What's the best way to prep plastic sidecovers for painting??

[hikermikem]

I have a couple of old, mismatched, tired looking plactic sidecovers. I want to just give them a new shiny look with a rattlecan paint job.

What's the best way to remove the pinstripes & prep the plactic??

Will a basic enamel with a clear coat do the trick?? Realize this isn't professional grade stuff, I just want to clean it up for now...

Thanls,

Mike

[Billy Ricks]

As long as it's not going on the fuel tank it will hold up well enough. Use wet and dry sandpaper to sand through the striping and sand until you start getting into the base coat. It's doubtful after so many years you can get the stripes to just pull off. Start with something in the 200-300 grit range to cut through the stripes then switch off to 600 or finer for final sanding.

[hikermikem]

Thanks Billy,

Soooo, exactly where is , "The edge of God's country" ??

Inquiring minds want to know...


Thanks,

Mike
"At the intersection of stupidity & ignorance"

[Billy Ricks]

It's what the locals in the Texas Hill Country call the area out around Vanderpool, Leakey, Campwood... I actually live in San Antonio.

http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/three_sisters_or_twisted_sisters_or_100_mile_loop_rr335_rr336_rr337/

[hikermikem]

It's what the locals in the Texas Hill Country call the area out around Vanderpool, Leakey, Campwood... I actually live in San Antonio.

Ok, know I know - I have some relatives in Denton & Dallas area...

Too damn hot down there for me!! I prefer the changing seasons & temps here in New England !

Regards,

Mike

[marvinsc]

Krylon Fusion paint is good stuff for plastic.

[Rein]

Painting plastics usually requires adhesion promoter, which is like primer, but for plastics. Krylon Fusion has it built in, so no need for it if that's your route.

[jetmech]

I just sprayed mine last week. I block sanded them with 320 wet. Went over the whole piece with red scotchbrite. Then cleaned it with prep solvent. I used auto paint/primer but I've had good results with spray cans too. Use the adhesion promoter with rattle can paint and prime it before painting to fill any sanding scratches.

[roadhamr]

try taking a razor blade to the pinstripes as they are a pain to sand through. they clog your sand paper and make it very time consuming. start with 80 grit and work your way to 220 before you prime. wet sand between primer coats working to a finer sand paper. dont over due it the wetsanding is best done once you have laid colour down. continue like that. my paintjobs have come out brilliantly using this system specifically on plastics. good quality spray bombs are best though.

[bonanzadave]

Painting plastics usually requires adhesion promoter, which is like primer, but for plastics.

Good call on the adhesion Promoter. Prep is the key to a good paint job.

[Skaat]

So I've sanded MY mis-matched side covers, removing all striping, decals and paint (and my own fingerprints!). The surface of one of them is pretty roughed up (gouges and deep scratches). Is there a special type of body filler anyone would recommend for these ABS side covers?
Is the Adhesion Promoter referenced in this thread a hi-build product (like a sandable primer), to where one could layer and sand it the desired smoothness?

[nvr2old]

You shouldn't have any problem using a good quality body filler to smooth your side covers out. Rage Gold is a very good product. The "Bondo" brand that you find in hardware stores and such isn't nearly as good. Spend the extra few bux at an auto paint store and get the good stuff. It'll fill 80 grit scratches beautifully, which is good, because you want some "tooth" for the plastic filler to adhere to. Flex agents aren't necessary with today's urethane primers. Spray it with a good high-build, and you should be good to go.

[Skaat]

You shouldn't have any problem using a good quality body filler to smooth your side covers out. Rage Gold is a very good product. The "Bondo" brand that you find in hardware stores and such isn't nearly as good. Spend the extra few bux at an auto paint store and get the good stuff. It'll fill 80 grit scratches beautifully, which is good, because you want some "tooth" for the plastic filler to adhere to. Flex agents aren't necessary with today's urethane primers. Spray it with a good high-build, and you should be good to go.

Thanks for the input. I'll have to check out the Rage Gold you recommend.
I read in a different thread about someone suggesting sanding the plastic starting with a 180 grit down through a 1200 grit. Would sanding the plastic itself be necessary if I instead use a high build primer to even out the surface then "step-sand" down to a 1000 or 1200? Would the primer fill the lighter sanding scratches?
As for the deeper scratches and the gouges: Do you have any experience with the StraightLine body filler sold by Por-15 (http://www.por15.com/STRAIGHTLINE/productinfo/STL20/)?

[nvr2old]

I think I suggested sanding the parts down with 180. That would be if there was no damage. 80 grit takes the paint off like nobodies business and should be used if you have to fill anything like gouges or really deep scratches with body filler. You could then sand the filler a little with 180 to smooth it out a bit more. I wouldn't go any finer than 180 for the first coats of primer to go over, though. You still need to have some tooth for it to adhere. Then block sanding the primer with 400 grit leaves a nice surface for the paint to adhere to. 1,200 is too fine. That's used on the final clear coats just before polishing.

[ddaniels]

I go to 2000 grip just before polishing. Super smooth. I'm in the process of doing some side covers myself. Didn't use any adhesion promotor though, so I hope there's no problems. I doubt there will be. I used 300 grit to get the pinstripes and all the ahesive off. I tried scraping them off, but they would just chip off bit by bit. Went to 400 before priming. Then, 400 on the primer before hitting it with color. After clearcoat, I started with 800, then 1500, then 2000. They're ready to buff out this evening. I'll post some pics when I'm done.