Shadowline trim

[Rory535i]

I just finished doing one side of my car today. I didn't have the money to spend on the original shadowline kit so I decided to paint the existing one myself. I bought a can of etch primer and a can of satin black. I didn't attempt to take the trim off the car so I masked up around it before spraying. I put a few coats of primer on and then a few coats of black. With the heat from the sun the paint dried in no time. I'm very happy with the results and I'll do the other side tomorrow. Very cheap with good results.

I also thought i'd tackle tinting the orange part of my rear lights. I bought a can of tinting spray and a can of acrylic top coat from the local car parts store. I'd read on the board before(thanks to whoever posted it) how to achieve good results so i followed the advice and got what I was after. I applied a few dust coats of the tint(it didn't take much at all and it darkens very quicky), let that dry and then applied the top coat. I'm very happy with the results and i'd recommend it to anyone else who doesn't fancy paying for aftermarket lights at the moment.

Here's a few pics of the two jobs and the results...

http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/820054

[pundit]

Your wheels at first glance look like 'M'-Parallels, but on a second look I think they're something different??

[Rory535i]

Your wheels at first glance look like 'M'-Parallels, but on a second look I think they're something different??

yeah they're style 71's. I've seen them on a few e46's and e39's. They're not too common though so I'm happy with them

[632 Regal]

Looks great! Tape looks easier but that kicks ass!

[Rory535i]

Looks great! Tape looks easier but that kicks ass!

thanks very much. yeah it took a while masking it all up but i wanted to do it properly. I just tinted my side repeaters, turned out very well.

[DueyT]

Rory, very nice job! Motivation for me this summer.

Could you give a bit more info on the primer and paint you used? Thanks

Duey

[Rory535i]

Rory, very nice job! Motivation for me this summer.

Could you give a bit more info on the primer and paint you used? Thanks

Duey

thanks, appreciate the comments. the primer i used is an epoxy based acid etch primer. it is designed to stick to bare metals etc. and it does a good job too! it was about AU$13. The paint i used is a satin black enamel for use on interior and exterior things like cupboards and gates etc. It was about AU$5 It has a finish close to the factory shadowline kits. I can take some close up shots of the results if you're interested.

[DueyT]

Re: closer pics...

Si, si, senor!

Cheers, mate!

Duey

[uscharalph]

I had been thinking about doing this to my car also. This thread has re-peaked my interest.

[talltorontoguy]

I did exactly the same thing with mine about 2 years ago. It has held up very well. The key is to sand first to roughen the surface a little, then use the etching primer and top coat. I found the chrome on the door itself to be the hardest part.