When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I used Duplicolor silver spray paint (T229) for the base and Duplicolor Crystal Clear for the clear coat. The most important thing is the prep. You must gently scuff the surface so that the paint will stick. If you scuff too hard, the flakes in the silver will settle in the scratches and cause you to see lines. Just a light scuffing should do. If you have ever used any silicone product or Armor All, you will need a professional strength cleaner to clean the bezels before scuffing. After you scuff the surface, clean it with any quality paint surface prep that can be found in auto parts stores like Autozone. Then spray a very light coat of silver, just a fogging. Let that flash (dry) for about 5-7 min (depending on temp). Then place another coat of silver , just a little thicker. And let that dry for 10-12 min. Then another coat and let it dry for 15-17 min. Continue this way until you get the depth of silver that you want and the silver is smooth. If the silver is rough, it will show up in the cleat. I used four coats. Then (very important) let it dry over over night (8-10 hours) Then you can gently place your vinyl graphic. I used the running pony but I thought about using the 05 "GT" emblem. I got the running ponies off of e-bay but you probably could find a place in a mall that could make the decals for you. After you place the pony decal, begin the clear coat. It is very important to start with very thin coats of clear or the decal can curl up. Begin with a fogging of clear. Let that dry for 5-7 min, then another fogging and dry 5-7 min. Once you have fogged enough to cover the decal, you can begin with thicker layers of clear. I went with six layers. This gives me room to wet sand and buff if I get some dirt in the clear. By the last few layers of clear, the in between drying time should be around 30 min. After you have enough clear to cover the decal and give the depth you want, place it in a warm dry place for several days to a week. The clear takes a very long time to cure. It may feel dry, but is will still be quite fluid until it cures all the way through. I put mine in after three days and still had some issues with them not being cured enough. After about a week, it should be completely cured. That is when I wet sanded it with 1000 grit paper and polished it with a polishing compound and a quality wax. Lots of coats of silver and clear make it look better, but too much can cause clearance problems with the switches. So three to four coats of silver and five to six of clear should be the max.
The door handles were the most difficult because I had to remove the handle from the bezel. That took a long time fighting with screwdrivers and the handles. It is not easy, but they will come out. I suppose I could have masked the handles and painted the bezels, but that's hindsight. The door lock bezels just pop out and were the easiest. Just do yourself a favor and make sure that you don't set the silver paint can next to the clear paint can. You may accidentally grab the silver can and put a silver coat when you were trying to place your last clear coat. Then, you would have to strip it and start all over. (that was a rough night for me...haha) I hope this helps. Thanks for the appreciation.
6/2/05 | 11:02 PM
