[Paul]

Thanks to everyone who helped with advice on the "where do I get paint" thread.

The reason I did this was my shiny black plastic wing mirrors were badly scuffed and scratched by another vehicle, and I managed to get a spare set of eBay. So I figured.. why not?!

I used two cans of Indi Blue spray and two cans of clear coat from the MINI dealer. These come in a pack (one can of each). Each pack costs £10.50 retail from the dealer in the UK. I also used a small amount of plastic primer from a local car place, cost a few pounds.

The process I used wasn't the best as I hoped to use just one can of each, and wanted to see "how it looked", but this is how I did it.

Sanded off the shiny plastic with 800 wet and dry paper, then smoothed it with 1200 grit wet and dry paper. Washed them with soapy water, and let dry naturally.

I sprayed on the primer as per instructions on can... when dry I applied the spray in about 4 thin coats until the can was empty. Then did the same with clear coat. Leaving about 20 mins between each coat.

This didn't get good enough coverage. So I once again sanded the mirrors down with 800, then 1200 grit (leaving the blue paint, but just making sure the new coats would "stick").

Started the process over, and finally I had coverage I was happy with and a smooth finish....

Looks good I think!

Photos...

[Windshadow]

Looks good Paul

But I think mine look better! (click on the thumbnail in my sig to see)

[Paul]

I woulnd't have the masking tape or skill required to DIY that kind of design!

[Windshadow]

But you have just done the Blue part!

See Iancull web page for how he masked the roof of his Indi Blue MCS Works for the masking sequence
Cheers
~R

[Paul]

Some close ups. The paint isn't as smooth looking as the black gloss finish, but it's a close match to the paint on the metal, which I guess is the main thing!

While it may appear slightly "ripply" close up, it feels lovely and smooth.

Next test is longevity I suppose!

[minimagic]

Excellent Job Paul. They Look Fanatic.

[Martin L]

Very nice Paul

When will your mods stop
You're adding new bits weekly

[Rayman]

Sweet job paul do you think it wud be a similar process if you wanted to paint the side skirts too? Anyone else know?

Regards

Ray

[eddie_DV52_CCZ]

rayman, hows it going.... getting soem side skirts then, thought you might. hehe.

they coem primed so you could spray yourself, i'd rather a body shop take teh heat though.

i recon paul didnt mind making a mistake as he would probably buy soem new ones if he went wrong as they were broke in teh first place. you want to risk some lovely skirts?

They do sell a spray can though in INDI blue which is good with the overcoat too! Good luck with teh modding, practice first on teh back i guess... good luck dude.

[Paul]

I'd have to agree, wing mirrors (esp scratched ones to start with) is one thing, large side skirts is quite another.

[Paul]

OK, I wasn't entirely happy with the finish, I also chipped (or missed) a bit on the passenger side (a small section), so I took them off again.....

I touched up the dodgy mirror, then used more clear coat to add another 3 or so more coats.

This ended up in disaster!!!

The clear coat dried very bobbly indeed, not nice looking, looked matt!!!!


So I got out the old t-cut, and went at them like a mad man for more than an hour......

The result is fantastic! Smoother, and better looking than before, but also better covered/protected.

Back on the car.. here's some photos....

[Paul]

Close pics, forgot...

[stephen_cy_wong]

Looks very nice

[Paul]

Thanks, now I cant imagine them black, they look perfect in matching colour!

[monsta]

2nd go looks much better Paul

We can see your reflection this time!

[Paul]

Any photo looks better with me in it...

[CurtP]

Paul, some pointers if I may - I see what happened in the first pictures and still looks like a bit of an issue in the second set as well - you have orange peel (the surface of the paint looks like the surface of an orange peel). To fix it you would need to take them off (or mask them carefully) and wet sand them with 1500 grit, then follow it with 2000 grit and then buff them out using compound (3M makes some of my personal favorites). It takes a "gentle" hand to wet sand a surface - too much pressure will cut through the surface, ruining it. Power buffing takes some finesse as well; a skill that takes a while to perfect.

Initial prepping should have been a wash with dishwashing liquid then a wipe with wax/grease remover, sanded with 400 grit, another wipe with the wax/grease remover and went over with a tack-cloth just prior to paint application. Using a higher cut sandpaper smooths the surface too much, making it difficult for the paint to adhere properly. Soap leaves a residue that may inhibit paint adhesion too. Only time will tell how well it will hold up.

There is a "critical thickness" to paint too, depending on the type of paint used. That is where the paint will start having the tendancy to chip/peel because it's too thick.

[Paul]

The "orange peel" is partly why I did the second set and it's all but gone now (small area around the edges, but I will cut that out over time). I think the photo makes it looks worse, you can see the car also looks a bit "bobbly".

If it does decide to part company over time, I'll take your advice on board, and others should probably do so in advance!

[CurtP]

Flash photography and florescent lighting will really bring out the imperfections in paint. If the orange peel is in the color coat, then it will always be there unless you cut through the clear coat, smooth out the color coat and re-apply the clear. You can build up some clear coat and get it smooth to mask the texture, but it will never get rid of it. In all honesty, it is *very* difficult getting a good finish out of spray bombs which is why I have four paint guns in my garage. However, if one spends a lot of time and effort on the mirror caps, it very well could end up looking better than the paint on the rest of the car

They definately look nice painted up!

[MiniG]

I think the second round definitely look the business. Nice job, Paul!