Got a few requests for this, so here it is as according to my method.
Parts)
- couple sheets (about 3 or so of the 8x10 sheet packs) of 400 gritt wet/dry sandpaper (automotive type, made by 3m, but any brand'll do) about 3 or so packs of 800 gritt wet/dry sandpaper
- Dupli Color Import automotive spray paint ( small cans, they'll have your car's paint code and name on the can itself (you can check the exact name of your paint code on the inside of your drivers side door jam). I was VERY generous with my painting and put about 7 or 8 coats on some parts...most only need about 4 or 5, your preference...but sideskirts definiatly take up a good amount of paint, so grab about 6-10 cans if you can, or as many as you're able to find in your color at the store location (trust me, you can NEVER have too many cans, I ended up being short and had to go back and buy more)
- 3 large cans of automotive paint adhesive promotor (any kind will do...from Dupli Color to Bulldog...as long as it's automotive adhesive promotor
- 3 large cans of Dupli Color wheel clear coat paint (or any other brand of automotive clearcoat paint)
- scotch tape, several newspapers, and a steady hand
1) remove all the pieces and clean them thoroughly with a sponge and soapy water, making sure all the grime and dirt is off the area
2) start wetsanding with the 400 gritt sandpaper (wetsanding meaning that you always keep the molding and sandpaper wet with water) until the molding is completely uniformly smooth with no pits or valleys or any rough spots
3) move onto the 800 gritt and start wetsanding. After completed with sanding, thoroughly inspect the area for any high/low or rough spots, and at this point the molding should feel very smooth to the touch
4) THOROUGHLY wash with the molding with soap and water and let it air dry overnight (preferably indoors, as you don't want dir/ dust on the paintable area)
5) next morning, visually inspect it for any dust spots or dirt that got on there overnight and just wipe down the area with a clean lint free cloth to make sure it's absolutely clean. At this point, you also have the option of going over the area with a lint free cloth and rubbing alcohol as a final inspection, but I didn't and it turned out fine)
6) next is painting. make sure you have a good horizontal angle at the pieces that are to be painted, as paint cans usually don't take well to being fired downwards or at vertical angles. Also make sure that you have full access to all parts that need to be painted on each particular piece (ie, don't lay a sideskirt out flat with the bottom resting on the newspaper, it's better to prop it up with some tiny boxes or small objects so that it's layoung out vertically and you have painting access to the whole thing at once)
7) First comes the adhesive promotor...shake it up well for about 2 minutes and then start spraying in clean, even swiping motions. Remember, uniformity is key. Don't leave your hand at one spot for more than a second, or the paint will run and drip and really mess things up. Very light but uniform coats is optimal. Put on about 3 good coats of adhesive promotor until every single centimeter of the area to be painted looks covered
Follow the instructions on the can for drying time (some usually take only 10-30 minutes before they're ready to have paint applied)
8) start painting in very even, sweeping motions, just like you applied the adhesive promotor. Remember, small light coats is better than thick, heavy, runny coats. Let it dry about 10 minutes between each coat, and try and do this in a very clean and dust free environment (making sure to wear a mask and step out and get some fresh air periodically) Apply about 4 or more coats, or as many coats as desired until you inspect the area and make sure it's completely and uniformly covered in paint. Let paint dry according to can instructions (typically about an hour or so before you apply the clearcoat)
9) Apply clearcoat. Be very careful with clearcoat as well...as you don't want to have blobs or get runs in the paint underneath, so spray in quick, even, sweeping motions. Apply about 3 or 4 coats of clearcoat, or as many as you want to attain the desired amount of glossiness. Let the pieces dry for about 24 hours before handling
That's pretty much about it. Some people may wetsand between each paint layer, but I didn't. Just always make sure to never get fingerprints or any oils on the surface while painting/priming, or else you'll get uneven spots and the paint will not stick as well
As for the removal of certain pieces, to get the sideskirts off, (please bare with me, I did this almost 2 years ago) you must jack the car up and remove all the plastic screws holding in the skirts underneath the car. Be careful, as these screws tend to get 'stuck' or stripped easily. If it doesn't seem like it wants to unthread, try doing it at different pressures or speeds. Sometimes I had to either unscrew them fast or slow in order to coerce them out of the holes. Then take out all the screw retainers (keep all the pieces in a plastic bag so you don't lose anything)
Next is the tricky part. I believe (I can't exactly remember) to take out the sideskirts you must first pull the sideskirt out towards you than pull it out towards the back of the vehicle. It's held in by some very stubborn big white clips, and several of mine broke in the process. I'm still not sure how to totally remove the sideskirt without breaking any clips. If you break too many, it's time to go to your local junkyard or honda dealership to get some new ones. Be patient...it'll take some elbow grease and patience to take out the sideskirts...and it can be frustrating.
And since our rear lip is actually part of the bumper, I did it while it was still attached to the car. So I very very very carefully masked off the barrier between the actual bumper and the lip with some automotive tape (or duct tape). This is crucial, as you want to get the least amount of overspray as you can. Try and mask the border off as straight as possible. Then just cover up the entire bumper with several layers of newspaper, being careful not to scratch up your paint in the process. Mask off and newspaper your tires and wheels too just to be safe. Then follow the same procedures and carefully wetsand/prime/paint/clear your rear bumper.
Also, remember to be very careful when washing these areas when you wash your car. I'd suggest cleaning them with a soft sponge instead of a mit, as sometimes a mit can be a bit abrasive and tend to scratch or take off some of the clearcoat. Also, don't wax these painted areas and just clean then with regular soap and water. Sometimes wax/polish, if not pure, can permanently marr and cloud these painted surfaces.
If anyone else has done this, please feel free to add your methods/techniques, as again; I'm rusty with my memory and this may not be 100 percent. But basically this is the gist of the whole process. Good luck and happy painting!
Parts)
- couple sheets (about 3 or so of the 8x10 sheet packs) of 400 gritt wet/dry sandpaper (automotive type, made by 3m, but any brand'll do) about 3 or so packs of 800 gritt wet/dry sandpaper
- Dupli Color Import automotive spray paint ( small cans, they'll have your car's paint code and name on the can itself (you can check the exact name of your paint code on the inside of your drivers side door jam). I was VERY generous with my painting and put about 7 or 8 coats on some parts...most only need about 4 or 5, your preference...but sideskirts definiatly take up a good amount of paint, so grab about 6-10 cans if you can, or as many as you're able to find in your color at the store location (trust me, you can NEVER have too many cans, I ended up being short and had to go back and buy more)
- 3 large cans of automotive paint adhesive promotor (any kind will do...from Dupli Color to Bulldog...as long as it's automotive adhesive promotor
- 3 large cans of Dupli Color wheel clear coat paint (or any other brand of automotive clearcoat paint)
- scotch tape, several newspapers, and a steady hand
1) remove all the pieces and clean them thoroughly with a sponge and soapy water, making sure all the grime and dirt is off the area
2) start wetsanding with the 400 gritt sandpaper (wetsanding meaning that you always keep the molding and sandpaper wet with water) until the molding is completely uniformly smooth with no pits or valleys or any rough spots
3) move onto the 800 gritt and start wetsanding. After completed with sanding, thoroughly inspect the area for any high/low or rough spots, and at this point the molding should feel very smooth to the touch
4) THOROUGHLY wash with the molding with soap and water and let it air dry overnight (preferably indoors, as you don't want dir/ dust on the paintable area)
5) next morning, visually inspect it for any dust spots or dirt that got on there overnight and just wipe down the area with a clean lint free cloth to make sure it's absolutely clean. At this point, you also have the option of going over the area with a lint free cloth and rubbing alcohol as a final inspection, but I didn't and it turned out fine)
6) next is painting. make sure you have a good horizontal angle at the pieces that are to be painted, as paint cans usually don't take well to being fired downwards or at vertical angles. Also make sure that you have full access to all parts that need to be painted on each particular piece (ie, don't lay a sideskirt out flat with the bottom resting on the newspaper, it's better to prop it up with some tiny boxes or small objects so that it's layoung out vertically and you have painting access to the whole thing at once)
7) First comes the adhesive promotor...shake it up well for about 2 minutes and then start spraying in clean, even swiping motions. Remember, uniformity is key. Don't leave your hand at one spot for more than a second, or the paint will run and drip and really mess things up. Very light but uniform coats is optimal. Put on about 3 good coats of adhesive promotor until every single centimeter of the area to be painted looks covered
Follow the instructions on the can for drying time (some usually take only 10-30 minutes before they're ready to have paint applied)
8) start painting in very even, sweeping motions, just like you applied the adhesive promotor. Remember, small light coats is better than thick, heavy, runny coats. Let it dry about 10 minutes between each coat, and try and do this in a very clean and dust free environment (making sure to wear a mask and step out and get some fresh air periodically) Apply about 4 or more coats, or as many coats as desired until you inspect the area and make sure it's completely and uniformly covered in paint. Let paint dry according to can instructions (typically about an hour or so before you apply the clearcoat)
9) Apply clearcoat. Be very careful with clearcoat as well...as you don't want to have blobs or get runs in the paint underneath, so spray in quick, even, sweeping motions. Apply about 3 or 4 coats of clearcoat, or as many as you want to attain the desired amount of glossiness. Let the pieces dry for about 24 hours before handling
That's pretty much about it. Some people may wetsand between each paint layer, but I didn't. Just always make sure to never get fingerprints or any oils on the surface while painting/priming, or else you'll get uneven spots and the paint will not stick as well
As for the removal of certain pieces, to get the sideskirts off, (please bare with me, I did this almost 2 years ago) you must jack the car up and remove all the plastic screws holding in the skirts underneath the car. Be careful, as these screws tend to get 'stuck' or stripped easily. If it doesn't seem like it wants to unthread, try doing it at different pressures or speeds. Sometimes I had to either unscrew them fast or slow in order to coerce them out of the holes. Then take out all the screw retainers (keep all the pieces in a plastic bag so you don't lose anything)
Next is the tricky part. I believe (I can't exactly remember) to take out the sideskirts you must first pull the sideskirt out towards you than pull it out towards the back of the vehicle. It's held in by some very stubborn big white clips, and several of mine broke in the process. I'm still not sure how to totally remove the sideskirt without breaking any clips. If you break too many, it's time to go to your local junkyard or honda dealership to get some new ones. Be patient...it'll take some elbow grease and patience to take out the sideskirts...and it can be frustrating.
And since our rear lip is actually part of the bumper, I did it while it was still attached to the car. So I very very very carefully masked off the barrier between the actual bumper and the lip with some automotive tape (or duct tape). This is crucial, as you want to get the least amount of overspray as you can. Try and mask the border off as straight as possible. Then just cover up the entire bumper with several layers of newspaper, being careful not to scratch up your paint in the process. Mask off and newspaper your tires and wheels too just to be safe. Then follow the same procedures and carefully wetsand/prime/paint/clear your rear bumper.
Also, remember to be very careful when washing these areas when you wash your car. I'd suggest cleaning them with a soft sponge instead of a mit, as sometimes a mit can be a bit abrasive and tend to scratch or take off some of the clearcoat. Also, don't wax these painted areas and just clean then with regular soap and water. Sometimes wax/polish, if not pure, can permanently marr and cloud these painted surfaces.
If anyone else has done this, please feel free to add your methods/techniques, as again; I'm rusty with my memory and this may not be 100 percent. But basically this is the gist of the whole process. Good luck and happy painting!
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