Painting the bottom plastic trim

I love a Riv in red! Very very sharp!

I love how it's not covered in goofy doo-dads too

I would sand the plastic smooth so it's easier to clean wax off.

It looks pretty slick there in red!

When i get the money for paint work I'm going to find out how much extra to do the trim in the body color. I like it a lot now that I've seen a few.
Will be after all engine mods are done though.

it would probably be cheaper to paint the trim since it is less to mask off. lot of cars that get cheap-o paint jobs have the trim painted whether they want it or not. (ex- old explorers with the plastic fenders)

Anyways, here is my rear bumper sanded smooth and clear coated. i never have to apply back to black again! (at least not on the rear)
The front lip should have come painted factory IMO. Not sure if it would look right with only the front painted, but i like having the dark gray lower trim on the side and back.

Matt I guess every color is different because that looks great on white i would do the same if my car was white

Matt did you spray color or just clear i can tell from pic's

Are you guys spraying at home or getting it done?

i had mine done when i got the rear bumper repainted after a lady rear ended me.

And to clarify, it has no color added to it, just clear.

maybe it's just my OCD level, but i have yet to see a home paint job look good. hell, even finding a good paint shop is hard. i know i'll be asking around a long time before i settle with someone i trust in repainting my car.

i feel the same way about a paint job...it just seems like such a difficult task that the only way u can get a good one is if you pay double what anyone else wants. being worth it, of course

There was a Summit catalog a ways back that featured a Mustang with lots of home-painted parts. The guy built a tiny painting booth in his bathroom and did everything one piece at a time.

I had my skirts painted on my old riv. I think the front and rear pieces were normal. Now seeing this effect I can't wait to do this with my new project; constantly on hold. See my old pics of the racera to get a feel for it in green.

Welcome back andy...havent seen u in MONTHS

I've been watching from the rafters.

I can't wait to git er done. I'm having a hard time finding a painter with a satisfaction guaranty. I could go with a hobyist but I want it right.

And it's got to be done for under $1000. Otherwise its not worth it to me.

$10k paintjobs are nice but I remember I bought the car for $1,300.

if someone plans to do it then defendly use on special plastic primer 1st.
normal primer/paint will fleck off in time.

after the plastic is done whti plastic primer you can paint it ower whit normal primer.

Personally I like the charcoal rocker panels & air dams. More to the point, the original owner of my car got hit in the left rear and they had to fill it and paint it... but they didn't sand the rest of it smooth. If it isn't prepped properly, it's gonna' start flaking off. (So I'm replacing the bumper cover soon.)

On a related subject, do any of you guys have the front air dam tearing at the 'seam' with the bumper, at each side of the lower air opening??

Eldo wrote:

On a related subject, do any of you guys have the front air dam tearing at the 'seam' with the bumper, at each side of the lower air opening??

Yes, very common. These are available new from monsterpartsonline.com for about 50.00 shipped. I bought one a while ago, I'll dig out the part number for you.
if we are talking about the same part.
The part I'm referring to is what i like to call the Curb Feeler or chin spoiler.

Rickw wrote:

Eldo wrote:

On a related subject, do any of you guys have the front air dam tearing at the 'seam' with the bumper, at each side of the lower air opening??

Yes, very common. These are available new from monsterpartsonline.com for about 50.00 shipped. I bought one a while ago, I'll dig out the part number for you.
if we are talking about the same part.
The part I'm referring to is what i like to call the Curb Feeler or chin spoiler.

Actually, I think you're talking about the part that clips to the bottom and scrapes on every parking chock or curb that you approach... I got a spare one of those from the dealer for less than $30.

I'm referring to the textured charcoal part of the bumper cover that matches the rest of the rocker panels and forms the lower half of the "mouth" below the bumper. On mine, it is starting to separate from the rest of the cover on the bottom side of the bumper...

AA wrote:

Wasn't the moon roof an option, for early years anyway?

Actually it was an option on EVERY year!

Rickw wrote:

Sunroof was an option on all years. Except the 99 Silver Arrow, then it was standard equipment.

It’s listed on the sticker of my Silver Arrow as an option also.

mine dos not even have that air dam down there...guess the last owner lost it on winter whit high snow or something....

Eldo wrote:

I'm referring to the textured charcoal part of the bumper cover that matches the rest of the rocker panels and forms the lower half of the "mouth" below the bumper. On mine, it is starting to separate from the rest of the cover on the bottom side of the bumper...

Yeh, I was talking about the $30.00 piece. After looking at invoices that's what i paid for it. I just remember it being cheaper than I expected.
Anyway, I have not heard of anybody having the cracking problem in the part you describe.

99Rivman wrote:

Mr.Riviera wrote:

i had mine done when i got the rear bumper repainted after a lady rear ended me.

And to clarify, it has no color added to it, just clear.

maybe it's just my OCD level, but i have yet to see a home paint job look good. hell, even finding a good paint shop is hard. i know i'll be asking around a long time before i settle with someone i trust in repainting my car.

I did the apron of mine at home, using spray bombs, and I think it turned out pretty good?

yea, but you have paint skills, i've seen the progress on the 95. You are the one exception Randall.

Randall did you have the factory color mixed in a spray can to the job or did you just find something close?

Rickw wrote:

Randall did you have the factory color mixed in a spray can to the job or did you just find something close?

Short story long …
There were two shades of trim listed for ’95 only, ’96-’99 had only one. My brother who is actually the painter, I did some of it myself, remembered the body shop he used to work at, which did put out the best paint jobs in the area, used the SEM paint for the trim.
So, the answer is … I used SEM paint made for that application that was a VERY close shade to what was there.