Project colour code is COMPLETE!!

5587 Views 56 Replies 16 Participants Last post by mowlamb, Jan 28, 2011

mowlamb

Discussion Starter · Jan 4, 2011

3

So, whilst bored last night I was looking around the how to guides and found a few threads on people that have colour coded their standard valances. I have a votex front valance on the way which I'm also going to spray myself but as money is tight I'm going to have a go at doing my rear valance. It's only a short term mod as once I have some money I will be getting an anni one but hopefully it will look good until I can get one.

The first stage which I started today is just sanding it down to smooth out any scuffs/scratches. As you can see in the first picture I also have the towing hook cover off. I'm going to colour code this too as it will stick out like a sore thumb once the valance is done.

I used some 80 grade sandpaper to get the scuffs/scratches out. I'm going to get some filler primer later on today to hopefully fill any little bits that I've missed. Then I can begin smoothing it even more with 600, 800 and 1200 wet and dry.

I have also decided to colour code the chrome part of the VW sharan badge Reflex Silver. That is in primer and should be finished in a day or so.

More to come soon......

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mrcism

· #2 · Jan 4, 2011

Ive got a full set of door mouldings and double sided tape for sale if your interested. I bought a set a while back and colour coded them, so have the previous ones left over.

Looking good on the valance, youve done well to sand that down!

Seb

Gman1982

· #3 · Jan 4, 2011

i think you mite need to sand that down a with a bit more finer stuff before you spray it mate. even with the primer, using 80 grit is going to leave marks all over it!

mowlamb

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jan 4, 2011

I have some filler primer which I'm going to spray on first then I will be using 600, 800 and 1200 to get it nice and smooth before I put the grey primer on.

mowlamb

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jan 4, 2011

3

Right after sanding the rear valance with some 80 grade sandpaper I have now sprayed it with some filler primer. As far as I'm aware this stuff fills scuffs and scratches better than normal primer. I've done three coats of filler primer and now have to wait for it to harden, so I'm going to leave it overnight, before using 600, 800 and 1200 grade wet and dry to get the smooth finish I need before primer and then paint.

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mowlamb

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 4, 2011

Ive got a full set of door mouldings and double sided tape for sale if your interested. I bought a set a while back and colour coded them, so have the previous ones left over.

Looking good on the valance, youve done well to sand that down!

Seb

Cheers for the offer mate but all my rubstrips are colour coded already. I'm just sorting out my old mirror covers, rear sharan badge and rear valance.

Gman1982

· #7 · Jan 4, 2011

your gonna have a mare getting rid of those scratches fella im telling ya! its all in the prep, any area your going to spray needs to be relatively smooth. 80 grit will not do this. Filling the gaps with filler primer is not the correct way of doing it, its just going to make your life more difficult in the long run. those lines scratches you see in the last picture will show through on the paint even if you fill it with filler primer. i would say 600 grit the highest before you start applying primer. then start rubbing down with ya 800s 1000s. once you got a few layers of paint on then attack it with the 1200s 1500s and lots of soapy water. get it mental smooth and paint with at least 3 or 4 layer of paint min!!

Paint shops may do it different as they have the right tools, but said method i mentioned above has never let me down as DIY. im no sprayer but i know hands down that your gonna have a mare with all those scratches in the valance all ready. been there, done that, learned my lesson.... thick layers of paint/primer never solve or hide nothing.

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Imagewerx

· #8 · Jan 4, 2011

If you haven't used either plastic primer or adhesion promotor that lot will flake off once it's fully hardened.As Gman said 80 grit is waaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy too coarse for prepping a surface like that unless you do every single square mm with it,then the same with say 180 grit,then 400,then 600 and so and so on.......

You'll never fill scratches that deep with filler primer from an aerosol can,even iff you do it'll be so thick it'll crack the first time it flexes.You need the plastic to be as smooth as possible (600 grit smooth or better),then plastic primer it,then a few light coats of normal or filler primer and finally the topcoat.

The problem with soft plastic like that is that where the scratches are it forms into whiskers that always show through the primer no matter how much you put on,you MUST get rid of those before you go any further.

Chris.

mowlamb

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 4, 2011

I have already said that I will be sanding this down with 600, 800 and 1200 wet and dry before I spray it with anything else. Then once I'm happy I will spray with primer and then sand again with 1200 to get it even smoother. I'm using a guide I found on this site and this is no where near finished and I know that.

This is a spare valance I had so there is no rush to get it back on the car and if I ain't happy I will continue sanding until I am.

Cheers for your advice tho [Y]

Imagewerx

· #10 · Jan 4, 2011

But you still can't put normal primer straight on top of plastic,it won't stick properly.

mowlamb

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jan 4, 2011

This is the guide I am using. I'm not sticking religiously to it tho. The yellow you see on the valance is filler primer. Is that not similar to plastic primer?

The plan is to sand that till I get it nice and smooth and then I will be using plastic primer before the paint goes on.

Imagewerx

· #12 · Jan 4, 2011

No filler primer isn't the same as plastic primer,hence the reason for giving them different names[

].The plastic primer or even better this stuff MUST be the very first thing you put on the bare plastic........

http://www.bodyshopwarehouse.co.uk/product/plastx2-adhesion

Chris.

mowlamb

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jan 4, 2011

What will happen if I do what I said then? Sand down till smooth, primer then paint?

As the guide I have looked at used this method and the pics of the guys valances look good.

mowlamb

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jan 4, 2011

How about if I sanded it all smooth as it is and then use plastic primer as I'm sure most of the filler primer will come off as I smooth it more?

Imagewerx

· #15 · Jan 4, 2011

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How about if I sanded it all smooth as it is and then use plastic primer as I'm sure most of the filler primer will come off as I smooth it more?<o></o>

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You need to sand it as smooth as possible to get all the filler primer out of the relatively deep rubbing down marks,or if you leave it for a while it'll almost certainlly peel off by itself.Once you've got the surface properrly prepared (over prepping can be as bad as under prepping) then you can use filler primer in moderation,the problem will be the quality of aerosol paints which are a lot more likely to crack than "proper" primer applied ffrom a spray gun.

Chris.<o></o>

mowlamb

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jan 4, 2011

Ok mate cheers. I'm not greatly fussed about long term as I will hopefully find an anni valance already in reflex. Another reason why I got a spare valance to do it on to. If it goes tits up I can always stick my other one back on. Cheers again [

]

mowlamb

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jan 5, 2011

2

Todays update.....

Well today I decided to start sanding it all again to get it much smoother. I started with some 600 grade wet and dry which seemed to be smoothing it ok. I cleaned it with a cloth and dried it and run my hands along it to see how smooth I had got it. It was ok but not smooth enough so I dug out my various sheets of sandpaper and found some 240 grade and set about the smoothing process once more.

The 240 grade seemed to be doing a much better job so I took my time and worked every inch with it. I never went all the way back to the plastic all over the valance but it now feels quite smooth. I think I might be ready for the plastic primer now. The only problem is my local halfords have run out so I will have to go to another one 2moro after work.

Here are a couple of pics of how it is:

Any comments or advice welcome :grin:

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mowlamb

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jan 9, 2011

3

I've been busy removing the filler primer and sanding the valance to get it smooth. It is currently on it's 3rd coat of primer so once that is all dry I'll get a few pics up. My question is this: There are a few scratches that were quite deep and I couldn't sand out. Can I now add a couple of coats of filler primer to help with these scratches?

Also I fitted the sharan badge that I Fully colour coded yesterday. Here are a few pics. Let me know if you think it is better than the normal chrome look as I'm a little unsure on it.

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bobsimmo

· #19 · Jan 9, 2011

How about a jazz blue kind of colour for the background of the badge? Have seen others do similar things and looks pretty sweet!

Gman1982

· #20 · Jan 9, 2011

[snack]

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