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Since we are not getting a white top this year, Any thoughts on just painting the MIC top and fender flares white? Trying to recreate the look of my 68
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Been talked about. A lot.
Check the search function.
It is possible, but the grain of the top can pose some adhesion issues.
It is the same grain as many aftermarket motorcycle speaker pods. Those are notorious for getting paint to stick to them to withstand bug impacts.
Once a tiny fracture starts, the wind and rain and power washing finishes it off.
Adhesion promoter goes a long way to helping this.
There are specialty primers that also help.
It isn't easy nor cheap to do.
I've painted and Raptor lined many Jeep tops, but can tell you from seeing it in person, the grain and texture of these is quite different.
Check the search function.
It is possible, but the grain of the top can pose some adhesion issues.
It is the same grain as many aftermarket motorcycle speaker pods. Those are notorious for getting paint to stick to them to withstand bug impacts.
Once a tiny fracture starts, the wind and rain and power washing finishes it off.
Adhesion promoter goes a long way to helping this.
There are specialty primers that also help.
It isn't easy nor cheap to do.
I've painted and Raptor lined many Jeep tops, but can tell you from seeing it in person, the grain and texture of these is quite different.
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I'm all for it and am sure it's possible and will be figured out once they start hitting the streets. Difference in MIC is that it isn't smooth like the mod top or even like your metal top, it's grained like the Jeep tops.
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Very nice 68. Love the color. Also nice to see a fellow Tarheel in the group.Since we are not getting a white top this year, Any thoughts on just painting the MIC top and fender flares white? Trying to recreate the look of my 68
Nothing a little bondo and lots of sanding can't help fix ?
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This stuff sticks, and if you dont like it or mess up; peel it off.
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By the way, Plasti-Dip makes what they claim is a Wimbledon White, the main Bronco white color from the 60s and 70s.
Performix 11312 Wimbeldon White Classic Muscle, 11 oz (The Original Plasti Dip)
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Would any of you do the premium Line-X on them? I feel like that would hold up...
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Personally, after a lot of research, I wouldn't do the Line-X or the Raptor liner paint. They are hard to clean, and white would just be a bad idea for it altogether, which is the color I want.
I think I would sand down a lot of the texture with a dual action orbital sander, then rub in some sanding paste with a sanding pad, clean it all up with prep degreaser, spray on about three coats of plastic adhesion promoter, prime it several times (with a flexible surfacer/filler like SEM, PlastiKote, or U-Pol), sand it smooth, maybe hit it with an automotive primer sealer, paint on the basecoat with Wimbledon White, clear coat it, and buff it. It will cost quite a bit in paint, but should be cheaper than having it painted and with more care taken. I just wish I had an experienced friend who had a shop and all the tools to make it go faster.
I may do the grill white first to practice, since that is smaller, smoother, and more cheaply replaced.
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Post a pic of the grille when you do! I would love to see how it turns out
You may also need to run a heat gun or torch over the bare plastic. The chemicals they use to seperate the plastic from the molds can impregnate the plastic and bleed out over time if not basically boiled out, bubbling the paint. Sometimes it's not an issue. We'll find out if that will be a problem after the first few people do this.
I used to work at a custom paint shop and I'm going to be doing this. It's not difficult work, but it is a lot of work.
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Would you personally use a heat gun to do this? How long does it take, and how will you know if it's working? What do you need to do after it's heated? Is there some special cleaning involved after the heating process?
Personally, I would use a torch because it's faster. But if you do it yourself I would recommend a heat gun if you have no experience with this type of surface prep. Slowly move the heat gun around, hitting an area for around 10-15 seconds before moving on. The plastic needs to be hot, but obviously not hot enough to deform it. It may begin to look wet, or it may not, if it looks wet then that spot is done, get away from it and wipe it down pretty quickly. All you're doing is speeding up a process that will happen naturally so if you're nervous about it just take it slow. I use PPG DX330 as a cleaning solution, I wipe everything down just before painting. Use it before you spray each step and just let it dry naturally. It's like a super alcohol so be well ventilated... I've gotten pretty dizzy using it lol
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