Rear Reflector Refinishing Experiment
 

I had removed my reflector about a month or so back because it needed a slight repair. I also wanted to play around with different ideas to delete the reflector. The first was (using the "R" mesh grille material) did not do the trick like I thought. I have another mesh type idea I am still trying to get right. In the meantime, I was lucky enough to get an old reflector that was in need of even more repair to use for soem experimentation. I want to do a couple of things with this. First, I am playing around with a black out treatment. Second, I am trying to figure out how to get a "factory" refinish.

I started off media blasting the rear of the reflector (most of it anyway) with a very light abrasive. Being so light, it took a little while, but it came out pretty good I thought. Here is a pic of blasted reflector:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1201847295.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1201847330.jpg

Here is the backside of the stripped reflector...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1201847377.jpg

Next I taped it off to separate different areas for the experiment. I started off painting 2/3's with gloss black. The other 1/3 was actually divided into halves. One half was original finish. The other sixth was blasted and then painted with a Krylon chrome paint. Here are some pics of what it looks like so far from the front. The Krylon chrome did not work exactly right as far as a "factory" finish. I think I need a couple more light coats of the black.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1201847658.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1201847708.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1201847746.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1201847829.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1201847875.jpg

The pictures do not show things quite right. I will try to get some better ones. The next thing I am doing is cleaning the black off the lettering on the blackout side. I will then spray a silver on the back of the whole things so that the lettering will be more red on the blacked out background. At least that is what I want it to look like. I guess we will see... stay tuned.

better pics
 

here is a better pic. the area around the C is the area that was stripped and painted with chrome. you can see here is shows darker than the factory finish...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1201849665.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1201849701.jpg

I like your socks Shane...

Uh, if I understand you correctly, I think your experiment may be flawed. I don't think the white portion that you refer to as the factory finish is actually the factory finish at all. I think the white back was an attempt by the PO to get a factory like finish, and appears to have been pretty sucessful. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks Syl... I like my socks too...

That white you see is actually a light grey, which I think is the factory finish, at least from the back side. Please correct me if I am wrong... It looks identical to what is on the back of the one off my 83. I was trying the silver type paint first, as I had read on some similar thread that that is what the factory used followed by the grey. After seeing what the silver paint did on mine, I am starting to think that the grey may be the only thing on the factory finish. Does anyone know for sure if there was some sort of reflectrive silver painted on first?

Shane,

You are right. Those reflectors have a silver/chrome layer, then are backed up by light grey. I tried refinishing mine about a year ago with chrome paint, but was unhappy with the results. I think that a lot of the reflectivity of the reflector comes from having the "pyrimids" in the red plastic that make up the reflector being very smooth. It is hard to get the old paint off without affecting the smoothnes of the red plastic, and due to its shape, impossible to get back again. Whatever the reason was, the results were not acceptable to me.

Mike

The actual reflective finish is what Porsche used for the first coating on the backside of the lens, then it had the grey looking top coat applied. The prismatic surface, along with the reflective coating, made the lens into a reflector. I read had somewhere, I can't find the document at this time, that the coating for black letters, was applied before any other type of coatings were applied. I have seen some lens panels that people had cleaned the center area, where the letters are, with a harsh cleanser, and the panel lost all of its reflective abilities, except where the reflectors are on each end. Good luck!! Tony.
ps. socks OK!!

Shane,

Can you try spraying a section of the reflector with white paint, to see if it gives a finished appearance any brighter than the chrome paint? I personally couldn't care less if my reflectors actually reflect light; I'm more interested in an appearance close to the stock color value.

JR

Thanks JR. I was planning on trying that actually, but I am looking into a reflective type paint. A friend that is big into hunting, says they sell some sort of reflective white paint to mark trails with. I may see if it is an enamel based iof I can find some. I like the way the blacout is starting to look. I need to hurry up on this restoration part of the experiment so I can get to what I am really after.

If anyone else has a bright (geeze, another pun) idea, please post. Now is the time to try it out.

I am just happy to see that I am not the only one who works out of the kitchen!!

I tried the same thing a few months ago, not so detailed but basically i removed any paint that was flaking and brushed the black with an enamel then resprayed the silver with a mag wheel enamel paint. It looks .....ok..kinda.....I am hoping that you have better luck!!!
Subscribed!!

i just was wondering if you knew you had a creepy dude peeping in your patio door window.... :D

V8 ranch I am intrested in how you srtipped the paint off the back and am watching this intently to possibly do the same with mine.

Yeah I better start putting the dogs out again!:eek:

I used a VERY light abrasive. So light in fact that it takes some work to get the coating off the reflector. I can find out exactly what it is, but honestly, I just explained the sitch to our machinist out at work and he told me to use what was in the blast cabinet. I think it is a glass bead, but I will post it next week.

Honestly, it is kind of the lesser of evils kind of a thing. I could not think of any way to remove the old finish with out affecting the surface of the prism cut on the inside of the reflector. I do not how much this is actually going to affect the relfection overall. I am sure it must to some degree, but as someone else stated earlier, it might be fairly insignificant. I chose the blasting route as the easiest method of removal.

I was thinking today about maybe trying to use some of the headlight polish (from the kits that are supposed to clean up fogged lenses). Honestly though, I am not sure about paint adhesion afterwards though. I know wax is a no-no. What about this plastic headlight polish stuff, anyone know?

Overall, I think good-to-nice results can be had doing this. Depending on my paint trials this weekend, a perfect match may be impossible (to factory finish), so if it is something someone wants to do, I would probably only recommend it as an all or nothing deal so far.

I am going to try the alternative paints tomorrow to see if I can get something closer. I will let you know how it goes. Then it will be time to media blast once again and do the blackout treatment on the whole thing, to see what it looks like on the car.

I hope you figure this out. I've been on Ebay and here looking for another black letter to play with. Mine is Ok but it won't last forever.

Why not just buy a red letter one (still available), sand off the paint on the back of the letters only, then paint the letters black?

Great point. Does anyone have a damaged red letter/ghost to experiment on?

For sale.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1202319531.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1202319552.jpg

Make offer.