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paint body trim and bumper caps?

alwaysready

alwaysready

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Wilmington, Illinois
anyone ever try to paint these so they are body color?
i like the looks of the limiteds where everyhting is body color but am thinking the price range and availbity is going to put me in a sport.
the side mouldings even look like they could be stripped off.
but the rear bumper endcaps im not sure if they can be repainted or do i need some off a limited and get them repainted?
the front im going to replace with an offroad bumper and paint it to match..
comparison pics for newbies:
2190199_18_full.jpg


R267-06A.jpg
 
I think the colored trim is harder and less flexable than the black that was used in the 97,98 models. I've peeled mine off a few times and had to put them back on. Friend of mine used herculiner on his TJ flares, works well, just don't brush against them wearing shorts or you will leave skin... They are just as black now as they were 4 years ago..
 
I painted mine. Not to match the body color.....my trim was silver and I had to replace the front bumper, and couldn't find a precise match, so I went ahead and painted all of the silver a slightly different shade of silver. I didn't remove anything from the vehicle, just masked....and I removed the bumper endcaps too.

RearFlex.jpg


I also like it better. I just painted over the rubber molding at the bottom of the doors - it matches the trim now, vs. silver trim and black molding.
 
I too have been wondering this. I also like the streamlined look of the body color moldings. I have been to a couple of body shops that tell me they can paint anything with the right prep work. The only thing they told me was that the textured plastic on there now would cause the paint to be textured in the end. I think he said it would cost about $300 bucks to paint all of my trim (and repaint my bumpers due to rust/rock chips). I know you can buy all four "smooth" endcaps off ebay (aftermarket) for about $150/shipped. (The door trim is much more expensive and harder to find). I guess I would like to know if that is really neccessary. I know the paint will end up being textured if I paint the ones I have on there now, which will be noticeable at close distances, but from more than 5 feet I cant imagine anywould could really tell. (I have a 2001 XJ Sport).

Opinions, thoughts, comments?
 
I have a 99 Classic and it is mono-colored. I replaced the front and rear bumpers and that took care of the issue - the quarterpanels too. So, new steel, much stronger and better looking, and you can paint/coat any color you want.
 
In order to paint these plastic trim pieces, you first need to scuff them (red Scotch-Brite pad p/n 07447 and hot soapy water) then treat them with an adhesion promoter made for plastics. There is even a spray can product called "bulldog" that works well. Once this is done, you can go ahead and paint like you normally would. To get rid of the texture, 3-4 coats of a good primer made for flexible parts should do the trick (w/sand with 400g pefore painting). A body shop supply store should be able to tell you what to use for good results. Also use a flex agent in your paint (depending on what type) if needed. The $300.00 quote from the body shop doesn't sound bad though. If you add up the paint and products to do this right your probably more than half way there not counting your labor...
 
The body shop actually told me he would use an "etching gel," color (he did mention a "plasticizer" additive to the color), and then clear. So, I dont think he is going to do even one coat of primer (he said it wouldnt be necessary with the etching gel). He showed me another piece of plastic he had painted in a similar fashion and it looked just fine, albiet, it wasnt as textured as my caps are. I guess my biggest concern is that the sheen will look wrong. Given that it is textured (as little as it is) it would not produce the same smooth "mirror-like" gloss that the rest of the body is capable of producing and will look out of place.
 
The parts can be painted right over the adhesion promoter unless you want to get rid of the texture. Kind of like when you use primer over body filler to fill sand scratches-same thing. 3-4 coats of flexible primer/surfacer should be more than sufficiant to fill the texture and can than be sanded as smooth as any other body part.
 
bfred is dead on with his approach. I went the same route several years back with my 97 Sport. I did my bumpers, end caps, Bushwackers, door trim, grille, mirrors, rear plate brow & spoiler.
Now it looks much better IMO. :D

dsc00220s.jpg
 
keep in mind for the door moulding you can just remove them. i have seen a few pics on here of people that didnt have the door mouldings and the Xj looked clean that way that was the route i was going to take.
strip the door mouldings replace and repaint a new stel bumper and get the rear pieces painted but i think i would get new ones to get the smoothed look..my .02
but of course now my options have changed now im looking at black on black limited so everyhting is already body color :D
 
get a body shop to do it, or get krylon fusion paint. its made for plastic and it looks pretty good for rattle can when you're done. its pretty strong too, it flexes with the plastic when it takes impacts.
 
There is a difference between smooth body trim and textured trim. The textured trim is the black plastic on the painted body. Obviously they can still be painted, but not as easily as the other trim pieces.
 
I have the opposite dillema...My 2000 XJ has mouldings and bumper end caps painted patriot blue like the body and I wish they were the original black color. No matter how well you paint them, the paint will chip or scrape. Just take a look at newer cars with plastic bumpers...
 
guillermo said:
I have the opposite dillema...My 2000 XJ has mouldings and bumper end caps painted patriot blue like the body and I wish they were the original black color. No matter how well you paint them, the paint will chip or scrape. Just take a look at newer cars with plastic bumpers...
Click to expand...
you could prob trade with someone or buy new black pieces and sell your old ones on eay or here..
you have somehting that is desirable by some. so trade them off.
 
What I mean by chipping or scraping is that when hit, even by another car door at a parking lot, the paint comes off. I also like the way it looks painted body-color but I don't like having to touch-up or re-paint it every so often.
 
thats the price of getting damage. if it was black and they hit it yaeh you wouldnt have to touch it u so much but then when the black ones are hit they turn blue from the plasytic stretching out. seen this on 3 xj's that i looked at. the one i bought need to be touched up on the rear bumper cap so i went to pepboys and got some paint and some clearcoat and just tape that piece off when i get time..
 
guillermo said:
What I mean by chipping or scraping is that when hit, even by another car door at a parking lot, the paint comes off. I also like the way it looks painted body-color but I don't like having to touch-up or re-paint it every so often.
Click to expand...
It won't chip if it's prepped right.
 
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