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Newer to the MINI community and I am curious how the Aero bumpers are painted? What I mean, is I noticed instead of having the plastic trim around the wheel wells it looks to me as if the plastics are incorporated into the bumper. But I noticed people with the Aero kit installed have plastic wheel wells. Did you body shop paint the "wheel well" portion to match the "raw" plastic look or do the plastic pieces attach over the part on the bumper?
Here id a good example on Outmotoring. Top picture is an unpainted Aero rear bumper. It has the plastic wheel arches already molded into the bumper (left and right side of the upper picture). Yet on the example of it painted (bottom picture) the wheel arches are plastic looking and match the factory plastics. How did they do that?
MINI used to sell matching black textured trim paint for the aero pieces. A body shop or paint supplier should have something similar.
Thanks I appreciate the feedback. That actually tells me exactly what I need to know. I picked up some side skirts that are completely painted and I am trying to figure out how to get the plastic portion back to plastic. I am going to use SEM texture paint to do that since it is the same as what MINI did.
Awesome thank you! I tried searching but couldnt find it so I really appreciate you linking it.
So funny enough, I had stumbled across SEM products and it seems to be the best product out there. So if I am understanding correctly, you used the yellow can (texture coating) first and then the black (trim black)?
I noticed during my research they said you sometimes have to sand the texture to match the factory texture on the car, did you sand yours at all? Also, how many coats did you do?
Lastly, did you use any kind of clear coat or something to protect the paint?
Really appreciate any info you can give me on the process, yours looks great!
I added areo side skirts to mine last year. Took them to one body shop who butchered the texture application (looked splotchy). Took them to another body shop, had them sand everything down and they were able to match a texture almost perfectly. It's a little shiny and looks perfect. The painter said he uses this texture/technique for under body and truck bed applications. When you're interviewing body shops, be sure to take them a wheel well trim so they can see what you're trying to achieve.
or just go all body color and don't worry about matching the texture. Some folks don't like the look but others love it... When I had mine done years ago the body shop said they could either paint the black piece of the body kit the texture black or paint it all body color along with the existing wheel arches for the same money... I went all body color..
Awesome thank you! I tried searching but couldnt find it so I really appreciate you linking it.
So funny enough, I had stumbled across SEM products and it seems to be the best product out there. So if I am understanding correctly, you used the yellow can (texture coating) first and then the black (trim black)?
I noticed during my research they said you sometimes have to sand the texture to match the factory texture on the car, did you sand yours at all? Also, how many coats did you do?
Lastly, did you use any kind of clear coat or something to protect the paint?
Really appreciate any info you can give me on the process, yours looks great!
Yes texture then paint. There is no clear coat on it. I dont know how many coats were done. The shop was familiar with the process, I guess some mustangs have this as well?!
The only thing I've put on the texture painted parts are some black enhancing fender arch stuff... like a back to black. The new parts didnt need it, i was just matching my plastic parts.
Painting them body color is super cool too, but my side skirts were already texture, so I decided to stay stock.
You will have to make a creative decision on the front (pavement side area near the centers) how to paint it as the parting line disappears. If you look close at my pics, you can see what I did.
07-01-2018, 08:12 AM
