going in for paint question...

[shigitySxSe]

Im finally taking my car in for paint in about 2 weeks. I have a white 92 coupe. My friends uncle has done body work and paint for 35 years, and is only charging me 900 to take care of all my dents, pop on a couple new fenders, and paint the whole car. I've searched through the pics forever but was wondering if anyone has any pictures for comparison or thoughts about painting the mirrors white or leaving them black. The same goes for the mudflaps that i have, but really i think painting that plasticy material wouldnt really last long...although i've seen some and it looks pretty good. My goal is to have a pignose lip, oem sides or something non-fiberass, rear valances, and maybe bomex or kouki wing. Although i cant find any pictures that come close to this...help maybe?

*Leave these pieces alone or paint white along with the rest of the car?

*Also i was told 3 coats of clear and three coats of paint?

thanks for any thoughts, advice....
(And if you have 180, oem skirts or s13 silvia skirts please let me know because i need some asap!!)

[yurisfriendevan]

3 coats of paint and 3 coats of clear is fine, most shops only do 2 coats of clear to help save on costs, 3 coats will give you a little more material to work with in case the car needs a color sand and buff afterwards.

i like when s13 mirrors are painted to match the car it gives it a not so cheap i cant afford to paint my mirrors look. but i like s13 mirrors even more when the outer section that houses the mirror is painted to match the car and the part that mounts to the car is black. looks soo sexy to me.

as for the mud flaps, leave them black. white will probably flake off and they will always be dirty.

[SidewayZ-s14]

Paint the mirrors the same color as the car.
And as far as the mudflaps go, leave those black. Seems if you were to paint those, it would seem like a maaco paint job.

[derek_s13]

if you paint the mirrors the same as the car (which you should as soon as possible) you should also paint the a-pillar

kouki 180s came like this, as well as silvias. paint da bitss

[shigitySxSe]

I think i am painting mirrors and a pillars white like the car. I thought of painting the rear mud flaps because i saw someone else that did and it looked pretty good actually. but they would be hard to keep in good shape and not chip....

[Teknolust72]

I would say NO to painting the pillars, I think it makes it look like cheap....

[kuruptR]

how is that cheap? nissan did it on the kouki 180sx because it looked better.

[shigitySxSe]

i know its not hard to just imagine... but anyone have a pic of each that we can compare? I've seen it and personally thought it looked pretty good...

[s13dan]

I think coupes look good with painted mirrors, but nothing else. As for a hatch i wouldnt paint anything to match. I like the black mirrors and pillars.

[CrimsonRockett]

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/FinishedSilvia.jpg

Did that on photoshop a while back.

I think it looks great with the mirrors/trim painted.

[Leo-kun]

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii246/CrimsonRockett/FinishedSilvia.jpg

Did that on photoshop a while back.

I think it looks great with the mirrors/trim painted.


....my god that is beautiful!

Do you think you have time to photoshop in a K's aero front bumper?

[shigitySxSe]

Anyone have any thoughts about putting like a red or blue flake in with the white paint. I think it's like sweet but cant find many pics. I'll keep looking but what do you guys think or know about adding something in with white...

[silpena]

i wouldnt put a real big flake in the paint. I would put a small metallic mica. It wont overpower the base paint and ruin its depth. You can put put a flake but its going to look cheesy. Its starting to sound like you want a white pearl instead....

[g6civcx]

I have 2 thoughts for you:

1. Since you're getting cheap bodywork any way, I would milk it as much as I can. Put together as many good combos as possible.

2. The problem with custom stuff is that they're hard to match later.


For example, if you painted your mirrors, and your mirrors got broken, it's not as simple as getting another mirror from the junkyard and putting it on (unless you like mismatched colours).

Same goes for the car and paint chips and special colours. Once the car starts aging, it will be very difficult to match for scratches and dents.


If you don't care then just pick whatever random stuff you want. If you care, I would recommend staying with a factory colour scheme for easy touchup later.


If you have an all you can eat buffet at the bodywork, I would do #1. Can you hook me up?

[shigitySxSe]

I'm really trying to get my silvia sides and rear before it goes in so that i can do it all at once and make the most of this. I think im going to stay away from flakes or anything major at least, and stick with the aspen white pearl or maybe just the q11. but i will find out tomorrow when i talk to him. I want to get rid of the black stripe, and have him paint the mirrors and a pillar white too. Now im starting to debate if i should take my stock spoiler off and clean up the trunk?? so many last mnute thoughts im having...damn.

I can probably hook anyone around the area up for a killer price, if youre near ohio or have a weekend to drop the car off and all. The guy has sweet cars in there right now..old ass dart, couple old mustangs, and couple chargers... He just started his own shop this time last year and stays pretty heavily booked, but is always open for more business. (Mentor, Ohio)

[g6civcx]

Yes, I recommend cleaning up everything you want and doing it all at once.

I would pull off all the body panels, bumper, door handles, bpillar trim panel, window mouldings, trim, etc., everything, so you get a really clean paint line.


I would recommend staying away from flakes as well. They look cool and all, but it's a paint in the ass to try and match the colour later on. Stay with a solid easy to match fleet colour.

[MrFairlady]

I say Paint Pillars:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v703/Mrfairlady/DSC_0034.jpg
old.Looks "Old"
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v703/Mrfairlady/IMG_1485.jpg

[yurisfriendevan]

yes get everything you want done to the car done before you take it into paint.
do the car how you want it done, search for white coupes. pick your favorite and paint it to match. dont feel bad for copying, theres only so much you can do with a car thats been done so many times.

also why does everyone think its so hard to match paint. ive been painting for a few years now and havent had any problem matching paint colors. ive fixed pearls, house of kolours paint jobs, factory jobs, metalics, and micas which are very similar to metalics just much finer.... and its not that hard. i wont give away any secrets but its all about tricking the eye and no touch up is ever the same color... ever... even if it came out of the same can.

[silpena]

true, but hes not the painter and probley wont be able to mtch it himself. Its all skill on matching and knowing your gun. If you get the same paint and system and use the same gun with the exact air pressure and fan pattern then yeah its pretty simple but throwing flakes and stuff without doing the math in mixing makes it hard and costly in the future.

[l8nightjay]

I'm sitting in the same kinda position with my white 93 coup, do I leave the stock rear spoiler or take it off? mirrors black or white...etc. So far after much debating and trying to learn photo shop 9 cs3 or whatever..lol, I personally think that
1. the coupe looks smooth with no rear spoiler, or something small like a instant gentleman lip, match mirrors to paint. pillar is all personal choice
2. stay away from flakes, if they get out of hand your ride could end up looking like a bass boat!j/k, nothing wrong w/ just not my style
3. go with what ever the paint dude will do i.e. multi stage whites with pearls, like the lexus starfire pearl. damn good looking white pearl, and some extra clear for protection. but like everyone mentioned matching colors later will be a bitch, hope ur paint guy is close, and even then age, oxidization, yada yada (technical terms, dont need to understand), will make it that much harder to match.
4. sorry for thread jackin, to much dutch bros and a passion for white coupes..lol
good luck with the paint pro, post up some pics of the work if u can.

[DLo Eric]

all of my trim/mirrors are painted... haha

[g6civcx]

Let's analyse what you said.


why does everyone think its so hard to match paint

I said:

Same goes for the car and paint chips and special colours. Once the car starts aging, it will be very difficult to match for scratches and dents.


I also said:

I would recommend staying away from flakes as well. They look cool and all, but it's a paint in the ass to try and match the colour later on. Stay with a solid easy to match fleet colour.

Based on what I said, some colours are easy to match while others are hard to match.

Based on what you said, all paint is easy to match.

Then you said:

i wont give away any secrets

Question: if it were so easy, why do you need to know the secret to do a good colour match?

[silpena]

lol....busted. The only paint i know that is hard to match is 3 stage, and random custom made paint from different micas/metallics and flakes. LIke i said if u stick to the same paint system and gun and do everything like you did before then blending wont be much of an issue. If u have issues like oxidation then the simple thing i would is to cut n buff the car. Oxidation and hella swirls and scratches, plus all cotaminats(SP!!) can dull out or hide the original paint color and depth.

[ayuaddict]

painted the outer part of my mirrors.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b342/ayuaddict/6e91e5da.jpg

[yurisfriendevan]

Question: if it were so easy, why do you need to know the secret to do a good colour match?[/quote]

Here we go, the secret cost me 2 years of advanced technical training and 3 years of applying it on customer cars. My post didnt start out as a direct attack against you, i was simply asking a question, its been said numerous times on this board an many others that it is hard to match paint. I am trying to disband the common myth that it is "hard to match paint" but since you pulled the trigger fisrt here is my reply:

We (painters) keep secrets so people like you will come to us to repaint what ever you fucked up on your car.

If all the painters in the world were to let out all of their secrets then anyone like g6civcx would spout off random bs and think think they know more than someone who actually does this for a living.
Is it easy to match paint yes. Do you know what you are talking about no. Does a professional who does this for a living know what hes talking about yes. Are you going to quit spouting off crap and infecting posts with nonsense and gibberish spreading the disease known as "g6civcx" to the world i hope so.
I hope you keep this in mind the next time you try to tell a pro you know more about what hes doing that he does.

[QuickSpoolSR]

i think you should paint the mirrors and ditch the mud flaps, lol

[trsilvias13]

No point in having mudflaps when you have sides and rear - paint those pieces to match car.
Regarding the lip - leave the pig nose lip black or paint it black.
Regarding the mirror - paint only the other part of the mirror like ayuaddict suggested.
If you have a cf hood - paint it.

Since it is a coupe, paint the pillar, if hatch, leave it black with black roof.

That is how I would do it.

[exitspeed]

I personally do not like the a pillars painted on hatches. But I am still a fan of black roofs. Black roofs and black a-pillars look stock and clean. This is the particular problem I have with the roof being painted the same color as the car. This doesn't flow very well to me and a black roof blends this lines all together and makes for a smooth clean greenhouse.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v491/exitspeed/roofCrop.jpg

But that's just my opinion.

[shigitySxSe]

Thanks for all the great advice so far, this really helps. I think im going to stay away from the flakes completely though. I'm gonna try to take pics when it goes in and comes out and all... The only other question i have is what peoples thoughts are with the trunk. I would love to fit a kouki s14 wing, on my coupe as soon as i can get one, if i can before it goes in for paint. But if i cant, im wondering if i should just remove my stock spoiler anyway and keep the trunk wingless until i can find the one i want. Any thoughts?

[exitspeed]

Thanks for all the great advice so far, this really helps. I think im going to stay away from the flakes completely though. I'm gonna try to take pics when it goes in and comes out and all... The only other question i have is what peoples thoughts are with the trunk. I would love to fit a kouki s14 wing, on my coupe as soon as i can get one, if i can before it goes in for paint. But if i cant, im wondering if i should just remove my stock spoiler anyway and keep the trunk wingless until i can find the one i want. Any thoughts?

I would say yes, go wingless until you get the S14 wing.

[Addicted2Kouki]

Here we go, the secret cost me 2 years of advanced technical training and 3 years of applying it on customer cars. My post didnt start out as a direct attack against you, i was simply asking a question, its been said numerous times on this board an many others that it is hard to match paint. I am trying to disband the common myth that it is "hard to match paint" but since you pulled the trigger fisrt here is my reply:

We (painters) keep secrets so people like you will come to us to repaint what ever you fucked up on your car.

If all the painters in the world were to let out all of their secrets then anyone like g6civcx would spout off random bs and think think they know more than someone who actually does this for a living.
Is it easy to match paint yes. Do you know what you are talking about no. Does a professional who does this for a living know what hes talking about yes. Are you going to quit spouting off crap and infecting posts with nonsense and gibberish spreading the disease known as "g6civcx" to the world i hope so.
I hope you keep this in mind the next time you try to tell a pro you know more about what hes doing that he does.Coming from also having a background in painting cars...

You gotta understand, people say "its hard to match" because its not as easy as laying down a solid color base.
You can spray it all over, purposely streak it, and all that and you wouldnt be able to tell after you clear.

Metallics are a lil harder because you have to make sure you spread it out.
As long as its a color code paint, its not so hard.

3 stages, as you know can come in so many variations because no one consistently sprays an equal amount of paint every single time.

The worst would be a dark candy color, they are transparent and get darker with more coats.

Now take into account the average person who knows shit about painting.
Now the once easy task, has turned into something hard.




P.S.-I hardly call blending, colormatching, and spraying techniques secrets.

[scottie]

Whatever you decide, please be sure to remove the Nissan vinyl sticker on the pillar. Talk about cheap!! And sadly I've seen body shops paint over them.