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To paint or not to paint...

2K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  tuner ready 
#1 ·
I'm trying to figure out whether or not I should paint my V-Limited replica front lip before I put it on. If I do paint it, I'm not sure what kind of paint I should use and I'm also worried about the paint chipping and having to touch it up once a year or more. If I don't paint it, I'm worried it might fade and turn grey/white in spots from sun damage.
 
#2 ·
Is it fiberglass or plastic? If it's fiberglass I'd paint it, see if any of the body shops near you will mix a small batch to match your car. Then you can use a disposable aerosol sprayer after you prime (you can pick up spray cans of auto primer from any good auto part store) it if its not already primed. If it's already painted though its a lot more work; you'll need to take off any clear coat and rough the underlying paint pretty well. I'd probably prime, rough sand, do two or three coats color, color sand, and then throw down two coats of clear. That should protect it pretty well, obviously it will chip eventually though because it's a lip.
If it's plastic, you probably won't get paint to stick to it real well unless it has already been primed and is designed to be painted. Either way the paint is going to be the same if you want an accurate color match, it's all about the primer and the underlying surface.
 
#3 ·
There is a carbon fiber version, but mine's plastic. That sounds like some pretty solid advice though. I was thinking more along the lines of if I were to paint it, I'd use a can of spray paint (for plastic?) and make it a satin or flat color so it sort of matches the other exterior trim. Fiberglass is a whole different beast and I didn't want to deal with hardcore painting, cracking, etc. I know any lip will get scuffed up here and there, so I opted for a less expensive more flexible one. It didn't come with instructions or anything, just a bare naked plastic lip and a bag of mounting hardware. Right now, I'm sort of leaning toward putting it on unpainted and seeing how it looks, holds up to the weather, and how many times it gets hit/scratched and then maybe lightly sanding and painting it if I have to. But I dunno.. anybody out there with an STi V-Limited replica front lip wanna tell me what you did with yours?
 
#6 ·
i had mine on for 2 years now and it took the winter fine just don't hit it on ice chucks it WILL damage your bumper. i know i did this, it hurt my bumper more than the lip. i painted it with krylon fusion paint for plastics just sand it first so the finish is smooth
 
#8 ·
I would paint it. I have fastwrx's replica which is a poly lip. It gets bleached pretty quick from the sun. I even use products like 303, back to black, and forever wow to try and prolong the fading, but tell it happened eventually. I plan on removing it when I do my spring detail. Light wetsand, then Krylon Fusion for plastics in satin black. No priming necessary.
 
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