Wheel wells paint? or undercoat?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
From: Media PA
Wheel wells paint? or undercoat?
I cleaned off the old undercoat and fixed some fiberglass and seams, but now what? paint the wheel wels black? put new undercoat on the wheel wells?
other ideas?
thanks
Chandler
other ideas?
thanks
Chandler
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,193
Likes: 176
From: Hillsborough NC
I just went through this myself in the front. After all of the effort that I put into removing the old undercoating, there was no way I was going to put it back on.
For mine, I stripped the undercoat, cleaned the areas with mineral spirits, and then cleaned them again with acetone. AFter they were clean, I primed them with a primer I got a Home Depot called Grippers. It's essentially a KILZ competit and is designed to cover just about anything that normal paint will not stick to. I figured left-over undercoat residue might be similar to crayola crayones on interior walls. I applied the paint using a 1 inch brush for the joints ad seams and then finished the large areas using a 2 inch wide foam roller (for house trim).
Final topcoat was a coat of Rustoleum Satin Black applied with the brush and roller, finish is outstanding (if I don't say so myself) and is thick enough to withstand a rock chip or two.
Good Luck.
For mine, I stripped the undercoat, cleaned the areas with mineral spirits, and then cleaned them again with acetone. AFter they were clean, I primed them with a primer I got a Home Depot called Grippers. It's essentially a KILZ competit and is designed to cover just about anything that normal paint will not stick to. I figured left-over undercoat residue might be similar to crayola crayones on interior walls. I applied the paint using a 1 inch brush for the joints ad seams and then finished the large areas using a 2 inch wide foam roller (for house trim).
Final topcoat was a coat of Rustoleum Satin Black applied with the brush and roller, finish is outstanding (if I don't say so myself) and is thick enough to withstand a rock chip or two.
Good Luck.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,814
Likes: 414
From: Pittsburgh suburbs Pa.
I'm painting the wheel wells semi flat black but undercoating the top part which is the fender so when rocks are picked up by the tires, it don't cause those little stars in the surface paint on the fenders. I don't know why people undercoated the inner fenders since they are not metal.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
Clean them with the pressure sprayer (soap, then flush) at a coin-op car wash. Remove wheel, mask area and spray with Krylon semi-flat black paint [spray can]. It'll take about 1 can per wheelwell. Done deal!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,008
Likes: 38
From: Space Coast Gator Territory
I cleaned all four of my wheel wells down to bare fiberglass and molded them. All the bonding seams and nooks and crannies were filled with bondo and smoothed for easier cleaning. When it was sanded smooth I gave it two coats of PPG epoxy primer. The frame was painted black with POR gloss black. I broke my camera before I could take a picture of the front wells.[IMG]
[/IMG] The whole underside was done with the body on the car. Not many see it, but I know it is there.
[/IMG] The whole underside was done with the body on the car. Not many see it, but I know it is there.
Last edited by Red 69; Oct 1, 2007 at 10:05 PM.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 5,236
Likes: 898
From: Myrtle Beach SC
Depends on the year, but I've used this rubberized undercoating that provides a nice flat, textured undercoat looking finish. The factory did a modest undercoat in wheel wells and finished with blackout...nothing fancy though.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 3,637
Likes: 27
From: Norwalk Ct
I used tintable truck bedliner. I tinted mine yellow (good way to see leaks and stuff. You have to put somethng thick (bedliner, thick undercoating, I have even seen people glue 1/8th rubber)on the underside of the top of the fenders otherwise rocks/stones will crack the fiberglass (especially so on older cars where the glass becomes dry and brittle.)
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,871
Likes: 6
From: Sault Ste. Marie Ontario
I cleaned all four of my wheel wells down to bare fiberglass and molded them. All the bonding seams and nooks and crannies were filled with bondo and smoothed for easier cleaning. When it was sanded smooth I gave it two coats of PPG epoxy primer. The frame was painted black with POR gloss black. I broke my camera before I could take a picture of the front wells.[IMG][/IMG] The whole underside was done with the body on the car. Not many see it, but I know it is there.
[/IMG] The whole underside was done with the body on the car. Not many see it, but I know it is there.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,008
Likes: 38
From: Space Coast Gator Territory
