painting plastic moldings

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anyone know any good sites or can explain how to paint plastic molding. all i know is that i have to get all the grease off of it. and use fusion paint? need some help

First, take everything that you want to paint out of the car so you don't get overspray on everything. To clean the parts off, use alcohol, or if you go to a paint/parts store, get some degreaser. Ask a guy at the counter, they'll know. Rub it down real good, and try to touch it with your bare hands as little as possible. People don't realize how much grease is on their hands, even if you wash them. And your paint job is only as good as your cleaning job. If you leave the parts dirty/greasy, the paint will come out messed up looking. It will have smudges and bumps in it. And as for paint, a spray can will do for interior parts. If you want a really good job, use a couple coats, and also clear it. You can get clear in a spray can also. Make sure to read all the directions on the can to see how long to wait between coats.

get some adhesion promoter (its like a clear coat spray paint). this stuff will make sure your paint doesnt flake off later. also, sand your plastic surfaces with very fine sandpaper (800 grit or higher). if you don't, you will get "fisheye" (tiny spots where the paint won't seem to stick). just to let you know, painting parts on your car are really best left to a pro.

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(This is something I wrote long ago, just found it again. remember there are many ways to go about this, but the most important things to remember is be patient, clean your parts well, be patient, do it in the recommended temp range, and be patient.)


How to paint vents on a 4th-Generation Civic

This is just a how-to that I wrote up when I decided to redo the center vent piece on my 90 Si. The concept should apply to
all vehicles, so I'll try to make it as general as possible.

PARTS NEEDED:
- (2) Precision Flathead Screwdrivers (really tiny heads)
- Philips-Head Screwdriver (you should always have one around!)
- A big sheet of cardboard (painting surface)
- JB Weld or Epoxy (for when you break something)
- High quality spray paint (expect to pay between $3-$4 a can)
- spray paint primer
- spray paint clear coat
- fine grit sandpaper

1. In my case, I was able to track down a new center vent from a civic at the junkyard. You'll most likely opt to use the current one in your car, which I'm assuming is unpainted. You can remove the vent pretty easily using one or two normal sized flathead screwdrivers. Use them as a wedge to coax the vent out. Don't force anything, it should eventually pop out. In my case, I had to disconnect the clock wires also.

2. So now you've got the vent out. Look at it carefully. You'll notice that it consists of several different assemblies. Unfortunatly, Honda decided it would be a good idea to plastic weld these pieces together. Now this is where you almost have to break things. I used two very small headed screwdrivers and worked them under the plastic seams. I rocked them back and forth until the plastic weld broke. You need to get both screwdrivers under both sides to slide the vent assembly away from the front. You'll see what I mean when you do it. It may be a good idea to draw yourself some pictures for later.

3. I also decided to remove the louvers. This is up to you, yes it does make things more difficult, but I also think it looks better. I used the tiny screwdriver again, using it to push the little nubs out of the plastic holes, while bending and flexing the rest of the assembly to ease each louvers removal. The louvers themselves bend and flex quite a bit, so you should be able to get them out. About now is also a good time to draw yourself a sketch of what order each louver went in. Its not always obvious where each one should go, and if you think you'll just remember you will be sorely mistaken.

4. Also, if you decide you want to be lazy and just tape off the area you don't want painted (louvers, knobs, etc.) It will be noticeable. You have to decide if want to sacrifice quality the quality.

4. By now you should have figured out how all the pieces come apart and interact with each other. Now you are ready to paint. Now a few words on paint. First of all, don't paint when its windy. Nothing sucks more than having a leaf fall on your nearly completed paint job. I'd suggest if its possible to do this in your garage. Beware of overspray and what not. Don't paint in direct sunlight, do it in the shade. If it is humid, don't do it. Check the back of the can you bought to see what temps and humidity levels it operates best at. Set all of your parts on cardboard and not newspaper. The slightest gust of wind will send the newspaper out to stick to any paint. And don't handle any painted parts until the can says you can handle it. I would actually wait an entire day to handle anything.

5. To prep your plastic pieces for painting, I would suggest first going at each peice with fine grit sandpaper. This will help the paint stick to the plastic, and is especially important if you don't want to primer them. After roughing up each piece, wash them off with warm soapy water. Give them plenty of time to dry.

6. I personally used primer before painting. I've gotten decent results without it, so its entirely up to you. Following the directions on the can, I sprayed each side and each angle adequetly with two coats, waiting about 5 to 10 minutes between coats. Then I set them in the garage and went to sleep. I let each stage of paint set for one day.

7. The next day I checked the primer to make sure I hadn't missed anything. Then I began with my colored paint. I sprayed light, even coats and waited about 5-10min between coats. I did about three coats or until it looked pretty consistant (no visible primer). I waited for a good while, maybe a few hours (lunch break) and came back to it. I checked all the nooks and crannys where paint sometimes doesn't want to get to and made a mental note of them. I then went at them again with a few more coats. Be careful of overspraying certain areas, as too much paint can start to glob and not look so good. Let them set again for a day.

8. Next day check your paint job for any missed areas. Now you can do about three passes with clear coat enamel for added chip protection and a nice shiny look. Let it set for another day.

9. The next day you should be able to handle every piece with no problem. Now its time to reassemble. Hopefully your drawings were detailed enough that you can remember how they came apart. Just reverse the process, but be careful about using your screwdrivers, because they can easily scratch your paint. If you painted the louvers and damaged them upon reinstallation, don't worry too much. Most people won't see a little chip, so its really no big deal. If youre a perfectionist like me, you can completly scrape off the paint on the affected piece and do the whole process again.

IF YOU SCREW UP WHILE PAINTING:
It happens. If its real bad, I'd suggest removing all the paint and starting over. The best way I've found is submerging the piece in warm water and using a screwdriver to scrap all the paint away. Try not to make any huge guoges in the plastic. If you are working with textured plastic, things are much harder for you. You may actually be better off with a new piece from a junkyard. Getting the paint off of textured plastic can actually damage the surface if you're not careful.
I would not recommend spot spraying an area where pain has chipped, because The thickness of that area will be less than the surrounding area.

This was basically a crash course in one way to paint your vents. Everyone has their own methods and styles, this was just mine. Remember, you'll get better each time you do it, all it takes is practice. I've included some pictures that show a few of the stages and products I used.