HOWTO Spruce up The Faded Parts

Ok my other thread was more an exchange of ideas on this subject, however what follows is the how to do it yourself part with pictures.

First step is to acquire the tools and materials, they can all be found at Autobarn except the newspaper, unless you want to grab about 10 catalougs and run out the door waving them in the air and screaming "ANDRE, ANDRE, I GOT THE SECRET DOCUMENTS"

(Prices are around about)

180 grit Sandpaper $1
400 grit Wet and Dry Sandpaper $1
One Can of Primer or primer/filler which is better. $15-20
A Heat Gun (Only if you know what you are doing)
Low Adhesive Masking Tape $5
An Old Newspaper
K&H Wax and Grease Remover $25
Some Rags
VHT Rollbar and Chassi Paint (Black) $15-25
$2 Paint Brush $2

Firsty Here is what it looked like


So it looks a little Shabby, First step is to hit it all over with some 180 grit sandpaper, don't be afraid to go hard on the pitted areas but don't expect a perfect finish first up as sanding back that far will make it dip all over the place. Also be carefull not to scratch your glass with the Sandpaper.

Here is how it looked for me after the 180 grit.


once satisfied with your sanding job for the moment dust the area off with the $2 brush then get a rag and the wax and grease remover and clean the area, then wipe dry with a clean rag.

Now we need to mask it up, we will use the low adhesive masking tape and an old newspaper, I cant explain how to do this one, it only requires common sense, leave no gaps, some parts bend or curve around so a straight line of tape wont work, instead apply a few pieces.



Don't forget to use a few pieces to patch up any gaps


And the finished tape job


Next we will grab the PAINTS! (I love paint)


AS you can see I was probably a K&H sales rep in another life

Ok so I sprayed the primer on, I got a bit carried away, the goal is to only really spray the pitted areas, a primer/filler would work even better, however I HAD a can, it seems to have drank a red bull and left the garage on it's own?

I cant hold your hands here people so you will need to practise using spray cans a bit on your own on some crappy old timber or something, it i'snt hard but please make sure you have a fair idea before you start, dont let it spray on any one spot for longer then half a second, the key is even strokes start before the spray area, stop after it.

Here is how my one looked after I had primed it a bit. (A Lot)


You will need to follow the paint cans instructions and allow to dry, or use a heat gun IF you know what you are doing, applying heat to close for too long will cause bubbles to form in your paint, for this reason I am not explaining how to use a heat gun.

So now once it is all dry get your 180 grit out again, a good way to geta rough gauge on if it is dry or not is to see if it is still wet on the tape, although remember the coat on the tape might be thinner and thus will dry allot quicker.

don't go all crazy here, take your time and sand lightly, keep an eye on your sandpaper and ensure it is not balling up with paint, if it is the paint might not be dry yet, the primer should be sanding off lightly to a smooth finish quite easily.

once this is done dust the area with a clean brand new $2 paint brush


Then get your rag again and the K&H wax and grease remover and gently carefully clean the surface and the area around it, please note that at this stage being gentle is the key as this stuff will rub the paint back a bit.

once done inspect the job thus far, if you are unhappy with the filling of the pitted areas, repeat the the prime/sand process.

If you are satisfied spray the VHT Rollbar and Chassi Paint on.


I could see a few imperfections straight away, however the camera lies, the above was only my first coat.

I dried it up a bit with the heat gun.


once it was dry I got the 400 grit (I suggest you let it dry over 24 hours and do this anyway) and sanded it lightly back again fixing up the imperfections.


Now obviously we dust and lightly K&H Wax and Grease remove the area and spray another coat on.

and WALLA!


Pretty simple job, looks good and the best part, it does not take long or much effort.

Let me know if I stuffed up or forgot anything, or you need me to elaborate.

 

Oha nd pay no attention to dates in the photo's as always with my HOWTO's or any other time I actually use my camera, I never bother to set the date (I don't know how)

 

Yeah I have some Meguars black trim polisha nd conditioner or whatever out in the shed, if I could have just rubbed that in I would have, however as you can see in the first pic, even the black layer was gone in many areas.

Stay Tuned as more common to fade parts are being restored soon.