Ok, I have started a new project. Gotta love paint. I am slowly removing most of the chrome off of my X. I really like the monochromatic look. Today was spent painting the chrome piece above the license plate. Soon I will be pulling off the rear bumper and doing the two chrome pieces on the corners and the piece at the bottom of the bumper. I think once it is all done, it will look really sharp. Right now it looks OK. Better than stock, but I can see a lot of potential.

Let me know what you think. By the way, I left the "JAGUAR" on the trim piece I painted. I think that is something that really makes that piece stand out. For those that are interested, those are not letters applied over the piece. I masked off the "JAGUAR" that was imbedded into the plastic.

Chris "Thermo" Coleman


[IMG]local://upfiles/4028/A0C12F0D9BFF46F2B0604774FA03B43B.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/4028/A32B9DABAEBD4EE394CE9DE998D81A3E.jpg[/IMG]

 

Looks good..I personally like the bling on the green..I guess to each his own..I have the same color so I felt inclined to comment...Car is a little dirty though..and one more thing, It's always wise to hide your tag numbers..I guess some A-hole can do something with your Identity I hear..

 

Looks Good! Now just get rid of the rest of the chrome and you'll be golden I've expressed my hate for chrome trim on X-Types ever since I've been on these forums. It just doesn't look good to me. That was the primary reason for me buying an X-Type Sport.

 

Awesome! I love the look of the chrome JAGUARletters on the boot trim. I had been trying to figure a way to do that on mine. Thanks for the idea.

 

No doubt Bo..I think we could trust mosteveryone of us here..there are jerks though, that just lurk and get email addreses and stuff like that from the unsuspecting member here...Being in law enforcemnet, I can tell you one thing...if there is a way to blood suck someone, that way is being used...I first hand do not understand iteither..but 99.9% of the time, you see them blocked out on the internet.

 

queenmb, I used of all things Elmer's White Glue. You pour the glue into the recess, use a toothpick to spread the glue around to the areas that you don't want painted and then add enough glue to mound up the glue pretty good. The mounding needs to be done so as the glue dries and it shrinks, you are left with a thick enough layer of glue that you can dig into it to start lifting the glue and it is thick enough that it isn't going to rip on you, making the removal process that much harder. Of note, remove the glue while the paint is still wet. This will prevent the paint from "ripping" in the wrong spots, exposing the desired painted areas.

If you need more info on this, let me know. I have been using the glue trick for many, many years.

Chris "Thermo" Coleman

 

I saw how to use the Elmer's "glue mask" trick in theback of Car Craft Magazine in
1995 I think. It works well.

Chris

 

Looks great! What did you do to prep the chrome for paint?

 

Rudy, I covered the chrome wiht some stuff called "adhesion promotor". It is along the lines of etching primer. The benefit of this stuff is that it allows the paint to "float" on top and allows it to flex some with the part vice being a solid part of the piece. Helps with plastic parts from the paint cracking as easily. I have some other stuff that I will be using on the bumpers that is an etching primer to help minimize the chance of rock chips. I had to use the adhesion promoter as it is clear. That is what allowed me to keep the "JAGUAR" on the rear piece. The adhesion promoter is what you would need if you are trying to get rid of the yellowing/white fog from the headlights. A coat of the adhesion promoter and a coat of clear and you are good to go.

Chris "Thermo" Coleman

 

Not only are you very smart, your X is going to look very cool. I've got a platinum Sport but have been toying with the idea of painting the lower rear valance (where the sensors are) as it should look better than the greying plastic. Would the same prep work apply if it's previously been treated with Armorall or something similar?

 

morhd, if you have Armorall'ed the piece, then you will need to get something like acetone, paint thinner, etc to wipe the piece down. This will strip all the greasy residue that may be left over from protectant products. Acetone/paint thinner/etc can be picked up at any hardware store. Once the part is wiped down, then it can be painted like any other part.

If you live near Norfolk VA, stop on by. I have all the tools necessary to paint a part like you have. It would take about 24 hours to paint the piece. All you would need to bring is a pint jar of paint the same color as your car. I have everything else.

Another thing to consider is sanding the plastic down. it is a matter of whether you want the plastic texture to show through or not. By sanding the plastic down, that will also remove the protectant.

Chris "Thermo" Coleman

 

[sm=thanx.gif]Thanks sooo much thermo. Im going to follow your instructions. Im going to do the boot trim and the sensor piece. Its going to take me a while. Sincemy X is a sport model,Im going to get the chrome trunk trim from a salvage yard or this guy whos parting out his X if he still has that piece. Im so excited.[sm=wootwoot.gif][sm=happy046.gif]

 

something i was kinda thinkin about was finding some small leds and filling in the letters in an acryilic to seal it and let the light out. but now that i saw one painted i think that combining the 2 might be kinda slick.