Can’t believe this actually worked.

Did you sand the stock ones before painting?

 

Well done! I’ve had those 3 products in mind for some time too. Thinking of doing my bumper caps once my vinyl wrap starts getting worse.

Inspiring, up close can you see inconsistencies in the finish? I’m concerned caps are larger areas that’ll be more noticeable.

 

This is what’s I have been wondering. I worry about durability. I typically regard using a spray can of paint on the exterior of the vehicle as temporary- as in it won’t stand up to the elements the way actual urethane automotive paint sprayed from a gun and then clear coated will. Also, the chrome has to be blasted or sanded for the primer to adhere, making the change irreversible. How well the primer adheres will be critical to the survival of the paint.

If I were going to tackle it, I would sand the bumper ends, use a self etching primer compatible with the duplicolor, then a compatible clear. Finally, I would apply the 3M clear chip guard as far up the bumper ends as possible without being an eyesore. (The same/similar stuff that is applied to our beds and rocker panels from the factory)

After using retail and custom mixed spray cans to do restoration work on steering columns, steering wheels, seat frames, and engine tins, I am pretty sure I could get a great final appearance, it’s the durability that concerns me.

 

Think I’ll just bite the bullet and get my body guy to do it, durability is an important factor for caps.

 

Good job!!!

 

Very nice, been wanting to do mirrors. But the red is expensive to have a shop do it. Might have to try this.

 

Looks perfect. Wonder if a 2 part automotive clear would work with this paint. I have some and a spray gun at home. Should protect better. I’d buy some 040 super white auto paint but it’s over 100$ a gal online. Maybe I’ll try this on my bumper caps and grill pieces

 

Nicely done, Spraying metallic through a rattle can is always a roll of the dice.lol you did good

 

I tried that same paint process with the same products on my Spyder DRL panels in the front but my clear coat still came out flat, no gloss. Wonder what I did wrong?

 

See posts 15, and 25. Apparently the OP did a comparison test, sanding one end cap, and not sanding an end cap. He couldn't tell that sanding made any difference in the application, and skipped sanding after the test. The real test of the coating system will be in durability. Door handles will see a lot of wear and tear, scratches, etc...it will be a good test for the system and the OP promises to update as time passes.

Application to the bumper ends will be a different kind of duty. Less wear from rubbing, more exposure to road grit, debris and chipping. The clear will have to be really hard to stand up to that.

 

Since these products are compatible with each other, your clear should be glossy unless you applied it too dry. You have to apply enough material that it flows out before drying, eliminating MOST orange peel.

Another cause is attempting to spray the coating in a hot garage, in the middle of the day, on the hottest day in the middle of the summer...it will dry before it can flow out. In the worst case of this, the material is actually almost dry before it contacts the part. Professional products use reducers that are adjusted for the ambient temperature.

Edit: Your experience is exactly what makes good results with a rattle can very difficult to achieve. In attempting to get gloss, you can apply TOO MUCH material resulting in runs or sags. Then you have to correct with nib files, or if extreme, strip, prep and try again. With rattle cans, you can not adjust the reducer to help with the ambient temperature.

 

Was the color match good enough to do touch ups on the body?

 

A really helpful tip i picked up a while back when spraying clear from a rattle can was to use 2 can at the same time.

You kinda lock your thumbs together and then you keep the 2 can pointing at the contact area and spray like normal.

Clear doesnt like to be applied in multiple light coats. Not that you cant get good results that way, but its not ideal.

The best results from clear come from riding the limit a tad less than the amount that will cause it to run/sag. Thats what makes an auto painter good. How well he can lay on the clear.

Theres a vid on youtube that does a good job of showing how to do it. Ill see if i can find it.

 

I went slow enough with the clear coat until it was about to run, and looked shiny, but it still dried to a matte finish, and the temperature here in Texas was about 70 that day.

 

At 70 deg, conditions for spraying should have been near optimum. If the clear was glossy after application, it should have dried that way, with or without runs. There are only two reasons I can think of why it wouldn't: (1) the clear was a product incompatible with the base coat, or (2) it was a clear product that was supposed to flatten to a matte or satin finish when dry.

 

Well, humidity is a possibility in Texas. In deep east Texas it sure is. Thats just a guess though.

Some rattle can clear coats you can recoat and the solvents in it will re-wet (for lack of a better term) the previous coat and clear it up. Normally that window is really short.

Heres that vid about spraying clear i mentioned.
If you decide to give it another go then you might like this way.
https://youtu.be/TfNq8DEbT60

 

*applause* i never would have guessed they had been painted!

 

I will have to check the can closer when I get home. I may have to take a scotch brite pad to it again and then hit it.

 

I tested the system on two of the small end caps. I sanded one and the not the other. No difference at all in finish or adhesion.

 

Mine was a little flat too when finished. I just waited 48 hours and then polished with a foam pad and a light cut polish. I used Meguiar’s ultimate polish.

 

I would recommend trying a light cut polish first.

 

Sequoia painted door handles are a direct swap

 

Outstanding work! Let me know how it holds up. That is next on my modification list with plasti dipping the badges

 

Dang that looks great for spray can! Body matched handles are the way to go!!!

 

the balance tires in the van??

 

Looks amazing! You’ve inspired me to do this to mine.

What grit did you use?

 

I'm going to try the Dupli-Color Megnetic Gray Metallic on my door handles, as well as some pocket fender flares. HOWEVER, for clear coat, and I cannot recommend this enough: Eastwood 2k Urethane "Aerospray". It comes in a spray can with a puncture button on the bottom of the can that is used to puncture an internal chamber wall and causes the two parts (clear paint; 2k activator/hardener) to mix inside the can. Let me tell you, I have used this product on several different projects (car parts; carbon fiber bicycle frames; pc cases) and it is awesome!!!! It gives a beautiful glossy finish (assuming you choose gloss although they have matte as well) and it is extremely hard (protective). It's about $25.00 a can. I'll post a thread about how mine turned out as soon as it is done.

 

Thank you for sharing this how to. Painted my handles today, came out really good. I just wish that I had washed my truck before I started, was just too excited to have color match handles!

 

Update: It’s been 6 months and many times through the car wash and they still look like the day I installed them.
I also used the same paint on the AJT Designs vent rings, cup holder trim, and key fob. I did the key fob to give the paint a real torture test. Let’s see how it holds up to clanking against my other keys.

 

I used about twice as much clear coat as recommended (total of 7 coats) to get it shiny.