Valence - Paint - Delimma

[Erakad]

I've got the bumper and valence off while I do some minor front end work.

The valence looks like crap. First, it's covered with an almost plastic like coating...black, but it's cut, torn, etc...and dull! I look at all of the pictures and it should be shiny. Do you think I could just sand it, prime it, and put a couple coats of glossy black on it (basically spray paint)? I can't imagine it could look any worse than it already does...but being an auto body novice...is that kind of thing done? Not looking for perfection since I know it will just get chipped the first time I drive it....but still, it's hard to look at a shiny car with a dull valence.

OBTW, the same coating is on the rocker panels.

[RoninLB]

strip the whole thing
use black primer
use a flex additive or Imron paint

[cicsprog]

Just had mine redone - $225.00. Looks brand new. No more rock chips and dullness...well until I turn the key on anyway.

Jason
88 911 CAB

[dean]

If you use Wurth Stone guard undercoating then paint it, it will look factory

[aigel]

You don't want it smooth. You want the factory ripple finish. I'd try to touch it up leaving that underbody finish intact. E.g. try steel wool and fine sand paper to roughen it. Clean it well, prime and paint. Don't use spray paint. Go to your local auto paint store and have them mix you the correct matching paint. Then have them sell you a prevol (sp?) sprayer. It is a spray can containing the gas that you then screw on top of a glass bottle with your custom mixed paint. Works great for small areas and saves you the investment of a compressor / paint gun.

George

[Harlan Chinn]

The front valance is usually the same color finish as the rest of the car. Maintain the factory dimply rubbery resilient coating under the factory paint. Get some scotch brite scouring pads at the automotive body paint dealer to scuff up the surface before repainting.

[Erakad]

Thanks all,

Sounds like I'm on the right track...sand, prime and paint. My wife bought me the little sprayer a coupel years ago...but I've never tried it out. Guess it's time. I'll post a pict if we have a winner, otherwise....

[coolbreeze]

take it to a couple auto body shops and offer the slimy looking guy behind the counter $100.00, cash. the cash part is the most important element, see that fits in shop managers pocket. if you remove it and take it there he its an easy hanging item to paint. i had new rock gaurd (the texture stuff you speak of), and painted fo $100, a hundred cash.

mine was even done in a day. the slimy guy did not want the owner of the shop seeing his side dealing, so he wanted it gone pronto.

[walt]

I had mine retextured and painted for about $100.00. Just shop around, you don't need a high end body shop to do it.