DIY - ENGINE COVER PAINTED

[SSE 4 2SS]

Originally Posted by TJ91

Ive found the dupliclor high heat paint to spray rough sometimes no matter how good your form is. I used the clear and it came out dusty too. I noticed the op had the rough surface i was talking about, did the wet sanding smooth it out completey?
btw nice job guys, the engine covers here all look unique and great!

There is no need to use high heat paint, but yes, wet sanding it with progressively finer paper will smooth it out. (I have seen lots of post where people were also worried about the paint cracking due to flexing of the cover. It is not a concern for me. I've never seen it happen on a properly sanded and painted cover. The paint is pretty flexible even when dry and the covers do not flex that much...) 1500 grit wet/dry paper should be the last grit used. As the op stated, sand as much as possible in one direction and preferrably in the direction you applied the paint coats. The final step I used is buffing it out with a foam buffer head on my drill. A dremel buffer is too small and often too fast, (burns the paint and leaves spider web marks) for anything other then down in the gaps and the oil filler hole. I actually used a headlight restoration buffer head. 3M makes a headlight restoration kit with a foam buffer that I used on my wifes car headlight. Works great... After the final wet sanding, there should be no shiny areas, you will still have a smokey look to the finish. Buff it out and you'll say dammmmmmnnnnnnnn... Use light pressure when buffing as you do not want to burn the paint, and try to keep the compound fairly wet, (add more compound as you need it, but use it sparingly... I put it on the buffer pad and lightly spread it around the piece to buff without spinning the buffer head. After it is on the areas I want to buff out, I then start the buffer spinning at around 1000 rpm and AGAIN< using light pressure, buff all applicable areas. Use caution on shoulders and ridges as these are the areas where it is easiest to burn through the paint. Buff a little and then allow it to dry to a haze, and then wipe it with a lint free cloth, I use micro-fiber towels, (more on this in a minute) and look at the results. you can always buff more, but you can't put the burned paint back on, so go slowly... it isn't hard... it just takes a little time.

If during the sanding or buffing stage, you rub through any painted areas, clean it real good and apply more paint. If you used clear coats, remember to apply the clear over the re-painted areas so the finish will blend. After all the work is finished, remove the tape. Use caution when removing the tape. Try to peel up an edge and then work it down the the strip of tape by sliding the pulled up portion along the part still taped down... you don't want to pull it off at a 90 degree angle... stay close to the work...This will cut the edge rather than trying to pull it up... Think of tearing paper with a straight edge as a guide rather than randomly tearing it up in the air...

Micro-fiber towels... I have these in various colors. Blue, general usage and can be washed with other items. Green, for oily work. I wash these in a bucket by themselves and lay them out to dry. Yellow... these are my paint work towels. My wife will wash them by themselves and they are never mixed with anything else. This way, I know they are not contaminated with sand, dirt, or any other kind of grit. When I am wiping a piece off, I use them two or three times max and then get a clean one... frustration comes from screwing up a project right as it is nearing completion. Call me anal... been there done that... I keep a laundry bag hanging in my shop for the various colors and when one is full, I take care of it...

I have about 50 of the yellow towels, and mixed amounts of the other colors...

[SSRSLY]

Originally Posted by TJ91

Ive found the dupliclor high heat paint to spray rough sometimes no matter how good your form is. I used the clear and it came out dusty too. I noticed the op had the rough surface i was talking about, did the wet sanding smooth it out completey?
btw nice job guys, the engine covers here all look unique and great!

How was the weather? Temperature and humidity play a HUGE role on the finish quality of a paint job.

[Iwantone2]

You guy's are beasts!!!

[corvette_dad]

i agree it's all about the prep work, they all look really good. keep up the insperation.

[SWHCPA]

Originally Posted by SSE 4 2SS

Here is the cover I customized based on views of a few other covers and some inspiration from Camaro5...

I used dupli-color regular paint. After prepping it (cutting out the top with a dremel, and filing it smooth, cleaning and taping and sanding) I painted base coats and then wet sanded it with 800 grit and then heavier color coats and then sanded it again. I then sanded it with 1500 grit wet-dry, and then sprayed it with clear coat. I sanded that with 1500 wet and then applied another coat of clear. I wet sanded that and then buffed the whole thing out with ultra fine buffing compound. It actually has a very deep color appearance...After all else was done, I got some # 8 stainless cap washers and screws and fitted them in the holes running down the center on each side...I used some screen material from Home Depot, gutter screen used to keep leaves out of the gutters, and cut it to fit and then used JB weld to install them...

OK - how much $$$ and beer do I need to throw at you to get you to do this for my V-6 cover? That is absolutely righteous. Superior job~!!!

[Trailbreaker77]

Ok, which color matches the rally yellow of my car. I am all over this.

[sixty9fordkiller]

Originally Posted by camaro104

Mine came out cool.....

looks hot. i like!

[RoqDoc]

This is what I did early last June. Opted for the black lettering versus the silver. But, both look outstanding.

[strobi]

I had the body shop at my Chevy dealer paint mine (engine cover) and the 4 trim rings on my LS steel wheels I'll be using with snow tires. Painted same color as my car (cyber gray)...total cost $208 took them 2 hours..... no muss no fuss!

[wer2foxs]

Originally Posted by Trailbreaker77

Ok, which color matches the rally yellow of my car. I am all over this.

I ordered the Rally Yellow from Dupli color. Find the color code in the trunk on a name plate and go to the dupli color website and order it. Here is my creation. Post # 63
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showth...t=58701&page=3

[Trailbreaker77]

Originally Posted by wer2foxs

I ordered the Rally Yellow from Dupli color. Find the color code in the trunk on a name plate and go to the dupli color website and order it. Here is my creation. Post # 63
http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showth...t=58701&page=3

Thanks for the help and your cover looks great!

[Bonemaro]

well i know what i'm doing this spring. Great job guys!

[GrimmyBlaze]

Hey guys how are you doing?
So I want to work on a project for my friend's camaro engine cover.. :

I want to put this hood on
http://www.phastekperformance.com/20...od-400111x.htm

And so I want the engine to have the "dark knight" batman sign
with it just lighting up on the center of the hood.

how complicated would that be? if there is anybody that can do such a thing , my friend is more than ready to pay up $$ lol

Anybody got any thoughts/feedback?

[CINDER02]

Here is mine, I am not very artistic, but I love how it came out with a little flare