DIY: Painting polyurethane front lip
 

Things you'll need:
1. Wet/dry sandpaper various grits (I got an assortment pack 220, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 grit)
2. Filler/Sandable primer (1 can)
3. Oem color of your car from automotivetouchup.com/ paintscratch.com/ scratchwizard etc. 1 can (I got 29Y TiGray)
4. Clear coat (1 can)
5. Time
and a few beers :beer05:

Basically I've had this replica Poly lip for over a year I got for free from a friend. Its been sitting in my garage for quite some time and I decided to paint it myself since my investment in it was minimal :D:
I originally didn't plan on making a writeup so pics of each step are limited.

First step was wet sanding. I started with 220 on the bare poly just to scuff the surface and give the primer better adhesion. After wetsanding, washing and letting it dry. I wiped the lip down with a clean rag and some rubbing alcohol. I then started priming.
I laid down 4 coats of primer giving about 10 minutes of flash time in between coats (where the beers come in). The key is to get the spray even. I started with light coats and sprayed the last 2 a little thicker. Spraying about 8-12 inches from the lip I used a 50% overlap on each pass
Attachment 195409
Even coats of primer.
Attachment 195410

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I then let the primer dry overnight, the can says 1 hour until its completely dry. I waited overnight for good measure. After drying I wetsanded with 600 grit for good adhesion.
Wiped with a clean rag and rubbing alcohol. I started laying the basecoat. 3 coats giving about 10 min flash time in between :beer05:. Each coat should be tacky but not completely dry before spraying another coat for good adhesion.
Attachment 195412

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After all 3 coats of base I gave about 30 minutes of dry time and started spraying clear.
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I used Krylon fusion for plastic after reading reviews I came to the conclusion it would be perfect for my purpose. See update
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2-3 coats. You can go a little thicker on the clear, just make sure it doesn't run.
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Again 10 minute flash time in between coats.
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Ideally you want to leave it to dry overnight, and after a few day of curing you can wetsand the clear with either 1500 or 2000 grit and the buff with compound. I have yet to decide if I wanna take off the lip again to wetsand and buff since the imperfections in the paint are minimally noticeable and I'm fine with them.
Attachment 195418
Overall if you prep well and get all even coats you should have a perfect match. :icon_tup:

UPDATE: This paint job lasted almost 2 years before I repainted, mainly because there was severe chipping. It was a clear coat issue. Make sure you use 2K Urethane clear coat when you paint it. Urethane clear coat is much more durable and UV resistant rather than the cheap acrylics and enamels.

I've recently repainted the lip.. Same process but instead of the cheap auto parts store clear coat I managed to get SprayMax 2K clear coat in a can along with the can on 29y Titanium grey from automotivetouchup.com, its about $19 a can for the clear from them, not cheap but cheaper than most places. It stands to hard flexing and rock chips and is much more resistant than the cheaper clears.

Attachment 288815

Make sure you WEAR A MASK WHEN YOU SPRAY 2K URETHANE. It is very toxic and can leave build up in your lungs, that will never go away. But common sense says you should always wear a mask when spraying anything.

Don't really have any up close pics but I will soon. This is everything painted with the 2k clear and rattle can. Lip, skirts, eyelids, and side markers.

Attachment 288816

i did this back when i had my m3 and even tho the paint looks great now. the tone is slightly off after wet sanding and polishing it will shine more and look just like the rest of the car

but good job looks great

Yeah the wet sand and buff after clear really makes a big difference and helps in blending the tones. I figure ill do it when I have access to a buffer. Might have to borrow one. For now the lip matches really well so im happy with the backyard paintjob lol.

the krylon fusion does have flex agents in it but the problem is the primer, which doesn't have any. so with this method i would avoid the primer and go straight to a flex agent/adhesion promoter instead of the primer or skip that step altogether.

I thought about using adhesion promoter then primer, but felt like it would have been too thick on the lip with all those coats and would chip. Which is why I wet sanded the bare polyurethane surface with 220 before priming, to scuff the smooth surface and get good adhesion.
Primer sprayed over and stuck like a charm. So far the lip has plenty of flex to it still.

Good job man! And thanks also, I never I could get Velocity Red in a spray can, but that junk is $51 a can!...phew...

On that lip.. Seriously you should have... Also best to let it sweat for a few HOT days... That lip I have painted a few times has a shit ton of oils in it from the manufacturing process... letting it sit in the sun a couple of times and cleaning it with both dish soap and alcohol a few times Then doing everything you did AFTER spraying it with a good adhesion promoter like Bull Dog that worked well for me... But It could start to bubble on you or chip very easy.. haha mine is the same color as yours as well..

I believe I said it in my last post.. I omitted the adhesion promoter because I wet sanded the bare polyurethane with 220 to scuff the smooth surface. After wet sanding I washed the entire lip with dish soap (to cut grease or oils) and wiped it down with rubbing alcohol. Then primed. So far It's been about a week. Both the driveways at my workplace and home are quite steep and give the lip some flex while pulling in and exiting.. No paint chips or cracks so far. I don't feel I have any issues with adhesion, or feel the need to worry about it too much. The coats of primer are on quite thick and wetsanded before applying the base coat. I'm not worried about peeling or chipping, unless its from road debris.

It should be good... I did the same steps as you.. It last for about a month before I saw any issues.. However Other parts last about 6 months before any issues.. However It could happen still. Good Luck.. I did not use an AP I did this time and its been good so far for about a month. So good luck.. Im in CA so im not sure if that will affect anything But this are the issues I have had with this lip so far.

Yu can get velocity red in a can by going to Napa's auto parts if there is one in your neck of the woods. They take your vin and make up a can , around $20.00, pricy ...but if that's your goal that's how.

SERIOUS?!?!?! Yeah there is one in my town, guess I'll go check it out, in a spray can? Thanks...

Can I substitute "smoke one" instead of beer:) lol, I don't drink any more but it is legal to smoke one ummmmm.