Full Metal Jacket

Ok so I have seen many nice DIY stuff from many of you..

I know with painting, like cutting wood / measuring twice and cutting once, painting is all about the prep work.

So what products do you use to clean, sand, etch, or prep do you use for fuel rail covers and the painting of the silver center console inside our cars that looks like crap!!!!

I would appreciate any help you could provide.. Fundage is a little low right now and I still want to mod but the family still has to eat!!!

WAwatchnut

For the FRCs, sand them down to knock off the high spots, wipe down with denatured alcohol, prep with Bulldog Adhesion Promoter, primer with a high fill primer (like Duplicolor's Primer Filler), sand till smooth, paint, clear coat.

I just bought a hydrocarbon center console, but it should be the same process, only without the high fill primer.

Full Metal Jacket

Did you buy or did you do your own fuel rail covers? Looks very nice..!

WAwatchnut

Yup, did the FRCs myself. Thought the engine bay could use some color.

The stinger was painted by HalTech, and the paint flaked off after 5 months. Under the paint they did no prep... Just took their normal Stinger and sprayed some paint on it. The FRCs have been in the car for 4 years now and no issues with the paint at all. Prep is the key.

Full Metal Jacket

Wow do you mind if I PM you on some more questions?

Legal Alien

Don't do it by PM! I'm fascinated and I'm sure others would be too!

WAwatchnut

Happy to answer any questions!

Full Metal Jacket

When you say sand everything, is it to make it smooth or to remove oils and grime?
I was thinking of washing them with simple green, cleaning them with like brake cleaner it some type of solvent to remove oil and grease and then shiting or with some type of primer and then plastic type paint.

Krylon makes some nice plastic adhesive paint. Does it need or did you use an etching primer??

I then planned on finishing them off with some contrasting letters in red or black.. My car being millennium yellow not many other colors go well..

Thanks for being patient and answering my gibberish!!

Full Metal Jacket

When you say sand everything, is it to make it smooth or to remove oils and grime?
I was thinking of washing them with simple green, cleaning them with like brake cleaner it some type of solvent to remove oil and grease and then shiting it with some type of primer and then plastic type paint.

Krylon makes some nice plastic adhesive paint. Does it need or did you use an etching primer??

I then planned on finishing them off with some contrasting letters in red or black.. My car being millennium yellow not many other colors go well..

Thanks for being patient and answering my gibberish!!

WAwatchnut

Usually people sand it to smooth out the finish. If you like the texture, you don't need to smooth it out. But the final prep step should still be sanding with a fine grit (like 1000 grain) sandpaper to help the paint or primer to stick.

If you're not sanding it smooth, I'd sand it with a fine grit, and then clean it with a paint safe cleaner. I'm guessing the Krylon paint will probably be fine. I used Bulldog Adhesion Promoter because I wanted to paint it with LeMans Blue and Comp Gray paint specifically. so no etching. I would definitely use either the plastic adhesive paint or adhesion promoter - with the heat, and the flexing and expansion of the plastic when heated, it's pretty tough for the paint to stick properly.

Remember though, that if you shoot it with primer and then the paint, plastic adhesive paint probably won't make a difference, since it'll be sitting on the primer.

Full Metal Jacket

Where did you get LMB paint? I need Millenium yellow paint, I doubt my local Ace Hardware store !!!!

Random84

Those covers are very sweet!

WAwatchnut

Thanks Random!


I got the paint from automotivetouchup.com. They sell their paint in all forms, and the LMB was an exact match. I believe MY was a tint coat? Not sure if that changes the process, or matching. If you have the paint code, you can punch it in, or I think you can look up the codes on ATUs site.

VetteCop29

Diy
Flex paint w/metalflake.
Decal by vendors.
Pro racing look.