B4U Removal

[EviLette]

With the fact that I am FINALLY getting that new fender flare, I was thinking of pulling the two mouldings in front of the rear wheels as well as that one flare, and getting them panel painted.

 

The question is, how do I remove them? Since it's my DD, I can't leave it at a paint shop for a week. >.> plus, the cleaning would be unbearable afterward, lol

 

Anyways, is there any special process? I've seen the screws ont he underside of the flare over the wheel, but I am thinking there are problably pins or rivets or something in there... and once i remove parts, will I need to buy stuff to put them back on?

[EviLette]

Oh yeah.

 

I've also been thinking about pulling some of the paneling on the inside. (mainly the pieces around the bulkheads, the door trim, etc., and painting everything like a flat black. I hate the grey, and its charcoal/light grey combo. Do you guys think it would look, or chintzy?

[J]

not sure about the panel removal on the GP's, but in m opinion don't paint the interior pieces....

[CSI_MuNkY]

Interior panels come off easily... find all the screws you can and pull, there are white plugs, or whatever you want to call them through out some of the panels, you know the things that are ribbed and go into holes, ok that sounds bad....

To get those plugs out just hold the plastic panel from behind as close as you can get to the mount and pull.

 

I'm repainting mine this summer... I went with a dark red with a silver base, looks good but I want something that will look closer to stock without being stock. I'm going another route, Gloss or semi gloss black, or maybe a combination of the two. Eventually the "charcoal" will be out of my interior... charcoal sucks, lol, if I wanted gray, I'd get gray, if I wanted black I'd get black (too bad it wasn't available) but instead I'm stuck with some half breed off black....

 

Jamie

 

Don't let people tell you

[Q-Ball]

B4U is easy, I can scan my service manuals for you if you want?

[EviLette]

B4U is easy, I can scan my service manuals for you if you want?

 

If you would like to do so.

 

I'm amused you're the only one that commented on the B4U. The interior pieces aren't any problem, as I've had to pull interiors in detail jobs before. I just wanted to make sure that there wasn't a whole lot for the B4U trim, say I don't realize there's another screw in there, can't see it, and break something or rip something up trying to get it out.

 

I think I'll just get (for the outside) spray paint and do it in light coats... wetsand it down, then clear it. Thats how you do it, right? or do youw ait until you have clear on to wetsand? I don't know, but I want to at least make everything match again, lol.

 

I'll panel paint the bitch with a roller can. >.< Not really, but at least for now it will help it look a ton better.

[EviLette]

Bump.

[CSI_MuNkY]

I think I'll just get (for the outside) spray paint and do it in light coats... wetsand it down, then clear it. Thats how you do it, right? or do youw ait until you have clear on to wetsand? I don't know, but I want to at least make everything match again, lol.

 

You can wet sand the color, it will help diminish and orange peel you get...

The way I used to do my model cars was a few light coats, and then a wet coat, with a light sanding in between each.

What are you using for paint? That touch up stuff you can get at auto parts store? If so it is lacquer based, so make sure you use a primer that is safe for use under lacquers. A friend of mine touched up his girlfriends sunfire, and he suggests using a red oxide primer, of course this only applies colors that can cover up the red oxide. But red oxide primer is great for hiding any body work you have done (putty and such).

 

I'll be doing touch ups on my car this summer, along with a lip spoiler, yes a lip spoiler on a Grand Prix!

 

Jamie

[EviLette]

I'm just doing a couple body pieces.. and since I don't know much about painting, I figured I'd go in and see what they recommend for use on plastic.. use a plastic primer and then paint designed for plastic... but like I said, it's just a couple pieces of the body kit. The valence won't be that noticeable, and I'm just kind of schemeing to decide what I"m going to do.

 

I figured pretty much any black paint, even coats, wetsanded, and cleared on top would work out pretty well... its just going to suck for the fact that I can't polish out the final wetsand.

 

If I could, I would have wetsanded the entire car by now. I just don't have a garage to do the polishing now... so I'm SOL.

[Addicted To Boost]

Make sure you use a FLEX AGENT on the plastic pieces so your fresh paint doesn't spiderweb. I used a product called Bulldog Flex Agent in a purple can when I painted my lower valence on my TGP and it looks great with no spiderwebbing.

[CSI_MuNkY]

Make sure you use a FLEX AGENT on the plastic pieces so your fresh paint doesn't spiderweb. I used a product called Bulldog Flex Agent in a purple can when I painted my lower valence on my TGP and it looks great with no spiderwebbing.

 

How would that work if you were just using spray bombs?

 

Jamie

[Addicted To Boost]

It is in a spray can, you spray it on the piece you are going to paint first. You spray on the flex agent before anything.

[EviLette]

i will definitely do so!

 

I would have thought of doing that myself though, TBH. I knew about flex agents in more modern paints, and the necessity for it ESPECIALLY on mouldings like the B4U package. But thanks for the reminder.

[CSI_MuNkY]

The reason I asked was because I always thought flex agents had to be mixed in with the paint. I didn't realize they were sprayed on before the paint. I'm assuming they would go on before primer as well?

 

Jamie

[Addicted To Boost]

The reason I asked was because I always thought flex agents had to be mixed in with the paint. I didn't realize they were sprayed on before the paint. I'm assuming they would go on before primer as well?

 

Jamie

They can be mixed in, and usually are. But yeah I have found some flex agents in a spray can. It was called Bulldog and in a purple spraycan. Worked very well!

 

On this particular flex agent, you spray it on, then while the flex agent is still tacky, you paint the bodypiece. All I can say is it worked well and to this day I have no spiderwebbing.

[EviLette]

So before or after the primer?

 

And there must not be any special procedure about removing the b4u panels, since that hasn't been addressed lol.

 

That, or nobody's done it. <O> <O> (which i know just can't be true.)

[Addicted To Boost]

I sanded it down real smooth, washed it, sprayed flex agent on, painted about 10 coats (sanding in between) then 4 coats of clear. I didn't prime it at all and it turned out really well..

[EviLette]

Sweet.

 

Now to figure out how to do it without a garage or a shop of any sort for my access.

 

I figure I'll do it here in my apartment and pray my kitties don't get fur all over it while the paint is wet.

[Addicted To Boost]

I sprayed it outside in my front yard on top of an old cabinet

[Drummer]

first you have to take the rear wheel off (i did anyways) unless you have a really short screwdriver (which is a pain if they've never been taken off before) then get all the screws off, then take the wheel flare off first (just pull i think) then slide off the cladding in front of the wheel well, and your done. It's been almost 2 years since i did it, but i think thats all you have to do.

[EviLette]

thanks!