The wife really likes the Union Jack Mirror covers, but she wants something a bit different... We found a can of spray paint that claims to match the Hot Orange paint on our car and thinks that replacing the parts on the UJ that are red with that color would look good. I photoshopped it and it looks good, so I'm planning on getting a pair of the painted mirror covers.

My question is this: If I mask off the non-red parts of the cover that I do NOT want to paint, then use this spray material, how should I prep the surface (which is high gloss form that I've seen) prior to painting? Should I mask then SAND the area to give the paint something to stick to? Should I prime?

After painting, how should I polish the paint? Could I let it cure, then use a very fine-grit wet-sanding paper, finishing up with a few coats of wax (much like I was trying to remove scratches from paint with wet-sanding)?

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

 

No painters here, huh? Hmmm... yet again, I push the very limits of what can be done on a car (yeah, right).

 

Well I paint model cars so this is how I'd do it:

After masking, lightly sand the exposed area to give it some bite, like you said. Then spray the orange. I'd try without primer first.

A trick I use on two-tone paint jobs is after masking I spray clear first. This seals the tape edges and anything that "bleeds" under is clear, not color. Ensures a nice clean edge.

 

Oooh... GREAT tip. So use a matte or satin clear layer, let it dry then apply color? Do you think low-tack painter's masking tape will give a clean enough edge, or should I use something more aggressive?

 

Yes, as you said with the clear.
Painters tape should work...burnish the edge down good. I would put the tape on glass first and cut the edge with a straightedge and an x-acto or razor blade. Gives a nice sharp edge rather than just the edge of the roll.

3M FineLine tape is very flexible vinyl tape with a good edge. Or go to a hobby shop and get Tamiya masking tape.

 

Have you ever shined up paint to a high gloss after application? I've seen posts on the detailing thread on how to use wet-sand auto-grade paper and polishing compound to remove scratches from existing paint, and I wonder if the same technique could be used on sprayed-on paint in such an application? I might end up with a "seam" where the new paint overlays the old, but I'm more worried about matching the finish where I sprayed to where I masked, if that makes sense...

 

I would mask, sand down the new paint area, apply a plastic primer and paint a light coat, and then another coat... then compound

 

Yes, you could color-sand it if it needs it. Very fine grit sandpaper. Also maybe clear the whole piece afterwards.

 

I'm going to give it a shot... I'll post up the process and results when I get further along.

I'm torn about clearcoating it after, though... Do you think a clear sealent will be able to be wet-sanded and polished like paint would be?

Thanks, guys!

 

The 3M FineLine tape is what I'd use. Once you are done you can cover the whole cover in clear. That way the stripes will be buried & smooth as a babies bottom.

 

Maybe you can find a set of white mirror caps cheap and buy the viny from Bimmian... They will let you specify all the colors of the union jack and they will cut custom vinyl for you.

http://www.bimmian.com/MN

 

I was thinking about that, but then I'd have to paint EVERYTHING... All I want to do is replace the red w/orange, though. I worry that cut vinyl might begin to peel a bit after a while - other custom cut flags I've seen made like this had fairly obvious seams.

EDIT...

Ohhhhhhhh.... they make then out of a SINGLE peice it loooks like... That Bimmian site is COOL! They have individual badge letters too! I've been looking all oVER for those! Thanks a ton, Agranger! (Sorry to gush, but I'm very excited by this - can you tell?)

Has anyone used the Biminian covers? Will they go atop a colored cover (are they opaque) or must I start with white? What are the cheapest, plain covers out there?

 

If this might help..... first dewax/degrease your part. After degreasing you can use a Scotchbrite pad to scuff the surface before paint. These pads are not as abrasive as sandpapers. Then follow other suggestions given.

 

Looks like the Biminan solution starts with white caps, then applies the vinyl over the top of them. Has anyone ever used that product, and can speak to its durability and ease of installaton? Looks like white caps start at about $45 - not too bad.

 

I would think that the Bimmian union jack vinyl would only be the colored bits... not a whole sheet. The mirrors are very small and have too much contour to let you form a flat piece of vinyl to that curve. The small slices necessary for the Union Jack would be much easier to place if it were just the slices and not the whole flag.

I'm thinking about the "S" vinyl covers... maybe black carbon fiber or the saphire black metallic? I'm still trying to figure out what to do for track numbers... I've also had a craving for some magnetic stripes (for use a few hours at a time on a clean car)

 

It is just bits and pieces... the photos look so smooth that at first I mistook them for a single peice. Even still, I think this would be an easier (and cheaper) solution than repainting a painted UJ cap. And for $40, if they DO start peeling in a year or two, I'll just replace them - no biggie.

The "S" covers are slick as well - I've seen these on other cars and they're subtle but cool.

As for maget stripes and numbers, I can tell you that I've bene hapy with mine (which I got from iPrint, a business card place). They used a standard-sized magnetic sign template onto which I put a custom-made number-in-circle. I made mine so that I actually got two door numbers and two smallerer ones, which I use on the bonnet and on my boot stripe:



It took a little bit of tweaking on iPrint's web site to get them set, but it wasn't hard, and when they arrived I simply trimmed them off the sheet. I'd certainly recommend waxing both the car AND the backs of the magnets with 3-4 coats of wax before applying - if you've seen my thread in the Detailing thread, you'llknow that detail spray is NOT enough to keep the paint from marring a tiny bit if/when moisture gets under the magnets. It's for this reason that I don't recommend the bonnet stripes be anything but actual vinyl, but you can give it a shot.

If you need help with laying out the gumballs let me know - I can send you my original graphic if you want two different-sized numbers, or you can just make a single circle one (or any other shape, really) if that's the way you want to go. I think it cost me about $52, shipped, for my set.