tragic22

I've decided that I want to paint the grill of my WDP like this member's . I'm planning on painted the Hood trim and "V" trim WDP and the interior parts (except for the Chrome "A") black. I'm actually using NBP as the black.

I've never really done anything like this and I know most would say just get it professionally done but I actually enjoy trying projects like this on my own. Its fun and the feeling of seeing it complete and knowing you did it yourself is the best. It makes you love the car that much more.

So... if there's any others out there who have painted the grill themselves or have any experience with stuff like this please check out what I'm planning to do and feel free to give me any tips. Like I said I've never done this before so the smallest tip would help.

Supplies
-NBP Spray can
-WDP spray cans (basecoat and midcoat)
-Clearcoat spray can
-Primer
-Rubbing compound
-Acrylic laquer thinner
-400 grit sandpaper
-a bunch of cloths
-Gloves

The Plan
-Clean grill pieces with soap & water then use wax & grease remover
-Use automotive tape to tape off the Acura "A"
-Scuff the grills with #400 grit sandpaper prior to painting
-Apply 2 coats of primer, 2 coats of basecoat, 2 coats of mid-coat(for the WDP paint) and 2 coats of clearcoat
I'm planning on allowing 20-30 mins. of dry time for the first coats before recoating and 1-2 hours of dry time after the final coat for each paint. Is more time necessary?
-3 days after painting apply some rubbing compound to make the grill shine.

I read something that said you should scuff the grills with sandpaper in between each coat but not on the final coat, what do you think?
Also I'm going to be doing it outside in the driveway or backyard. I'm wondering if I really need to buy the whole Dual Cartridge Respirator or I should be fine with a little medical respirator I have at home and a pair of goggles.

Thanks for the help

jmkiang

iTrader: (5)

400grit seems too coarse, IMO. I haven't painted my grill yet but when I used to spray plastics, I'd wet sand after a couple color coats to get a smooth finish. IIRC, I used like 1500-2000grit.

Good luck!

Kraftycutter

I tried this, and it flaked off. You have to get all the chrome off first.

tragic22

Yea I was thinking about using a higher grit sandpaper.

I have an 04 TL so my grill isn't chrome. Now that I think about it what exactly is the material of the grill? Is it metal or plastic? If its plastic I'll have to buy a different primer to make sure the paint sticks.

Fulani has a TL

iTrader: (1)

Your plan seems alright, like said earlier use a higher grit sandpaper 1000-1600 grit will work, as you are only needing to create a surface for the paint to "grip" to.

I would actually sand the surfaces down, THEN clean it all up.

The "A" actually is screwed in, so you will be able to unscrew it and remove it.

IDK about the sanding in between paint coats. In the past when I applied clear coat to wood surfaces, I would use 2000 grit sandpaper to sand the clear coat which made for a super slick surface (DO NOT DO FOR BEER PONG TABLES!!)

After you are done, I would actually Wet Sand with a 2000 grit or higher sandpaper. And then follow up with a polish.

Have you called around autobody shops to see how much it actually costs to get it painted?

Cuz I paid 150 to get my grill, the rear A, the rear license plate area all painted. Took them a week but I didnt have to do anything but remove and reinstall the pieces.

also, the grill WILL chip, I mean its a fact our hoods and front bumpers chip too. I would think about applying a clear bra over the grill to keep that from happening. But thats just me

carlos9827

iTrader: (2)

Damn that grille looks nice!!

tragic22

Thanks, that helps a lot.
I didnt think it was necessary to sand in between every coats either. I'm not sure about sanding afterwards though. For some reason the PaintScratch people say you can sand in between coats but do not sand the final coat. Why, I dont know.

I think shops around here charge around $100 more or less. But like I said I'd rather try this one myself.

tragic22

Anybody know what kind of material the grill actually is. Is it metal?

Fulani has a TL

iTrader: (1)

Huh?! Which grill?

I know what you mean on wanting to do it yourself and what not... Its just that shops are capable of producing a higher quality product. And the supplies you got listed are def. gonna cost more than what a shop would charge.

But good luck!

tragic22

This is the link to the grill. It was in my 1st post.
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182245

carlos9827

iTrader: (2)

yup thats the one....

crbnfbr

iTrader: (1)

I just recently did something similar to my car. I didn't sand anything, I just used a few coats of Duplicolor Adhesion Promoter followed by several coats of black Duplicolor Bumper Coating. It's been about two weeks now and it's holding up quite well. Here are a few pics, sorry about the crap quality my camera died so all i have is my phone:

jmkiang

iTrader: (5)

Doesn't stand out as much as the WDP grill linked above.

I think you should've just color-matched the entire grill. Looks good on a SSM (right color?).

tragic22

How many coats did you use and how long did you wait between re-coating?

Do you know if our grills are considered metal or plastic? I ask because the site I'm buying my supplies from recommends Adhesion Promoter only for non-metal surfaces.

tragic22

Also, I'm wondering since I'm doing the spray painting outside in the backyard would I be fine with using a regular medical respirator to cover my mouth/nose or is the paint too toxic for that?

jmkiang

iTrader: (5)

^ I've sprayed with no mask before in an open area. Since you're not in a confined area, I wouldn't imagine it would be a problem.

crbnfbr

iTrader: (1)

I'm not 100% sure but I think I used about 4 or 5 coats of the adhesion promoter. Then within 10mins of the last coat I started with the bumper coating, I'd say I did at least a dozen real light coats of that.


Yes, the silver parts are plastic even though they do look a lot like metal