I did a search and really didnt find any useful info so I thought Id ask.

I want to paint the plastic pieces in my engine compartment,but Im not quite sure how to go about doing this.Can someone steer me in the right direction??

 

Well you want the plastic pieces painted? Your best bet would be to get them painted at a shop...they would have to be cleaned..sanded and cleaned again, if you want them nice and smooth. A spray paint would work but it would come out sort of lousy and would probably start peeling.

 

Yeah I would like to paint them all.Im not sure I want to go to that expensive of a route.I thought if I could do it myself I would.I dont want it to look crappy though.So I guess I wont be doing this.

 

I painted all mine pearl white with clear coat... cost me about $200 for everything. If you wanna get it done then get it done right... have a shop do it and make sure you tell them to clear coat them once they're painted... otherwise the paint will peel off after a while.

 

well if you took the time to sand it throughly and finely enough and clean it very well with the right cleaners you could use a high temp spray paint and a clear coat and make it look pretty damn decent.. i do body work for a living... if you need more info feel free to pm me or im me on aim

 

maxxxfreak your engine bay looks sweet

 

use primer, sand it smooth, add 2 or 3 coats of high temp paint. i used caliper paint and finally add 2 to 3 coats of clear coat.

 

Thanks bro... it does get attention when I go to mechanic shops LOL. my mechanic always wears gloves before he touches anything becuz he's afraid he might get it dirty. I always just bust out laughing at him for that

 

You're tellin him how to do it when you don't even have yours done LMAO

 

shut up freak. ima do it soon.

 

Then wat the hell you waitin for... Pep Boys and Home Depo are open sucka... get to it.

 

lol. i will soon.

 

Damn MaxxFreak,that your Max is sweet!!!The engine pieces look amazing!!

What part of SD are you in?? Im in the San Diego area as well.

So it sounds to me like this is a job best left for the professionals.

 

im just afraid to do too much to my max...got 118000 miles...dono when ill randomly go to the dealership again and get another car (aka 7th gen) this happened last time i had just did some nice stuff and wiring to the inside of my 2k2..and a week later ended up buying my 2k4..somehow.....:/

 

Do you have some pics?? Are you happy with it?

 

LOL!! Nevermind I must have missed the others posts.Maybe if you get it done soon you can post some pics.

 

I'm glad to come across another SD Max owner... so far I met 2 other SD people on CarDomain.com... and now you . I'm in Clairemont... off 805 and balboa ave.

you should start comin to our Nissan local meets every other week... and sometimes every week. It'd be cool if we can get the SD Maxima people to do a mini meet... just hang out or eat out or something... take pics etc. Where you at in SD?

 

I got mine done for $50 total, my guy from nissan did it for me~!

 

Materials: $25 to $40
1) 1 Can Red Opulence spray paint [to match the color of my car, you may use a different brand spray paint, I see Krylon has a spray for plastics called "Fusion" thats very good. and I believe primer is not needed]
2) 1 can spray primer [I used red primer, but black would be ok, or grey if your painting it a light color]
3) 1 Can spray clearcoat
4) 1 tack cloth
5) 400 or 600 wet sandpaper [I had this plus I used fine steel wool]
all of the above was purchased from the link below
http://www.automotivetouchup.com/spray_paint.asp

1) After removing the cover I removed the Nissan hamburger & the silver top center section [these are very easy to remove] and masked off the "V6 3.5"
2) A light sanding was next, followed by a cleaning [hosed off] & wipe down with the tack cloth
3) 1st primer coat, let dry
4) very light sanding, [I used fine steel wool] then a cleaning & wipe down with tack cloth
5) 2nd primer coat, let dry
6) repeat step 4
7) 3 color coats, 15 to 25 mins between coats, let dry over 24 hours, do not sand color coats
8) 2 clearcoats, let dry 24 hours,
9) Remove masking tape & reinstall Nissan burger & silver section
10) Reinstall engine cover, pat self on back
__________________

 

Here are simple steps to get the look you want.

1) Wash the parts with mild soap (car wash soap). No mit or sponge. Use your hand.

2) Go to Autozone or any automotive paint supply shop and buy a paint prep cleaner ($5-$10) and spay on piece being painted. Wipe clean with microfiber cloth or any lint free cloth.

3) Time to sand. Get a cup and add 2-3 drops of soap and cold water. Make sure you also buy 400, 600, 800 grit sand paper. Start with the 400 grit sand paper and dip it in the cup of water with soap. Make sure its nice and wet.

4) Sand the entire area in a back and forth motion. Make sure you keep the paper wet. Once you're done sanding with 400 grit move on to the 600 and finish off with the 800 grit. This will pre the surface and leave it smooth.

5) Buy some high temp primer and add a coat. Try to add light coats to have a smooth finish. Let it dry and wet sand with 1500-2000 grit paper. Make sure you dont remove any primer. You are only sanding to keep a smooth finish for the base coat. If you see that you removed some primer, just spray some more. When you sand make sure you clean the area before you add another coat of primer. Wash the area with soap by hand and let air dry. Once dry use a tach cloth to go over the piece.

6) Once you are satisfied with your primer the next step is to add the paint. Buy any spray paint and add light coats. Once fully covered let it dry.

7) Once its dry move you're hand accross the surface and see if its smooth. If its not you can wet sand with 2000 grit. Make sure you sand without adding preassure on the paper.

8) The last step is to add clear coat.

If done right it will look clean.

I'm currently working on my plastic pieces as well, but I'm using a compressor and gun. I went to a body shop and bought PPG paint that matches my car and clear coat. If you are interested in knowing how to go this route hit me up and I will be more than happy to show you how.

 

very nice work

 

i went the same route as machinist when i painted my stuff red. but i used fusion

 

you can get very good results doing it yourself. its a nice feeling too knowing and seeing your work and the finished product. but if you're unsure of yourself, go to a body shop.

 

WOW!!Those are a couple of great write ups,thanks guys.

But,what about the clear coat?Can it handle the engine heat?

 

I live in Temecula,but I work in Vista.I spend my fair share of time in SD.Its not called "Americas Finest City" for nothing!!

 

get dupli color automotive clear, it can handle the heat

 

That is why you will use high heat primer. Automotive clear coat will handle the heat as well

 

Good to know you're in SD a lot. The last Tuesday of every month they do a meet up in your area.. Murietta. That started last month. Hopefully you'll be able to make it to our local meets here in SD... not only Maxi's, but everything Nissan and Mazda.

 

Surface preparation is key, the best results may cost more (body shop) but should last longer!!!

 

WOW!! Chern yours is awesome.If you dont mind me asking how much does something like that cost??

 

Custom one of a kind engine cover signed by the artist $600-800+

All other engine covers with proper prep and paint, $200

 

OUCH!! Beautiful,but OUCH!!

 

My main engine cover is a one of a kind so kind of exclude that price, everything else from a decent body shop for a professional look that will last is about $200-$250.

 

I painted mine with textured paint for plastic, I wanted a flat basic look and it turned out fine. I laos used the same paint on my interiors pieces. I cleaned them up, lightly sanded them and then sprayed them. Those have been fine but I have nticved the parts outside the car I painted (grill/roof strips) tend to chip easily. Need to clear coat them soon...

Here's the a shot of the interior:

 

Very nice "J"!! I think your Max is probably my favorite on this site.Very well done.

 

Well thank you sir!