EVL LS1
01-06-2007, 09:45 AM
Painting Your rear bumper - Trans AM
this technique works for most any applications
by B. Jackson
Note: For painting plastic pieces such as your interior pieces I recommend using "paint adhesion promoter" this helps paint to stick. Use this before any primer or paint is put on whatever it is you are painting. You spray the adhesion promoter on then wait 10 minutes and then spray the primer or paint. You do not want the promoter to dry before you paint because the promoter and paint/primer bond together as they both dry. Any automotive store carries this and WalMart.
What you'll need:
Mineral Spirits,
600, 800 grit wet sand paper,
Paint of your choice:
(I used Duplicolor Bumper Coating - Flat Black);
Primer of your choice:
(I used spray paint Rustoleum Auto. Primer)
Thin masking tape;
Thick masking tape
Remove your license plate;
Clean the area off first off;
Use mineral spirits on a cotton cloth to make sure no grease or tar is on there;
Tape off the area. I didn't paint the inside groove around the tailpipes.... use the thin masking tape to tape around the area making sure it's stuck flush so no paint can go under the tape.. tape up your exhaust tips too.
Once you've done that use the thick masking tape to pretty much tape off from the top of your taillights down to the thin tape. This is so you don't overspray any paint onto your car. You can tape more or less if you want... it's just however good you are at painting lol.
Once clean and taped.... use the 600 grit wet sandpaper in small circle motions on the rear area to be painted. Make sure you are dipping the sandpaper in a bucket of water OR you can run water through the hose onto the area the whole time you are sanding. This is to remove the dust from the surface without the sandpaper "clogging" up. Do not press hard while you are sanding you do not want to make humps with your fingers.
Once you've sanded the whole area use your mineral spirits rag again to clean the surface. The mineral spirits helps to clean the surface as well it dries the surface fast. It also helps if you have the car in the sun to help dry the surface faster.
Once dry and clean.... use your primer spray and spray the surface. follow the paint's instructions as far as distance away to spray and such.... The Primer is usually ready to wet sand within 15-30 mins and safe to dry sand after 4 hours..... I personally hope a few layers of primer is done that there are no runs in the primer and it's ready for paint... BUT if you do have any runs in your primer wait 20 mins. and you can wet sand them until they are gone using the same small circular motions with the water running over the surface. Remember to clean the surface after you sand with mineral spirits to remove any debris.
K, you've primed the surface with a few layers and NO runs or NO mess-ups (or you have now sanded away any mess-ups)... time to move on...
Once the primer has dried (20-30 mins. depending on how many layers you sprayed) You are now ready for paint.
Simply do the same thing as the primer... follow instructions and if you have any runs in the paint or mess-ups you can wet sand them away and respray.
You can use these instructions for spray paint or automotive paint in a spray gun/air compressor. It just depends on how much you want to spend. I have not had any complaints with the spray paint types I've used in the past.
You can spray clear coat over the paint but I didn't because I wanted the flat black look.
version 2.0:
http://www.evlls1.com/myta2_imgs/aug10-8.jpg
for verision 1.0 on my white/flamed TA i used 3M rubberized spray. it gave a textured look and flat black in color... on version 2.0 i used dupont bumper coating in a flat black. it gave a smooth texture and flat black in color
want more how-tos? go to http://www.evlls1.com/ls1.html
this technique works for most any applications
by B. Jackson
Note: For painting plastic pieces such as your interior pieces I recommend using "paint adhesion promoter" this helps paint to stick. Use this before any primer or paint is put on whatever it is you are painting. You spray the adhesion promoter on then wait 10 minutes and then spray the primer or paint. You do not want the promoter to dry before you paint because the promoter and paint/primer bond together as they both dry. Any automotive store carries this and WalMart.
What you'll need:
Mineral Spirits,
600, 800 grit wet sand paper,
Paint of your choice:
(I used Duplicolor Bumper Coating - Flat Black);
Primer of your choice:
(I used spray paint Rustoleum Auto. Primer)
Thin masking tape;
Thick masking tape
Remove your license plate;
Clean the area off first off;
Use mineral spirits on a cotton cloth to make sure no grease or tar is on there;
Tape off the area. I didn't paint the inside groove around the tailpipes.... use the thin masking tape to tape around the area making sure it's stuck flush so no paint can go under the tape.. tape up your exhaust tips too.
Once you've done that use the thick masking tape to pretty much tape off from the top of your taillights down to the thin tape. This is so you don't overspray any paint onto your car. You can tape more or less if you want... it's just however good you are at painting lol.
Once clean and taped.... use the 600 grit wet sandpaper in small circle motions on the rear area to be painted. Make sure you are dipping the sandpaper in a bucket of water OR you can run water through the hose onto the area the whole time you are sanding. This is to remove the dust from the surface without the sandpaper "clogging" up. Do not press hard while you are sanding you do not want to make humps with your fingers.
Once you've sanded the whole area use your mineral spirits rag again to clean the surface. The mineral spirits helps to clean the surface as well it dries the surface fast. It also helps if you have the car in the sun to help dry the surface faster.
Once dry and clean.... use your primer spray and spray the surface. follow the paint's instructions as far as distance away to spray and such.... The Primer is usually ready to wet sand within 15-30 mins and safe to dry sand after 4 hours..... I personally hope a few layers of primer is done that there are no runs in the primer and it's ready for paint... BUT if you do have any runs in your primer wait 20 mins. and you can wet sand them until they are gone using the same small circular motions with the water running over the surface. Remember to clean the surface after you sand with mineral spirits to remove any debris.
K, you've primed the surface with a few layers and NO runs or NO mess-ups (or you have now sanded away any mess-ups)... time to move on...
Once the primer has dried (20-30 mins. depending on how many layers you sprayed) You are now ready for paint.
Simply do the same thing as the primer... follow instructions and if you have any runs in the paint or mess-ups you can wet sand them away and respray.
You can use these instructions for spray paint or automotive paint in a spray gun/air compressor. It just depends on how much you want to spend. I have not had any complaints with the spray paint types I've used in the past.
You can spray clear coat over the paint but I didn't because I wanted the flat black look.
version 2.0:
http://www.evlls1.com/myta2_imgs/aug10-8.jpg
for verision 1.0 on my white/flamed TA i used 3M rubberized spray. it gave a textured look and flat black in color... on version 2.0 i used dupont bumper coating in a flat black. it gave a smooth texture and flat black in color
want more how-tos? go to http://www.evlls1.com/ls1.html