If I missed the thread for this I apologize in advance. I must have searched 20+ pages and found nothing...

So I want to change the colour of my mirror caps. Do the factory ones come off? If so how do I do this without messing them up? I want to paint mine and reuse them.

 

This is the method i followed and it worked like a charm.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t-r55-r56.html



Or you can do what this guy did... which i'm not sure is the best way to pop it off.

 

Most excellent! Thank you so much.

 

What paint brand are you going to use? Have you picked out a color yet?

 

I picked up an extra set of sparkling silver mirror caps. At first glance I thought they were a perfect match for my dark silver MCS. I was wrong. I spent some time this morning sanding them down with a 320 grit sand paper. One primed and dryed, I wet sanded them down with a 600 grit. I used duplicolor charcoal gray metallic, BCC0331. Once I was happy with the many coats I then applied many coats of the duplicolor clear coat protective spray. Still setting. Not sure if I want to wet sand the clear or just polish once it's completely cured.

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Thank you, great info on the sanding/wetsanding. I not that good with body/paint work.

 

I plan on using Dupli-Color engine enamel. It will provide a very strong bond with the added durability from rocks.

I just need to make sure it is the right red

The problem with 'spray paint' is that it is hard to get a great finish. Multiple light coats and a wet sand (800-1000 grit) between coats will help you get a better finish. They make up to 3000 grit too which I have used to wet sand imperfections out of my clear coat too.

The key to any job is to start with a solid foundation. This means proper prep. Sand your mirror caps down with 600 grit. Clean well with soapy water and rinse well. Thoroughly dry off and take your time! Let the coat dry well and you can sand out any small imperfections and dirt/lint.

I hope to paint my this up and coming weekend. I will post pics when I can.

Good luck!

 

Using the metallic paint, i could't wet sand the base coats. I did however lightly sand and smooth the clear to a dull finish to reapply more clear later.

 

So, you sand off the color coat down to the primer? Then you prime and paint?

 

What's he difference between power fold mirror caps and non power fold? When I see the
For sale the seller always designates between the two types.

 

They either fold in automatically by turning the adjustment **** or they do not. The tabs are spaced out differently so they are not interchangeable.

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This was after buffing with compound and 2 more coats of clear. Just have to polish them. It was a bit overcast this morning.

 

I probably wont sand mine all way down as you wont need to unless you were trying to sand out some fine scratches. All you want to do is sand them enough to rough up the surface so the new paint has a surface to 'grab' a hold to.

If you have white caps (like me) and you are painting a colour like red, yellow, black it would be wise to spray a grey-ish primer on them so you do not have to put on a ton of coats in order to cover the white. Colours like red and yellow do not cover very easily. Same goes for black caps being painted a lighter colour like white.

 

The sparkling silver caps I had were factory painted. I didn't go down to primer when I sanded the oem finish. I did sand the factory clear completely out and got the paint down quite a bit and then primed. As stated though, you just want a nice surface for the paint to adhere.

 

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There is a good looking MINI! Nice work with the red bits

I painted my mirror caps last Friday and they came out amazing! The red I used matches my red hash marks perfect.

1: Pulled caps off (very carefully)
2: Washed with dish soap (removed debris and grease/oils)
3: Dry well
4: Sanded the factory white caps with 600 grit until there was no sheen left from the factory paint job. This ensures a good bond
5: Took a lint free cloth and a ammonia free glass cleaner and wiped down well. You do not want lint or debris on the cap. It will show in the primer/paint
6: Primed with 3 light coats. Ensure complete coverage. Sand with 800 grit lightly to remove any imperfections
7: Prime again if needed
8: Lightly sand again if primed again
9: Wipe again with ammonia free glass cleaner and lint free cloth
10: Paint with chosen colour. Multiple light coats will prevent dripping/sagging paint. There is a fine line between light coats and too much that allows a smooth finish.
11: Let each coat dry before adding a new coat. Wet sand if necessary and only sand once a coat is completely dry.
12: I did not have to sand any of my final coats.

HINT: Paint when the temps are cooler (70 to 75 degrees) to prevent paint from drying too fast. Paint needs to settle and give you a nice smooth finish. A little humidity helps too.

I'll have pics of the cap on my car as soon as the snow around here melts.

 

Thank you. Great job on those mirror caps. I love the gloss!

 

Sorry for the dirty car. It snowed like crazy here in the last couple days and everything is melting.

So as promised...my finished mirror caps.

 

Really nice! They look great! Is the roof next?

 

If I did the roof I would probably do it in vinyl. That is a lot of paint

Sorry the photo is a little blurry, I cropped my original and I lost some sharpness, the caps are quite glossy

 

I was thinking the same thing with mine. vinyl the roof. My caps didn't come out real glossy. I don't know if it's the metallic paint, the clear i used, or too light on the coats. I am still happy with them. I may try to polish them and see what happens. I cropped my photo as well to keep my plate out of the picture.

 

This is the time I wish I did not have the panoramic roof. But the red would look sweet with my Black Jack on top.

In my experience with metallic paints they do have a low-gloss to them. You could find a nice clear coat to put over them. The extra coat would help with chips and what not.

 

Thanks for the tip. After I sprayed several coats of clear, I wet sanded and then did a few heavier coats of clear after. Maybe i'll try a different clear.

 

Sometimes spray paint never dries as hard as automotive paints sprayed through a commercial grade sprayer. So sanding with wet will make it a little hazier than if you just happen to get a good smooth coat.

I did not sand any of my final coats whatsoever. I wish you luck as I am very OCD and I could not have lived happily if my cap turned out less than what they did

 

I didn't sand any of my paint coats. I did lightly wet sand after several clear coats to smooth out the finish. Once I cleared a few more coats it was smooth as glass.

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