MmSadda

iTrader: (2)

I have a s5 turbo spoiler that I'm contemplating putting on my car. However, it came off a white car, and mine is grey, so I obviously will need to repaint it. Some of the original paint is chipped off in large portions. So, I think I will need to strip the rest of the paint off. What is the best way to do this? I want to do something to get it off without any unneccessary hassle, but without a risk of damaging the spoiler. Some parts of the spoiler are already down to bare material, so I want to avoid using stuff that could damage the basic material of the spoiler.

SpeedOfLife

iTrader: (16)

I have essentially zero experience painting, but wouldn't it be ok to simply sand flat the edges where the chips are, fill just a little, then repaint over the old paint? I guess you'd want to sand the whole thing at least some anyway to make sure all loose paint is gone, but otherwise I don't foresee a problem.

Here's a grain of salt to go along with that bit of advice...

MmSadda

iTrader: (2)

It's not a question of a few chips; half the spoiler has paint, half doesn't. Those parts are very much intermingled. Half of the spoiler is already bare, and I would like to get the other half that way. Thanks, though

cptpain

iTrader: (1)

what material is the wing made of?

82transam

iTrader: (18)

I've found that the foam/plastic/rubber (whatever the hell that material is) doesn't like any kind of powered sander, it digs in way too easy. There are chemical strippers that are made for plastic bumpers, that seemed to work pretty good. They sell it in a spray can at Wal-Mart. That got most of the paint off, then I used some fairly fine wet sandpaper to get the rest off and scuff the surface for primer.
When you at the paint store getting your color made get some adhesion promoter, the stuff made for flexible bumpers and dust the part with it first, and mix it into your paint to keep the paint from chipping off in the future.
Thats my advice, I'm interested to see what others have done...

MmSadda

iTrader: (2)

I have NO idea; that's part of why I'm asking. It feels rubbery, to be honest.

MmSadda

iTrader: (2)

82transam, thank you! I think you're on the right track, and plan to try that, unless someone else posts something to the contrary.

NCross

iTrader: (18)

dont use stripper on plastic or rubber. it will destroy it. buy some heavy grit sand paper and go to town. (220 gritt)

82transam

iTrader: (18)

They have special paint stripper made for plastic bumpers, seemed to work fine without eating the material.
I agree 220 grit sounds about right, anything lower than that will tear it apart..

gear_grinder

iTrader: (4)

i am a certifide body repair tech im Michigan, and i have a s5 rubber spoiler like your talking about.

the best thing to do is get a s4 fiberglass one, but if your intent on keeping this one you should sand it down with 300 grit sand paper (yes it will take a while) be carful no to sit in one spot and sand away the spoiler itself, just keep moving around and watch what ure sanding (a palm sander or equivilat will make this go alot faster, just finger sand the edges, corners, and crevaces when your done with the power tool).

then you need to go to a auto parts store that deals with paint and ask them for some Flexible filler primer/serfacer and some solvent cleaner (more comonly know as "super clean" or "ultra clean"). use the solven to wipe down the spoiler but do not let i soak in or evaporate off, whipe it off imeditly after aplication

now get 2 or 3 bomb cans of the flex primer and aply a light first coat, and then a medum second coat. sand that out with 400grit paper by hand being carful not to take too much primer off, then aply another coat and sand with 600, continue this prosess untill prime coat is satisfactory YOU MUST HAVE FLEXPRIMER, NORMAL PRIMER WILL FLAKE OFF!

now you must also ask the parts store if they have any flexible paint options, auto paint is very expesnive and touchy to a untraind painter, i would at least seak advice from a friendly painter in the area. I suggest 2 stage paint, this will give you the best overal final product. first after you get the paint code, go buy some paint and other reducers/hardners and clear coat, AND figure out how to mix it corectly. prepare a test panel.

to make a test panel take a standed size sheat of primed metal and mask it off into 5 equal segemts with one bare to start. aply paint to test panel covering the unmasked section evenly. then remove on section of masking tape. then paint the previous section and the freshly unmasked one. contune with this untill all the sections are unmaksed and then spray with clear coat. this will determine how many coats of paint are on your vehical for a perfect match.

now that you have some practice on the test panel and know how many coats, prepare the spoiler in a well ventilated room. go over it again with the cleaner being sure to dry imenditly after aplication. after that is done aply base or color coat to the underside by first hiting the edges and crevaces of the spoiler. then let flash off for the recomend time of the paint, then aply the next coat untill you reach the determined "coatage" of the car then flip the spoiler over and making sure to set it on unpainted base sections. the same is for the top side.

after the base is aplyed aply the first coat of clear to the UNDERSIDE! of the spoiler. after the frist coat has flashed aply as many coats untill a satisfatory level of clear is reached (usualy 2-3 coats). then after it has flashed and dryed for a little while so it can be handeld (tacky), carfuly flip over not letting the clearcoat that had been aplyed to touch anything. then aply in the same manner to the top of the spoiler

now to sand and buff. it is improtant to let the clear dry completly befor you sand or buff. DO NOT APLY WAX OR POLISHES TO A FRESH PAINT JOB! wait at least 48hrs befor sanding on fresh clear coat, sand the runs if any with 1500 grit sand paper (this is painfuly slow) and the rest with 3000grit sandpaper. then you need two types of buffing compound, one coarse and one fine. start with the coarse aplying genirously to the area to be buffed, have the buffer speed no more than 700rpm, DO NOT BUFF WITH A FAST SPEED more buffer speed will just fubar all of your hard work and we dont want that. after done buffing the entire spoiler with coarse stuff, clean your buffer and grab the fine stuff. aply this very sparingly, only a pea sized drop for a foot square area. the idea is to buff slow and dry with the fine compound, were as it was slow and wet with the coarse compound.

after you are done with this wash off and enjoy!

PS: do not aply waxes, polishes, etc... untill after 1 month (30days) after the final buff job. if you do exaping fuems will become traped agains the shell of the waxes and polishes and make the paint job look "Foggy".

82transam

iTrader: (18)

The S4 spoiler is fiberglass?
Nice writeup btw, good information!

gear_grinder

iTrader: (4)

yeah, i kindof impressed my self, lol. make into a sticky??? anywho, this goes the same for all plastic/composit flexible parts (IE bumper covers (the part you see), side skirts, side moldings, etc....) bumpers and spoilers are the things that move the most going down the road so they need the flexing agents to protect them, side skirts and moldings dont move nearly as much so you can paint them with out it, but if you want to do it right you should put good flex stuff on them anyway.

mazda.rx7.man

Isnt there some air plane stuff that people on here used on bumpers and what not? I cant remember what it was called... someone does hopefully.

YaNi

iTrader: (2)

DO NOT use aircraft paint remover on the bumper. If your going to chemically strip it, find a product that is safe on urethane/fiberglass.

mazda.rx7.man

Well then what was that guy using it on? I could've sworn it was his bumper... but maybe I've mixed something up.

MmSadda

iTrader: (2)

Gear Grinder, thank you very much! That's exactly what I was looking for, from a single source, in a clear and concise manner. I appreciate you taking the time to make such a write-up for me. Mods, someone should add that post to a sticky, or archives, or something.

micah

I used 180grit until plastic showed a little in the high areas... smoothed it out, then primered with a surfacing primer, sealer, color, clear.

gear_grinder

iTrader: (4)

O i forgot, when you sand the primer and the Clear Coat, you need to "wet sand". thats were you have a bucket of Soapy water and you dunk your sand paper into it then sand. This makes a big mess, but it keeps the sand paper from getting cloged with mud and dust from the primer or clear.

ericgrau

iTrader: (1)

+1 to what gear_grinder said, except if you're not a pro I wouldn't do anything by machine. Even if you do flat surfaces only like he recommends. It's just too easy to dig too deep. Likewise I've read that you should have a shop buff your clearcoat. It's too easy to mess up with a machine (unless you have experience) and perhaps too slow to do it by hand. And if you use rattle can paint instead of a paint gun it will run or blotch. It'll blotch even if you apply a thin coat. The "mist" (more like spittle) sucks. That might ruin the clearcoat almost beyond repair. Then again if you apply enough coats you might still be able to sand it smooth without removing it all, I dunno. I'd practice on a small piece of plastic first.

But props to him. I recently turned down a spoiler someone was selling because I wasn't sure how to safely strip the paint off, etc. I knew that power tools and chemicals don't work (w/o damage), but I wasn't sure what did work. Now next time I get the opportunity I can take it.