My CETA air lid

**BANDITCAR** · 04-15-2007, 12:18 AM

I bought a lid from the ws6 store a couple months ago. Actually, its my very first performance mod.
I really don't like to purchase anything from SLP because of reasons I'd rather not discuss here. But after looking at all the lids and what I wanted to do I had to go with the SLP.

Main reason is I didn't want to have that little breather filter to fit on the end of that air hose. It just looks out of place to me since the look I've always gone for is something that you might get OEM.
So the SLP lid has the factory fitments and will allow you to attach that hose to the lid like it was attached to the stock baffles.
Also I needed a lid that already had a decent smooth finish so I could do minimal amounts of sanding for paint.

As soon as I got the lid I happily removed the SLP logo which, on mine atleast, was not just a sticker. It seemed to be heat stamped into the plastic. I tried to peel if off but that sucker wasn't budging. I had to spend the good part of an hour sanding it down.
But I think that the finished product is something I will be happy with.

I painted the lid a few weeks after I got it when I finally had some time. I had the FRC's since 2002 but I had to put on new chrome decals from fourth circle. I'll be adding some detail to the lid to more match the FRC's I have but I had to wait until I got the pieces I needed at STARS in Florida.

Here's how the project went

I started one night by sanding the logo from the lid and I went ahead and took another hour masking it off carefully and precisely so I get the look I wanted. I wanted to retain the edges in the plain black plastic so it would more match my FRC's and also I didn't want the clamps to scratch off any nice paint either

Then then next day it was warm enough with near no humidity to paint. I went out and put on 3 light coats of primer and then one medium "sandable" coat to get a smooth finish. Waiting 10 minutes between coats

Then I moved onto the base color. Using the can of colormatched paint that I had originally bought to use on my plastic model I put on 4 coats of base waiting 20 minutes between each. There was a mishap during the 2nd coat as it was drying a small piece of sandpaper got blown across it and the edge of the paper made what looked like a scratch. I'm lucky the paper didn't land ON the lid. I sanded it down and put two more coats on.

Finally I moved to the Clear coat which ended up being about 5 coats due to another problem on the 3rd coat. One of my hairs from my head fell into the clear as I was spraying and I tried to get it out it left an nice little mark down to the plastic! So I had to touch up that area with more base and then I sprayed on two more coats of clear waiting 30 minutes between each.
Then I had fun taking off the masking to reveal the final product!

The lid sat inside for a few more weeks until the week before STARS when I put it on and then once I was at STARS I put on the final touches for it to make its debut.
BEFORE:

AFTER:

**TheSilverSurfer** · 04-15-2007, 03:11 AM

Nice work

**badazta** · 04-15-2007, 07:36 AM

good job!

**Y2KPewterSS** · 04-15-2007, 07:42 AM

Looks great

**JonB** · 04-15-2007, 09:27 AM

wow that looks really good.

**Tony180a** · 04-15-2007, 10:15 AM

Looks fantastic

**02Hawk** · 04-15-2007, 11:00 AM

where did you get the FRCs? I want ones that say Firehawk lol

**Tony180a** · 04-15-2007, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by 02Hawk

where did you get the FRCs? I want ones that say Firehawk lol

you can get them here http://www.afterthoughtsauto.com/fuel-rail-covers.html

**BANDITCAR** · 04-15-2007, 05:05 PM

I got mine from an LS1.com member years ago and he no longer makes them, but I did have a Sunset Orange Metallic set made by Bryan (parbreak) also for a friend with a Formy Firehawk and they turned out great.
I believe he is the one that does them for afterthoughtsauto.

**Roz-SRT** · 04-16-2007, 06:45 AM

Does that emblem not rub the hood? My clear lid rubbed. I couldn't imagine putting something on it!

Nice job though!

**Corvettekid82** · 04-16-2007, 07:40 AM

A++ work. Looks great. I like the lip being black.

**Frankthetank** · 04-16-2007, 07:53 AM

nice work....they dont by any chance make a spray can clear coat do they?

**PontiacFan** · 04-16-2007, 10:37 AM

Nice write-up with photos.
Looks good!

**LETHALxLS1** · 04-16-2007, 03:22 PM

That looks AWSOME!!! I think you did a great job!!! I laughed when u said your hair got in the paint cause that seems to happen to me every time!!!

**SexOnWheels** · 04-17-2007, 06:13 AM

That really does look top notch!

**AiDRocks** · 04-17-2007, 09:17 AM

Looks good! They should have came like that from the factory!

**Silver Streak** · 04-17-2007, 09:21 AM

Sure do Frank... go to Advance.. they have them in the pain isle.

**00vertss** · 04-17-2007, 10:35 AM

bad ass

**BANDITCAR** · 04-17-2007, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by Roz-SRT

Does that emblem not rub the hood? My clear lid rubbed. I couldn't imagine putting something on it!

Nice job though!

Suprisingly enough, the emblem does not rub on the hood. I don't know if its becuase of the OEM fitment of the SLP lid or I just got lucky with good clearance of the hood. I did test the fit before I placed the emblem and it seemed fine.

Thanks for the comment!

**BANDITCAR** · 04-17-2007, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by Corvettekid82

A++ work. Looks great. I like the lip being black.

Thanks!

I did the lip black for a couple reasons.
Firstly, I wanted the lid to really match the FRC's with the textured edge that they have. I like how the FRC's blend into the intake due to that. Which Is why I wanted the lid to be painted as such. To blend into the lower airbox.
Plus, I figure that if I painted the lip, after some time the clamps would scratch off the paint or notch it and it would bother me to see that.

With the lip unpainted, there are no worries!