fbgh2o

I am about to paint my new 968 mirrors. My wife got them for me as a surprise - she rocks!

I do not have ton of experience painting, but have redone a 944 n/a air dam, flag mirror repaints and some bumper touch ups using spray cans. In doing so, I have used high build grey primer so that I can sand it to deal with surface imperfections. In this case, I have very nice new housings and do not need the high build properties.

I do not have any grey primer left, but have a new can of red oxide automotive primer. The base coat will be Dupont Chromabase.

Is there any reason not to use the red oxide?

Also should I sand (1000 grit +) between base coats (or clear coats) to get a better finish?

Many thanks

VOoDOoGTX

roller paint it... im no help to this question but i would love to learn more about painting. (especially since the new garage im putting up has plans for a paint booth, loving the ford dealer that went out of bussiness 5000$ STEAL)

gpr8er

That's a lot of work with probably a not so good outcome. I took mine to Macco and they knocked them out for $60. Mine are black and look great.

Burma Shave

Take them to a decent body shop. 968 mirrors are too expensive to screw up with rattlecans.

xsboost90

the mirrors should be in primer or gelcoat when you get them right? Go to the local auto parts store and see if they have a spray can of Adhesion Promotor - basically a spray on paint adhesive -which they also offer in a can to load into a spray gun but this works just as well on small parts. I used this on numerous things including spraying my taillights and clearing them. Basically you would need to prep the mirrors-clean them- spray them w/ two even coats of adhesion promotor per the instructions- then spray w/ the Chromabase and then clearcoat. Wala. No sanding required. If you do primer them do not use spray can primers.

ehall

See above. It won't cost more than 100 bucks. Take them to a pro.

Tedro951

+1 on BurmaShave

1 Scotchbrite pad from the paint supply store is all you need to "rough up" the surface for adhesion. Unless you already have the paint, reducer, activator, and clearcoat, its probably going to cost about $200 in the smallest quantities you can get. A decent body shop that mixes their own paint will be able to do it with a few ounces of paint and a few ounces of clear for cheap(er).

If you're still set on DIY, make sure the last coat of your Graphite is misted on from a few inches farther away than the first coat or two, to avoid metallic streaking. Go to lunch. When you return, tack the mirrors and put 2 wet coats of clear on per mfr. If the red oxide primer you have is enamel, you'll wish you'd skipped all of this.

vt951

Send them to xsboost, and they'll come out better than the body shop.

fbgh2o

Thanks for the feedback guys.

For those advocating sending them to a body shop, I am curious to know why you feel it is so difficult to get a good finish with a "rattle can" of Chromabase and a clear coat? I am not dismissing you, I just want to know why.

FYI - I have used it to fix a corner of my bumper where the clear cracked and unless I tell you or you are really pro, I doubt that anyone can tell. I have also redone the flag mirrors on a 944 n/a before.

Dan have sent you a PM

Tedro951

Its not difficult to get a good finish with rattlecans. Its difficult to get the same durability. Mirrors seem to attract road debris and I'd want a urethane clearcoat (with activator). I'm not really up to speed with rattle can technology, but a quick search led me to $35 dollar chromabase and $35 dollar clear.

Back to your original post.."should you use the red oxide primer". I wouldn't, unless you've tested some under the chromabase on a piece of scrap. Should you sand between coats? You surely wont get that much texture on a mirror. Maybe on a hood, but not a mirror. Also, if you sand thru the clear and into the metallic base, you'll be starting all over, with film thickness becoming an issue.

Go for it

fbgh2o

Thanks. I am expecting to put three coats of Chromabase and three clear. Both are Dupont, but will check if the clear is a urethane.

fbgh2o

Got the mirrors back from a recommended body shop.

After pricing out the cost of doing it myself (about $80 for primer, base and clear - all in spray cans) versus $125 for a pro to do it... It was a no brainer to go to the body shop.

Colour match is perfect...

Took 8+ hours to assemble and install (futher confirming my ineptitude), but all electrics work and even my wife thinks they look good.

Paseb

nice job fergus,

did you have any problem for removing the glass, i have to do mine soon

fbgh2o

Saw the pics of your car, aren't the mirrors already off?

If you are talking about removing the mirrors from 968 mirrors, I do not know. Mine came new in the box. I have only ever assembed, not disassembled.

ehall

Where did you get your mirrors and how much did they run you?
They look great.