AERO:
Can you also Photoshop the Intercooler intake/hood scoop black? I'd like to see how that looks with the black headlight rings/tinted cover.

 

Use Ceramic Engine Block Paint. I've had my Ebay Halo light rings painted with that kind of paint for months and I have not one chip, and I'm here in sand blaster Florida where there are nothing but dump trucks going up and down Highway 87.

 

I can only speak for my own experience, where I specifically went for a satin, vice glossy, look. However, I think vinyl can be as equally glossy as a painted surface (just think about all of the great looking bonnet and boot stripes in existence).

I'd just email Lyle and tell him what you want and what you're concerns are. He might be able to point you to clients who have done the same mod and can give you unbiased feedback.

 

Ask and you shall receive

 

I vote for the Black especially this last one with the scoop black also!!!

 

Awesome, thanks. I didn't even think about the bonnet stripes or the roof decals being glossy and vinyl...duh I probably will go that route then

As for all the black... its just not really my style guys, it makes the front of the car look too busy IMO. But at least if you guys like it, you can see what it looks like before YOU do it

 

Keep one eye out for the "glossiness" of the black trim parts and how they work with each other. At one point in the past I had considered adding bonnet stripes to my PW/B, after having gone with a more satin black scoop finish to match the Aero grill work. As you can see from the pic, I actually got to the point of getting one stripe on and realized that the glossy stripe just didn't work quite right with the satin finish of the rest of the black trim--particularly the scoop. Probably exacerbated by the contrast with the PW. Off it came, and I've been stripe-less (at least, on the bonnet and boot--check out my sides ) ever since. Subsequently, I've added the headlight rings, light bar, and fog light surrounds--all with a matching satin finish. If you go glossy, I'd recommend a similar shine to your scoop and HL rings.

 

I guess it's just because I'm a stickler for black. I just like the headlight rings black versus the same color as the body. But, I'd rather see the rings body colored than chrome. I think chrome looks horrible when other parts are black or have color. For instance, I think my car looks horrible right now with the grill being chrome, but everything else is pretty much blacked out. This is going to be changed ASAP !!!

 

I like it, but MAN, the black scoop, stripes & tinted headlights looks HOT on the Red one!!

 

Hey Aero - I think I know what you mean about looking too "busy". Now that I look at it again, the black scoop might look better without the stripes. Or stripes but red scoop.

 

I hate chrome and the only chrome left on my car is the headlight rings. I'll be doing the red painted rings with my CR. The black on a non black car is just black eyes to me. Chipped paint is a concern. If I had a black car then I'd consider black vinyl wrap, but I got a sample of the the red vinyl and for me it wasn't close enough of a match. So I will paint and maybe get clear bra material and wrap the paint before installing.

 

I agree

 

Fatherdeath - yes...dechroming the grill will look real good, it was the first thing I did and LOVED it.

bmwg84 - yea...now you see, stripes/headlights/scoop all too much

WLSH BST - thanks for adding another good idea to this thread, a sample would really be the best option to determine if it matches well

 

Any detailed info on the best way to paint the headlight rings? I know you need to sand them down, and I guess primer then paint. I just ordered some dark silver paint from Minspeed, and some clear vinyl paint protection sheets from a motorcycle website. I figured I would paint them, then wrap in clear vinyl to prevent chipping, just don't have much experience with painting. Did some searching here, but didn't find the info I was looking for. Any help or tips for proper grit and primer type would be greatly appreciated. Hoping to get this done next week, will post pics when I'm done. Thanks!

 

Well, if you want to do a really good job painting can be a bit of a process. I did ALL the prep work for painting some motorcycle fairings then just took them to a body shop and they sprayed them.

Basically start wet sanding with a lower grit somewhere not lower then 300 and not higher than 600, once the chrome is sanded off and you are down to the plastic I'd wet sand with something like 1200 grit. I don't have much painting experience either, but if I were going to paint I would do about 3 coats of primer and let it sit for a day or so until completely dry. Then do a quick wet sand to smooth out any bumps with 2000+ grit. Then apply my color, same process 3-4 smooth even coats, let dry, wet sand to smooth finish. Then go over it with a clear coat to seal everything in and again wet sand the final product and polish. Without a good polish though you may not be able to wet sand the final layer due to it leaving marks.

Personally, I just contacted lyle at vinyl styles this week to get a sample of their chili red vinyl...if it looks good, I'll get the headlight rings in that.

 

Thanks for the tips. I was going to go to Lyle, but first I don't see dark silver listed anymore on his site, and then I contacted some other vendors about dark silver vinyl, got some samples sent to me, but the colors didn't match. So then I decided on this route. I did the Joey mod a while back, and the chrome rings are starting to bother me. I'm not looking to totally dechrome my car, will leave the grill, beltline and door handles chrome, since it works well with the dark silver & black, it's just the headlight rings stand out too much now that the headlights are black

.

 

Its not necessary to remove the chrome. I painted my handles black and its still there 2 years later and you dont pull on your headlight rings - hopefully
The chrome needs a bit of roughing up a bit with sand paper 320 grit. Use self etching primer as it will stick to the chrome better than regular primer. I just picked up a can from local auto store. 3 coats primer, 3 coats color, 3 coats clearcoat, all coats 15 min apart. So the painting is all done in 1 day then leave it cure for a week. Then 1000 grit it a little and finish with some rubbing compound (not too much or else you'll end up removing more of the coats than you want).

I'll be doing mine this summer but i haven't yet figured out a source for the clearbra for the rings. If you go through all this fuss to paint them you want it to remain unchipped so need to clearbra it. I suppose I'll have to get some clearbra sheets and custom cut them for the rings. If anyone has a source for such material and guidance on technique please share details.

 

Here is what I ordered to cover the paint. I will be doing this next week, so I'll post here, and let you know how it turns out.

http://www.snidersproducts.com/paint3.html

 

i say get vynle styles rings. maybe if you end up not liking it in the future you can remove?

 

Man, I am so glad I found all of this. I've been wanting to do this for a little while now and was way unsure of products and technique and upkeep on it. I know the vinyl would hold up better but Lyle is a little pricey to me and I'm unsure of my ability to remove the rings without breaking the tabs. If this falls through, then I'll go to him but I think paint is my way. Thanks, everybody.

 

I really love the look of this car (he's on here, I found this pic in the R56 pics thread):

 

I thought of one other thing I was unsure of. To anyone that's painted theirs, what did you use to block off the painted areas and glass headlight covers on the car. I know I can get painter's tape for the headlights themselves and small areas around it but what would I use on the broader spots? Just drape a towel over it and tape it in place? Or try and find a painters cloth? W00T! 3000 posts!

 

It's much easier to just pull them off, it's really not hard. I had them off last year when I did the Joey mod. I'm local to you, if you get to the point that you want to do it, I would be more than happy to help. Like I said, I'll be doing them next week, if your at the PhillyMINI meet in a couple of weeks you can check it out.

 

Thanks, I'll be sure to keep that in mind. But, I do have the washers. Does that make it much harder to pull the rings off? Maybe we could convince Lyle to come to a bigger local show, too, to avoid the core charge.

 

To get a satifactory finish you have to take the rings off the car, if you search there are several threads that cover how to do it. Just masking the car and spraying on the vehicle would not be good and would likely peel in no time as you're not able to rough up the chromo right down to the edge, and all it needs is an edge to start unravelling. The door handles are real time consuming to take off but its the only way - so the rings will be a cake walk in comparison.

As to the motorcycle vinyl film it stays in place by static not glue and for me I'd not be content with that, i'd have to have self adhesive clearbra like material. I dont want to be worried about losing the ring clearbra in a car wash or the likes.

If I had a black car or a car color with which vinyl style had a good color match I'd go with vinyl styles, it wont chip. However, I got the chilli red vinyl sample and it wasn't close enough of a match for me so I have to paint and clearbra.