How to refinish under hood black matte finish?
12-27-2004, 07:11 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Member Since: Oct 2004
Location: Leeds Alabama
Posts: 2,283
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
How to refinish under hood black matte finish?
The under hood of my 89 looking pretty faded, I want to refinish the matte black underside of the hood, what should I use and any tips would be appreciated, I want a good looking job not a Krylon type job. 
12-27-2004, 09:18 PM
#3
Elite Torch Red Member
Try some Pledge furniture polish and see how well it cleans up, maybe you won't need to paint. It's worth a try.
12-28-2004, 11:01 AM
#8
Team Owner
First, I would try a good cleaning with a diluted mix of Simple Green and a soft abrasive pad to get all the grease and dirt off. That will give you a good idea of what needs to be painted. The upper wheelwells should be removed so you can clean the hood under them.
The factory used a inexpensive semi-flat paint (in the early years of Corvette, it was the cheapest flat black lacquer the factory could buy!). I have found that not all C4's have the same sheen underhood. Some cars seem to have flat black finish and others are more of a semi-flat. There are differences between semi-gloss and semi-flat so you need to decide which version you want.
I did the inner fenderwells of my 92 and after sanding them with 220 paper, I used Dupli-Color black sandable primer (DAP-1698) followed by 3 coats of Krylon Semi-Flat #1613. This combo wound up looking like an exact match to the under-hood color.
If you decie to re-paint the underside of the hood, visit a local auto paint supply house and see what they recommend for a suitable color. You can get half-pint cans which should be enough to do the hood.
You might want to think about removing the hood to shoot it. That will make it esy to properly prep the area especially for sanding. The headlamp housings should come out as should the wiring for the underhood lights. The hood is bulky and weighs a fair amount but the end result will be worth it. It also gives you a chance to do the detailing around the radiator shroud and in the headlamp wells without having to fight the small openings with the hood in place.
If you decide not to paint, try some 303 Aerospace Protectorant. Once you have the underhood areas clean, just wipe it on with a clean rag (use a small brush for corners and crevices) and wipe dry. You can find it at boat shops.
The factory used a inexpensive semi-flat paint (in the early years of Corvette, it was the cheapest flat black lacquer the factory could buy!). I have found that not all C4's have the same sheen underhood. Some cars seem to have flat black finish and others are more of a semi-flat. There are differences between semi-gloss and semi-flat so you need to decide which version you want.
I did the inner fenderwells of my 92 and after sanding them with 220 paper, I used Dupli-Color black sandable primer (DAP-1698) followed by 3 coats of Krylon Semi-Flat #1613. This combo wound up looking like an exact match to the under-hood color.
If you decie to re-paint the underside of the hood, visit a local auto paint supply house and see what they recommend for a suitable color. You can get half-pint cans which should be enough to do the hood.
You might want to think about removing the hood to shoot it. That will make it esy to properly prep the area especially for sanding. The headlamp housings should come out as should the wiring for the underhood lights. The hood is bulky and weighs a fair amount but the end result will be worth it. It also gives you a chance to do the detailing around the radiator shroud and in the headlamp wells without having to fight the small openings with the hood in place.
If you decide not to paint, try some 303 Aerospace Protectorant. Once you have the underhood areas clean, just wipe it on with a clean rag (use a small brush for corners and crevices) and wipe dry. You can find it at boat shops.
12-28-2004, 11:57 AM
#13
Le Mans Master
Member Since: May 2003
Location: Philadelphia Burbs
Posts: 8,174
Received 235 Likes
on
77 Posts
Cruise-In V Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06
Originally Posted by Mr Mojo
Try some Pledge furniture polish and see how well it cleans up, maybe you won't need to paint.
12-28-2004, 06:19 PM
#17
Race Director
Originally Posted by corvette1989bham
Is there a particular # to the SEM flat black?
01-02-2005, 10:15 PM
#19
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Member Since: Oct 2004
Location: Leeds Alabama
Posts: 2,283
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
sanded and repainted today, turned out very well. sanded the hood, took out the lights etc and used low gloss spray. Wich I sanded a little more but it turned out 8.0 out of 10.Now gonna try to buff up the a arms, how can I get them back to original bright aluminum finish>?
