Cleaning Engine Cover and Wheels
 

I want to paint my engine cover but some guys say that they sand the engine cover down and im wondering what the exact process you guys use is?
Also I am adding pinstripes around the wheels and it says to clean with alcohol, now I know it doesnt to take out a 6 pack and pour it over your wheels but what should I use? Should I sand it too? lol

Engine cover, I know you have a V6 so I cant speak for the exact texture, but sanding is up to you on textured (rough) parts, and is recommended for smooth already painted parts. The point of sanding is to give the paint a rougher surface for it to adhere to.

If you are painting an already painted part of your engine cover, go ahead and sand it lightly, you dont need to remove all the paint, just scuff it up. Heres a picture or two of my engine cover, you can see when it was taped off, that I masked off the rough black areas, sanded the silver parts lightly, painted the silver parts red, then clear coated the entire thing. http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=223456

As for pinstriping the wheels, clean with soap and water first, the clean the area the vinyl will be applied to with alcohol and a rag/lint free cloth, or even a paper towel as long as it doesnt leave lint. Here is the DIy for pinstriping wheels: http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showth...18#post4937918

Alcohol removes grease, oil, contaminates that might prevent the vinyl from sticking. Also, its easy enough to do that you do not need to do the "wet method" where you wet the wheel with water to allow the vinyl to slide around, you are better off just getting it on there dry.

Actually, you're the inspiration for the pin striping, by alcohol what do you mean?

Seriously? Dude, use rubbing alchohol.

Please don't tell me your thinking of wasting some good jd or southern comfort? Use some rubbing alcohol.

Glad I could help and be inspiring!

But use rubbing alcohol/isopropyl alcohol, same thing. Get it from walgreens or walmart, etc.

Its great for cleaning becuase it removes everything, even moisture, and evaporates without leaving any residue, but still celan with alcohol, then go back with a clean cloth after and make sure nothing is there.

All to make sure the vinyl adheres properly and stays that way

Looks gd bro. In your opinion does the orange pinstripes match the inferno orange.

Thanks! Getting the pinstripes on was a quick job?

I think so, to tell you the truth, the tire wheel isnt right up against your paint, and you have the whole tire and gap in between that, so when some one is looking, they wont be able to compare the colors that closely.

You know, if there was an orange on the grass near your car, you would prolly say thats the same color. But sit the orange on your hood and theres a difference.

I have CRT (also metallic), the vinyl only matches one hue of CRT cause CRT and IOM change in diff light, etc, but still looks great all the time.

If it looks close on the computer and off the car, then itll most propbably look great on the car. I know people who put victroy red stripes on their wheels on an IOM and it came out looking orange lol. Its very subtle.

Either way, its only like 7-9 bucks

Yeah, the first wheel took a little longer, but after you clean them, striping takes like 20 mins, I did all the tops of all the rims, then rolled the car forward and did the other half.

Thanks for the help and it is a cheap alternative then powder coating.

Very true, and I had vinyl last on my calipers (tons of heat) and hold up for 5 years on my 4th gen, still looked great when I sold it.

I think they will hold up for a long time, and a lot easier to deal with nicking a stripe than nicking the powdercoat