Painting your truck

Hey Experts,
I have decided that I am going to try and paint/clear coat the plastic panel just below the head light. I understand that prep is key. I think I have a grasp on that. Clean surface with wax and grease remover. Scotch pad(gray) to scuff the the surface. Then clean surface with grease and wax remover again. Wipe with tack cloth. Lay 3 to 4 coats of base(duplicolor color match mgm). I will have a make shift booth and keep the floor wet to alleviate dust. Once the base is done then I will use 2k clear from a spray can it is a 2 part clear with hardner. 3 to 4 coats of clear then let dry for at least 24 hours.

Now this is the part that it would appear as though i have so many options. I know to wet sand maybe start from 800 and go to 2000. Once that is done I know I need to buff but have no idea what would be the best combination of cutting pad and cutting agent. I have a porter cable DA polisher that I plan to use.

I am not doing this to save money I am doing this just to see if i can. I know I can bring this to shop and have it done for about 150. So if i mess it up I don't care it just means this kind of thing isn't for me. I just want to try. So I'm not looking for "your better of to bring it to a professional" ....thought your probably right this is just going to be kinda of a hobby type test.

So I am looking for your thoughts for my entire process start to finish, I am open to any suggestions or words of wisdom. Please and Thank you.

 

For something so small you shouldn't have to sand and polish, especially if you're trying to make it look factory.

I'd also throw on a coat of epoxy based primer before the basecoat... Or Xxx adhesion promoter

 

You need an adhesion promoter. I would also wash it with hot soapy water before you degrease it. You can’t wash plastic enough prior to painting.

 

Yes originally I did bring this to Toyota but they said they found an impact spot on the piece which is what caused the clear coat to peel. I dont believe this but instead of fighting with them I thought maybe I could learn something.

 

Yes adhesion promoter I do have this I just forgot to mention. Ok cant wash plastic enough. Got it I will extra wash it.

 

Subbing. I've got a good sized chip in my paint in the same panel. I was curious about DIY sand and repaint. Maybe @War Machine can provide input about the best cutting pad and agent.

 

As of right now based on what I know. I think maybe meguiars 5 inch micro fiber cutting disc and meguiars m105 cutting cutting compund may do it. I haven't purchased anything yet gonna give this thread time to cook. But if no recommendations then I'll try that and report back

 

Have you taken the panel off yet? If so, how much is involved?

 

Sub'd…
I've got some fender flares that are peeling just like that. It's crazy how thin the clear coat is on the plastic parts!

Just as another suggestion...
Once you get your part finished and polished, maybe consider adding some Paint Protection Film (PPF). It will definitely help prevent future chips.
Although a lot dealerships add the PPF kit, if you don't already have it (which I'm guessing you don't) you can get if from Toyota. It's ridiculously expensive tho. Just check out getting a small roll or a few sheets of Xpel.

Also, Just as FYI:
Spray Max, the ones that make 2K Clear, also make a mnfr spec, Magnetic Grey Metallic (1G3).

$23 Custom Spray Paint For Toyota and Lexus Cars - OEM Paints (SPRAY PAINT, 1G3 - MAGNETIC GRAY METALLIC)

https://www.amazon.com/d/Floor-Tile-Cleaner/Finish-Rite-Custom-Spray-Paint-Toyota/B079JYC8CM?th=1

 

Well I've had the panel off before for other things. It would appear that what you see standing outside is all you need to polish. Everything facing outwards would be painted and cleared but probably not sanded or polished since you dont see it. It appears that it should be easy but God knows I've said that before

 

Taking the panel off is not a big deal as it comes off to change headlight bulbs. Plenty of youtube videos on it but the long and short is the grill has to come off, then the panels which are clipped in the front and snap in on the side that wraps around to the fender well. To really do it right you should use a 2 stage paint (Base coat/ Clear coat) with a flex agent. 3-4 coats of base then wet sand then clear and wet sand again, the issue then would be those panels would look better than any other panel on the truck lol. Factory finish, no wet sand just 3-4 coats of each and done. The flex agent will dull the paint as well so if you do go that route follow directions carefully.

Last I checked a quart of decent automotive grade paint was $50-70 and then roughly the same for the clear.

 

If this turns out well I will definitely look into ppf. Thanks for the link I did know they made the 1g3 as well

 

You bet! I'll be working on my fender flare(s) in the next couple weeks, so maybe we can cross compare results/after thoughts.
Good luck with it!

 

Yes I agree with what you say but just so I'm clear with my intentions. I'm doing all rattle can no paint guns or anything. If it turns out I can make rattle can look decent then I might invest in more high speed stuff but for now I'm going straight out the can.

 

Ya itll be a week or two before I'm done but I will definitely take some pictures. I have a feeling my project is going to be much easier then fender flares.

 

FWIW, painting with a rattle can is hard as shit, at least for me.... give me a gun, even a harbor freight one and it’s night and day difference. I wouldn’t set yourself the goal of ‘graduating’ to a gun if you can rattle can.... people use them as they are a metric shit ton easier to get a good finish.

 

M105 followed by M205, cutting disc then finishing disc will do the job. It's such a small area you wanna wanna look into CG sample size stuff. They sell little 4 oz bottles in pairs with compound and polish. Or maybe a one step like scholls s20 black, just switch pads for second pass. You could just go to Walmart and get megs ultimate compound and polish, they are cheap and have diminishing abrasives. Tons of options really just depends on what you wanna spend.
Smaller pads would be nice for that small panel but then you're really investing since youd need a new backing plate.
Automotivetouchup.com may be your best need for the paint supplies.

 

Well damn, I was hoping for the exact opposite. Would it mean anything if I said I'm pretty good with rattle can painting just not on a car because I've never tried. Do you think painting other things would translate to a car part?

 

Thanks Pudge, based on my research it seems that m105 and 205 maybe the way to go. And yes I might look into some 3 inch pads and 3 inch backer. I feel like I would use them for polishing my truck since I already have a da polisher

 

As already noted, finish sanding and polishing is not required unless you have orange peel, dust nibs, runs, or sags. If you have runs or sags on those small parts, you should clean it all off immediately with lacquer thinner and start over before it cures hard. My thought on adhesion promoter is that it is required only for the first coat applied to bare plastic parts. After the first coat, the following coats are bonding to paint not to plastic.

Finish sanding removes imperfections in the clear coat by leveling, or removing/thinning the clear coat. You start the process with sandpaper because it removes material quicker than compound...better go easy with the paper. The thickness, protection, and life of the of the clear coat is being reduced. It's better to avoid finish sanding entirely if your spraying skills permit. OEM clear coat is ONE THIN COAT, probably 0.0015-0.0022" thick for any thinking of finish sanding their factory paint. Depending on your spraying skills, your spray application will probably be about the same. (Remember, too much material = runs and sags; too little material or too dry = no gloss.)

If you insist on a full education, then 800 grit is too coarse for finish sanding IMO. I would use nothing coarser than 1000 grit for a light first pass for defects, and have learned that the hard way. I have found 1500 grit most useful for correcting new paint defects or bringing back the shine on degraded paint. Use a soft block for finish sanding to avoid "finger grooves". I found it will take longer with 1500, but you are less likely to break through your clear. With 1500, you may have to make several passes at different angles; vertical, horizontal, 45 degs right, 45 degs left etc.

 

Yes, totally, and as it’s small, you have that going for you, that makes it a lot easier

 

Alright that all makes sense to me. 1000 grit minimum for a light pass then up to 1500 grit for a few passes. I'm fine with taking my time. Thank you John

 

Ya I wouldn't even try to rattle can a whole vehicle that's crazy. Using a can just made sense to me when I decided to do this because of how small it is and as of now I dont have plans to paint any other car parts. But maybe this will be the beginning if a new hobby.

 

The biggest issue by far with rattle can paint its its not nearly as durable as an automotive grade finish. 25 years ago rattle can paint was decent, it was deadly but it was decent. Today its deadly to lab rats in California...Its not a whole helluva lot better than colored water. I've done a ton of painting in my time, rattle can as well as automotive and industrial grade finishes with all types of spray guns and compressors. At this stage of the game unless you go with a "premium" rattle can like Rustoleum (which I hate btw) that actually has some substance and can be corrected to some degree you will either roll the paint off in gobs (too soft of a paint) or go through it in one or two strokes of sand paper (too thin like water). I would highly recommend "Baking" the paint once your have all your coats on, I do this by sitting the items out in direct sun for 3-4 hours to really cure and bake on the finish. Misting or light coats is critical with rattle can as well because its propensity to shoot globs, uneven patterns, etc. Also wouldn't be a terrible idea to get one of those snap on handles at a minimum it keeps your hands clean.

 

Thanks bird. I agree that I am not going to get the same quality from RC as I would with automotive paint. But hopefully I can be diligent with my work and have the base come out good. If not then I've wasted 50 bucks enjoyed myself and I will bring to a professional. Win win for me lol. I will get this piece in sun after the base is done and let it bake.

 

I forgot to mention to check to be sure the polish and compound is "body shop safe". I'm pretty sure that means it's okay for fresh pain jobs? I could be wrong.
Having dome 3 inch pads would be really nice if you wanna make the investment. There are plenty of areas on our trucks that they would come in very handy.
Backing plates are cheap. Lake country makes some good ones at great prices. Their pads are nice too but lately I've been liking buff and shine MF pads

 

Just bought the lake country 3 inch backer. With some meguiars 3 inch MF cutting discs and m105 and m205