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2G Center Tail light painting?

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Karmah

Proven Member
109
1
Feb 10, 2015
Hazel Park, Michigan
So I've read a lot of threads about painting the center tail light, but does anyone know a place to get paint matched paint cheaper than paintscratch's $25 for an 8oz aerosol can? Also, does the tail light need to be primed/sanded? Grit #?
 
I bought paint match from autozone I think it was around $8.00 I just wet sanded it and paint it. Although I will say that with the can I did not receive the best results
 
I bought paint match from autozone I think it was around $8.00 I just wet sanded it and paint it. Although I will say that with the can I did not receive the best results
Did you just guess which looked the most like your paint color? My car is black, but it'd be hard to make sure it's the right shade.
 
On my 2g in the passenger side firewall their is a sticker with the paint code of your vehicle. Mine was R87. I searched it up online and found out autozone had it. Look up your paint code!
 
Search for an automotive paint store in your area (try this one: http://www.johnsonmichigan.com/automotive_coatings/ ). They will be able to mix up a quart or even a spray can to match that color. Although this color requires clear on the car you would be just fine getting single stage (clear is mixed in with the paint basically) paint for that tail light.

A proper way to paint a plastic piece would be to sand it smooth using up to 400 grit paper. Wash the surface, dry it, and wipe it down with wax and grease remover. Spray the surface with plastic adhesion promoter. Spray primer on the surface, although not necessary on such a small part it would help to smooth out the surface and give a nice base for color to adhere to. Sand primer with up to 600 grit sand paper. Wipe off all of the dust and degrease the surface. Spray two layers of color, let it cure, and sand with 1000 or above grit paper. Buff it and you're done. This way is time consuming and expensive, but yields best results. Just sanding the surface with 600, adhesion promoting it, and spraying color would also work. Just depends on what you want in the end.
 
If it's black, it's black. All blacks match. There is not color matching to straight black paint. Only color that is like this.
 
If it's black, it's black. All blacks match. There is not color matching to straight black paint. Only color that is like this.

You couldn't be more wrong. There's actually quite a lot of blacks out there with different degrees of tints and hues.

As for the OP, check for a local automotive paint store in your area such as sherwin williams or ppg. They can mix you up a a color matching paint in a standard size aerosol for about $20

Put your zip code in and check, but from your general area, looks like you have quite a few close by
https://www.sherwin-automotive.com/refinish/stores-where-to-buy/store-locator/
 
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Then it would not be black. There is only one black & all black match black. Check out at Pantone Color Institute.
 
Yes, pure black can only be black but thats not how it works. I worked in the automotive collision repair industry. No car out there is 100% pure black nor any other color. They're all tinted and colored differently just as every other color out there. Car manufactures have their own custom color blends. Just like red can be a darker or lighter shade, but still categorized as red. The same goes for all colors not to mention the different variances between brands.

That's why your statement about color being only one shade is completely wrong.
 
What I did for my 300zx sideskirts.. was go into autozone, with a piece of cardboard and told the little hunny behind the counter im gonna take these cans outside for a second and be right back. She said okay! So I went out and sprayed a small line of about 9 white paint cans onto the cardboard that I had sprayed with primer before I left home. I let them dry for a minute and held up the cardboard to my paint on the car and matched it perfectly that way!
 
^ What Dsmkauai said. I wrap cars at our shop for a living and it almost always turns out looking awesome when you wrap individual parts. Sometimes much better than paint would have especially rattle can.
 
I just worked my way up from 400 grit sanding the middle piece. You can use nightshade and just paint all 3 like I did just make sure to do a light first tack coat.
 
I'm in the process of doing mine on my black 2g I'll post a picture when it's finished
 
all honesty with my old 2G i didnt even sand it down... and i did my own thing to it to make it stand out,,, just primer it find the color you want and then clear coat that shtt bro
 

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