and then wet sand. If spraying a dark color, top with a black or dark primer.

Clean Prep
11. Follow the Clean Prep above

Base Coat for Metallic
12. Shake your cans a lot and in between panels for even color spray.
13. Spray a light 1st coat and follow with a wet 2nd coat.
14. Allow to dry for a few minutes and spray a 3rd coat.
15. You might need another coat to even the metallic. This is where you have to judge it. Either spray a 4th coat if you don't think it will run, or....wait 2 days, follow Clean Prep (minus mineral spirits), and spray another layer (or 2 if needed). If you wait the 2 days, you can also lightly wet sand any paint runs with 1200 grit sand paper and spray over it. Paint runs or pool might be unavoidable as the molded plastic has valleys and peaks.
16. Wait 2 days to dry.

Clear Coat
17. Follow Clean Prep (minus mineral spirits)
18. Spray light 1st coat follow with 2nd wet coat.
19. Wait a few minutes and follow with a 3rd coat.
20. I actually sprayed a 4th coat after waiting 5 mins.
21. Let dry for 24 hours.

Buffing
22. If you have any really rough spray, use 1200-2000 grit sandpaper and lightly wet sand to get some of it down.
23. Buff and Buff. I chose to use a light cut solution, 3M Swirl Mark Remover (SMR). You need a good polisher or random orbital sander. Use the correct foam pad, mine is yellow to match the cut of the Swirl Mark Remover. I set the polisher at 4,000 rpm.
---I could have started with rubbing compound, but I wasn't sure how thick or soft the clear was, so I probably spent an extra hour buffing with the lighter cut SMR. I would recommend using a mild cut solution for beginner polishers.
24. Wipe clean and buff some more if you need to.

Installation
25. This is up to you if you want to install after buffing. I would wait at least another day or so for the paint/clear to cure more. The more days, the better. When installing, be careful of tightening the screws on the paint.
26. If waiting for paint/clear to cure, go spray those rusty screws with rust neutralizer and then paint black.


There might be variations with different types and brands of spray paints. Please read the directions.

Good Luck!