Well, after waiting forever to grab a set of JCW skirts on the cheap, to no avail, I decided to refinish my oem, textured side skirts for less than $50. Rattle can, FTW! I couldn't be happier!

The product:






Getting started:




The finished product:






I'll get better daylight shots tomorrow.

 

Poor quality pics, but it sure looks nice! Did you paint right over the bumpy texture?

 

I masked them first, then sanded the texture out with 220, and 320 grit. Then I used a high build filler primer, and sanded between coats until smooth. Then laid color and clear. The pics are with my Iphone, I'll use my DSLR tomorrow for better photos. The skirt finish looks as good as the cars finish. And the rattle can color match paint was dead on!

 

That is awesome. Nice DIY project! Any plans to do the wheel arches?

 

Thanks! Nah, I like the contrast. Plus, it was a huge pain to remove the texture on what little area I did. I don't mind the black. I have the front JCW aero bumper, and the sides looked bad unfinished.

 

Details on color match in spray?

Also, def post up updates n how it holds up! I'm afraid of chips from road debris and passengers getting in and out. Is the base an enamel base?

 

Paintworldinc.com for the paint match aerosol. I believe Way sells color-match paint as well.

It should hold up well. I've got about 6-7 coats of clear for durability and protection. If you'll notice, I masked the bottom edge and didn't paint the area along the bottom, so road debris damage should be minimal. My wife is the only passenger I have most times, so no issues there.

 

Can't wait to see the new pics. You just may be the first one to ever paint the skirts this way.

 

Looks Spectacular !

Nicely done.

 

That looks great! I've been wanting the JCW side skirts as well but didn't really want to spend the coin. This looks like a great alternative.

Cheers!
~MattS

 

You applied lots of clear for protection, did you use a flex agent in it? Flexible parts like bumper covers and other plastic parts should have a flex agent added to at least the clear to promote adhesion and prevent cracking & flaking. I've painted many cars through the years (hobby not business) and I've noticed a lot of cars recently where the paint is cracked and flaking off the plastic bumpers. While buying paint for a car I painted last month, I got talking to my paint supplier about this and he said that because of the expense of the flex agent, many of the budget shops are opting not to use it (I always do). The expansion / contraction from hot / cold cycles along with the flexing of these parts while driving is what causes the paint on flexible plastic parts to fail over time.

Hope yours holds up because it looks really nice.

 

Nice!

I'd be interested to see the transition between the textured and smooth plastic. Why didn't you take the skirt off the car before painting?

 

Looks good

 

Looks good, but I'd go for the "Full Monty" and do the wheel arches also.

 

Stellar job brother. It looks professional.

 

Thanks. Yeah, if it was the front bumper, I'd be concerned. The sides won't get too much flexing, and the newer clears have some flex to them anyways.

 

New pics up...They still had a little polish on them in some areas. I'm going to let them cure a bit before I get real serious about buffing them out.

 

Very nice work!

 

While I know lots of coats of clear can cause spiderweb cracks within the clear, "OrangeCrush" has a body shop and does lots of his own painting (you may have seen his R56 rebuild). He mentioned at one point that the flex agent is only useful and effective for when the paint is applied and still drying. Once it dries, the agent either evaporates or is non effective any longer (cant remember which).

Question to OP with the OEM match spray. Is your color metalliac? (Sry i forget which colors are and which arent). My D/S is, and I notice depending on how heavy my coats are, the color match is always a slight tint off. To someone who didn't do it they can't tell, but to me (eg my tail light rings and gas cap in DS), it bothers me. I'm afraid if I do a whole side skirt, it may look really blotchy because of coat heaviness. (And I'm pretty good at spray painting if I had to say so myself). Also how many cans did you use and how much did it cost if you don't mind me asking?

I am pretty sure you can pick up the OEM side skirts for something around 50-90$ each, so it might even be worth it to start with a fresh set that you can paint off the car without any gouges or imperfections on it.

 

You're right about the flex agent. As far as the color match paint, it is lightning blue metallic. It sprays blotchy, as all metallic aerosols do. You are supposed to make several light passes, wait 15 mins or so, then several more light coats, until you achieve uniform coverage. I didn't do this. I put on a light tack coat, and at about the 10 minute mark, I made several back and forth end to end uniform passes until completely covered. About 6-8 passes if I recall. I used one can of paint, and it was plenty for coverage. My final coat was a good wet coat, and looked nearly finished. Be sure there is no humidity, or you'll get a fogged final coat. That goes for the clear as well. All in all I have about 4 hours in these, and about $50. To me, they look as good as the JCW skirts, at about $1100 less after skirts, shipping, and paying to have them finished. I'm thrilled with the result!

 

Unfortunately that is not true....

“Flex agent” evaporates in 12-24 hours depending on the brand. Flex agent is used to extend the time you are allowed to install a bumper (or other “flexible” part) on a car without cracking the paint.

Since these are rocker mouldings and don’t flex (and for the most part, neither do most bumpers while installing (cause you usually use two people to hold up each end so you don’t scratch the bumper or fender)) applying flex agent is about useless on the rockers.

Having said that... if the OP sanded the texture REALLY good (meaning almost getting it completely out) there is a good chance the paint will stay on there.

Very rarely do I paint textured mouldings (just did all the wheel arches and front chin spoiler on WayMotorWork’s mini against my better judgement) because if you don’t sand the texture really good, the primer has a problem adhering to the texture.

Judging from what the OP said and pics, it looks like he did a great (for a rattle can, I mean fantastic) job.

Hope it works out for him, it looks great.


Mark

 

Thanks. Yes, I made sure they were smooth as silk before priming. That was key to a great finsl outcome. If you leave any texture, it will stick out like a sore thumb! I have some experience with refinishing guitars, so this was similar. The same rules apply. The final product will only be as good as your preparation of the surface.

 

Great work! When I was playing around on photoshop before I bought my JCW aero front I thought about doing the same thing. The JCW aero sides are pretty expensive. I had done a chop with the skirts following the shape of the side flares, just like yours has been executed. Not only does the mod look great but your execution, all things considered, came out fantastic. My car is still in the shop for a few more things, you are inspiring me to actually get it done now.

 

i'm actually glad you didn't do the full wheel arches. Firstly, I'd be afraid the front aero lip would start to chip, etc. But fabulous job. I'd say it's alot like a 'poor mans JCW aero kit.' You can buy the front fascia, but do the skirts yourself.

:watches as 100's follow in his footsteps:

 

Yeah, anything that could take a full impact was a no go for me. Plus, I like the difference in contrast with the black, and the ability to easily swap a part out if it got damaged without repainting it. I absolutely love the JCW skirts, and could have just bought them. But, the friggin price is insane and unless it adds HP, I'll find another way! Thanks for all the nice comments. I hope to see others tackle this one! I'm very happy with 'em!