Can I paint my valences myself?

Re: Can I paint my valences myself? (turbocharged)

i painted mine myself, 8 months no problems.
lightly sand to scuff them, use a plastic prep, flexible bond.
let it flash the proper amount of time.
use a flexible trim paint mixed in your car color.
clear coat with acrylic clear.
enjoy your cool car. cost about $40 in materials.

Re: Can I paint my valences myself? (turbocharged)

you'd have better luck at the shop... that is IF you don't have the right equipment.
by that I'm saying, you'll need an various grit sandpaper, air compressor, HVLP spray gun, primer, half a quart of color base coat, reducer for the base coat, half quart of clear coat, and activator for the clear coat. Go to a local automotive paint supply store and tell them you need to do this and that, and they'll tell EXACTLY what you need and how much to get the job done.
How do I know? I painted my valences and the bumpers of my old car. Came out great but definately not something you should try for first timers. I mean, my first try sucked but quickly got the hang of it.

Re: Can I paint my valences myself? (c1gti)

you can do it his way too for $40... but I did it the "body shop's" way and what I said above is all the stuff necessary to do it right.

Re: Can I paint my valences myself? (Wakaru)

you can do it many ways, some of you won't feel comfortable with the "$40 way"
some people might do a bad job this way
but i know if you put mine side by side next to a body shop job (i've done this) you won't be able to tell the difference. i've gotten compliments on the job i did from tuning shops, body shops, dealer/mechanics, and other enthusiast.
i not saying don't go to "experts" but i AM actually an expert in paint and pigments...it is part of how i make my living
i have had cars that lasted for years with the "do it yourself" jobs
i would bet that even in 2-3 years you could not tell the difference between my painted valences and a body shops...i would not do a respray of the car this way, but for the valences it's fine.

Re: Can I paint my valences myself? (c1gti)

c1gti I will be needing to paint my front and rear bumpers soon they are both new Rieger peices and Im wondering if it would be cheaper for me to buy the painting stuff and do it myself than take it to my local paint shop and also will I be able to do a good enough job to pleas me. Can you also give me some estimates for both routes?