Posted: 10/3/2016 3:35:27 PM EDT
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OK so Grand Cherokee Limited came with chrome this and chrome that.
It's too much for my allergies. The biggest eye sore are the side mirror caps. Problem is, you can't order OEM ones with your paint code - you have to buy the whole $500/ea mirror. So the first thought is to paint the "chrome" plastic ones that come on it. Jeep offers a rattle can as an OEM MOPAR paint code. This would save several hundred $$ to try and rattle can it myself. I'm confident with my spraying and durability doesn't really freak me out because it will be eventually be XPEL'ed... but why do I feel like I should still have a body shop mix it up and spray it for me? Think the paint would adhere to the plastic chrome or do I need to do some 2000+ grit sanding? Think the paint will be THAT far off from my factory one? It's a gray metallic, so pretty ideal for matching and blending. Would appreciate thoughts on this. |
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I painted some chrome running boards and it worked great. They are chrome over metal but I think that chrome over plastic is actually the same thing, maybe I'm wrong.
I scuffed them up then hit them with a self etching primer to get good adhesion followed by flat black paint. I know your trying to match color so that may be a little tougher. I have had good luck with duplicolor as far as being pretty damn close to the right color. |
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I would try plastidip. If you don't like it, you can peel it off. I would do this, but if you don't like it what does one in your body color run from a salvage yard? I would imagine lots of them come into a salvage yard damaged and they may have really good demand, but worth checking prices. |
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The mirrors are very susceptible to rock chips. I'd pick something easy to re-do or touch up, like Plasti-Dip. It also adheres well to chrome surfaces without sanding, so you haven't screwed up the original finish.
Here's what I'd do: Paint on about 4-5 layers of black Plasti-dip. Then go over it with a few coats with the spray paint that matches the car from the dealer. Every year or two, you can re-do it or just shoot another layer of the paint. If you get tired of it or want to sell, peel it off. |
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have done considerable amounts of small parts with plastidip previously (like spoked motorcycle wheels, side covers, etc).
this will end up getting Xpel'ed so rock chips shouldn't be an issue. Would this paint in the spray can be chemically close to paint ordered to shoot through a gun? and already called around to 4 dealers in the area asking about body shop jobs or customer take-offs (when they swap to chrome), no dice have had a craigslist listing up on giving someone $100 to trade their Laredo's mirrors for my chrome ones, no luck and eBay has some from parting out models, but they are only selling the whole mirror assembly... about $250 each |
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Quoted:
I would do this, but if you don't like it what does one in your body color run from a salvage yard? I would imagine lots of them come into a salvage yard damaged and they may have really good demand, but worth checking prices. Quoted:
Quoted:
I would try plastidip. If you don't like it, you can peel it off. I would do this, but if you don't like it what does one in your body color run from a salvage yard? I would imagine lots of them come into a salvage yard damaged and they may have really good demand, but worth checking prices. I plasti dipped my chrome bumpers, emblems and fuel door. Looks good. Easy to fix if you get a scratch and is reversiable. |
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If you want to paint them, at least do it right. No plasti-dip, no cheap auto parts store rattle can crap. You can use the exact same methods and materials any body shop would use, and you can do it at home. Do it right and it will last as long as the rest of the paint on your car.
First you need a gray scuff pad. Gray is equivalent to about 4-600 grit scratches depending on how hard you press. If you sand by hand instead, nothing finer than 600 grit. Wipe down the surface with wax and grease remover after scuffing. Next, use a plastic adhesion promoter over the scuffed surface. Two light coats and let it dry. Buy a small amount of the factory color. If you can't get any automotive base coat mixed locally, shoot me a PM and I can have my jobber mix up a pint for about ~$25. It's PPG's Shop Line base - nothing crazy high end, but good stuff. You can spray the base with a paint gun if you have one and a compressor, or you can get a Preval aerosol sprayer and use that. Do not use anything other than real auto base coat. Over the dried base, use automotive clear. Again, NOTHING out of a typical rattle can. The best option is Spray Max clear. It's actual 2k catalyzed automotive clear in an aerosol. Do that and it will match the rest of the car perfectly. |
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You're gonna rattlecan or Plastidip your 50k vehicle? Why didn't you buy what you wanted in the first place? We are talking about 2-4 trim pieces. And the Jeep was about 15K less than that. Color matched mirrors weren't an option on any Limited model - you either have to spend about 10k more for a nicer trim (can't afford) or about 10k less for the Laredo (not available with the options I wanted). If I can do this for $150 bucks or less, that's the most rational decision. |
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Quoted:
If you want to paint them, at least do it right. No plasti-dip, no cheap auto parts store rattle can crap. You can use the exact same methods and materials any body shop would use, and you can do it at home. Do it right and it will last as long as the rest of the paint on your car. First you need a gray scuff pad. Gray is equivalent to about 4-600 grit scratches depending on how hard you press. If you sand by hand instead, nothing finer than 600 grit. Wipe down the surface with wax and grease remover after scuffing. Next, use a plastic adhesion promoter over the scuffed surface. Two light coats and let it dry. Buy a small amount of the factory color. If you can't get any automotive base coat mixed locally, shoot me a PM and I can have my jobber mix up a pint for about ~$25. It's PPG's Shop Line base - nothing crazy high end, but good stuff. You can spray the base with a paint gun if you have one and a compressor, or you can get a Preval aerosol sprayer and use that. Do not use anything other than real auto base coat. Over the dried base, use automotive clear. Again, NOTHING out of a typical rattle can. The best option is Spray Max clear. It's actual 2k catalyzed automotive clear in an aerosol. Do that and it will match the rest of the car perfectly. I have a simple gun I have never used, but only have a little pancake compressor up here, back home I have my larger one. What sort of PSI is needed to run a paint gun effectively? (I don't mind taking time for the compressor to recharge, after all taking time with painting is a virtue) Is there a plastic adhesion promoter brand you recommend? This would be a fun project to start learning the ropes on amateur painting |
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PSI won't be the issue, it's CFM that's a concern. Even my professional guns only run at 30 psi max, and I usually base around 24-25 psi. CFM draw of the gun and output of the compressor will determine how long you can spray until you have to let the compressor catch up. For those small parts though you shouldn't have any issue. You'll only be spraying for a few seconds at a time.
I use Bulldog adhesion promoter, but you could even get the duplicolor stuff if that's all you can find. It's the only material from that company that's acceptable to use. Just make sure you spray your base in medium-dry coats, then spray your clear in 2-3 wet coats. Wait at least 15 minutes between coats of clear. |
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Don't do this unless its 100% reversable for resale. You'll cost yourself more in resale value by painting parts than it's cost to just buy the trim peices in non-chrome and install them. That isn't necessarily true. Done correctly like I described, there will be no difference between these painted parts and factory non-chrome painted parts. The only difference here is that he won't have the added parts cost. |
I just bought a motorcycle from a guy like you. He used duracoat and it came out pretty good. Just about every damn thing that was silver or chrome got blacked out. It's peeling on one of my saddlebag locks but I don't know if it got dinged or just didn't take.
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Anything will work. I've painted outside before, and although it tends to get dirtier, you can always clean it up by sanding and buffing if necessary. Just make sure that if you use any kind of fans for ventilation, set up your booth as "positive pressure", not negative. That means that multiple fans should be blowing into the booth area, with a slightly smaller exhaust side completely open. That way you have no chemicals passing directly over the non-sealed fan motors posing an explosion risk.
Also, because I know it will be asked by someone, don't worry about filtering the outgoing air unless you have concerns about overspray in the the immediate vicinity. According to the EPA NESHAP 6H rule, as an individual, you may apply coatings onto up to two full vehicles per year with none of the 6H rules applying to you. So, that means you don't need filtration or an actual booth, and you don't have to worry about getting into legal trouble for it. |
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Quoted:
Anything will work. I've painted outside before, and although it tends to get dirtier, you can always clean it up by sanding and buffing if necessary. Just make sure that if you use any kind of fans for ventilation, set up your booth as "positive pressure", not negative. That means that multiple fans should be blowing into the booth area, with a slightly smaller exhaust side completely open. That way you have no chemicals passing directly over the non-sealed fan motors posing an explosion risk. Also, because I know it will be asked by someone, don't worry about filtering the outgoing air unless you have concerns about overspray in the the immediate vicinity. According to the EPA NESHAP 6H rule, as an individual, you may apply coatings onto up to two full vehicles per year with none of the 6H rules applying to you. So, that means you don't need filtration or an actual booth, and you don't have to worry about getting into legal trouble for it. what about using a shop vac? |
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That's why I recommended the Spraymax clear. It's 2k, a true catalyzed automotive clear. I know from speaking to their reps and buyer that it's actually Spies Hecker clear, which is Dupont, which is now Axalta. That's one of the most likely materials that would be used on your car if you take it to your local body shop for a repair.
Also, any kind of dip, whether it's the PlastiDip or Eastwood Elastiwrap will fade and actually begin to break down after about 6 months, and you'll have to redo it. |