Revitalizing your car’s exterior can be surprisingly straightforward, and painting plastic components is a fantastic way to achieve a fresh, customized look. From side mirror covers to bumper trims, refreshing these plastic elements through painting can make your vehicle appear newer and more stylish, without the extensive work of a full car respray.
If you’re wondering about the process, preparation techniques, and essential materials for painting plastic car parts, this guide provides all the necessary information to help you master automotive paint application on plastic.
Identifying Paintable Plastic Car Parts
Many exterior plastic trims and parts on a car are suitable for painting. However, it’s worth noting that the types of plastic trims can vary across different car makes and models, which might influence paint application methods.
Here are common plastic car parts that are typically paintable:
- Trim pieces along doors and bumpers
- Door handles
- Side mirrors and mirror housings
- Bumpers (plastic sections)
- Wheel covers or hubcaps
- Spoilers and body kits
- Mudguards or splash guards
Essential Items for Painting Plastic Car Components
To ensure a professional-looking paint job on plastic car parts, you’ll need to gather the right equipment and supplies. Here’s a complete list of what you’ll need:
- Sandpaper: A selection of sandpaper grits, from coarse to fine (e.g., 220, 320, 400, 600 grit), is essential for achieving a smooth surface on the plastic.
- Automotive Spray Paint for Plastic: Opt for automotive spray paint specifically designed for plastic. These paints are formulated to adhere properly to plastic surfaces, offering better durability and finish.
- Respirator or Mask: When working with spray paints and primers, especially those containing chemical solvents, wearing a respirator is crucial for safety.
- Plastic Primer or Adhesion Promoter: A primer formulated for plastic is vital. It acts as a bonding layer between the plastic and the paint, significantly improving paint adhesion and longevity.
- Masking Tape: High-quality masking tape, such as Perforated Trim Masking Tape or Flat Orange Precision Masking Tape, is necessary for protecting areas around the plastic part from overspray.
- Clear Lacquer (Clear Coat): Applying a clear lacquer after painting provides a glossy finish and adds extra protection to the paint.
- Microfiber Cloths: Keep several microfiber cloths handy for cleaning, wiping, and polishing the plastic parts.
Preparing Plastic Car Parts for Painting: A Step-by-Step Guide
Proper preparation is the foundation of a successful paint job. For plastic car parts, this involves careful cleaning, sanding, and masking.
The initial step in preparing plastic car parts for painting is ideally to remove them from the vehicle. This approach generally provides the most efficient and thorough way to work on the parts. Detaching plastic trims can usually be done by carefully using a razor blade or a specialized trim removal tool to separate the part from the car body panel. Exercise caution during removal to avoid damaging the underlying surface or breaking the plastic component itself.
If removing the plastic part isn’t feasible, thorough masking of the surrounding car body is essential to protect against paint overspray and ensure a clean finish. For parts with curves, JTAPE Perforated Trim Masking Tape is highly recommended due to its flexible, segmented edge that conforms easily to contours. For straight edges or gentle curves, Lime Precision Masking Tape is excellent for creating sharp, clean lines and preventing paint from reaching unwanted areas. When applying masking tape, it’s crucial to ensure there are no gaps where paint could seep through. Press firmly along the edges of the tape to secure it properly to the car panel.
Next, sanding the plastic surface is crucial to create a key for the primer and paint to adhere to. Begin with a coarser grit sandpaper (like 220 or 320) to lightly roughen the surface, then gradually move to finer grits (like 400 and then 600) to smooth out the scratches from the coarser paper. The goal is to eliminate the factory shine from the plastic, which will enhance the adhesion of the primer and subsequent paint layers, leading to a more durable and lasting finish.
After sanding, it’s important to thoroughly clean the plastic part. Use warm soapy water to remove any sanding dust, dirt, or contaminants. Ensure the plastic is completely dry before proceeding to the next step. For optimal cleaning, you can also use a plastic-safe degreaser to remove any residual oils or waxes, which can further improve paint adhesion.
Painting Plastic Car Parts: Step-by-Step
With the plastic parts properly prepped, you’re now ready to apply paint. Follow these steps for spray painting plastic trims to achieve a professional-quality finish.
Step 1 – Applying Primer
Apply a high-quality plastic primer evenly to the prepared plastic part. Hold the spray can approximately 6-7 inches away from the surface and use smooth, consistent strokes. It’s vital to wear a respirator mask during this stage to avoid inhaling primer fumes.
For best results, apply several thin coats of primer rather than one thick coat. Allow about 15 minutes of drying time between each coat to prevent runs and ensure proper adhesion. Typically, three to four light coats of primer are sufficient to create a solid base for the paint.
Step 2 – Painting the Plastic
When painting plastic, especially when making significant color changes like painting white over black plastic, you may need to apply more coats of paint to achieve full coverage and color saturation. Use the same spraying technique as with the primer, maintaining a distance of 6-7 inches and applying thin, even coats.
Apply the automotive spray paint in several light coats, allowing each coat to dry for about 15 minutes before applying the next. This method helps prevent paint runs and ensures even color distribution. Depending on the paint and the desired color intensity, two to four coats may be necessary.
Step 3 – Applying Clear Lacquer
To protect the paint and add a glossy finish, apply a clear lacquer over the painted surface. Use the same spray technique as with the primer and paint, applying in thin, even coats and maintaining a distance of about 6-7 inches.
Apply four to five coats of clear lacquer, allowing approximately 15 minutes of drying time between each coat. After the final coat, let the lacquer dry completely for several hours, or ideally overnight, before removing the masking tape or reassembling the plastic trim. This extended drying time ensures the lacquer hardens properly and provides maximum protection and shine.
Step 4 – Final Polishing and Finish
The final step is to enhance the shine and smoothness of the newly painted plastic part. Use a clean microfiber cloth to gently polish the surface. This will buff out any minor imperfections and remove any loose particles, leaving you with a flawlessly smooth and glossy finish. For an even higher gloss, you can use a fine-cut polishing compound designed for automotive finishes.
Powder Coating Plastic Car Parts: An Alternative?
While less common, plastic car parts can be powder coated. However, standard powder coating processes, which involve high temperatures, are not suitable for most plastics as they can cause melting or distortion. Instead, a specialized UV-cured powder coating process is used for plastics. This method uses UV light to cure the powder coating at lower temperatures, making it viable for certain types of plastics and providing a very durable finish. UV-cured powder coating can be an excellent option for achieving a robust and long-lasting finish on plastic trims, offering enhanced resistance to scratches and environmental damage compared to traditional spray painting.
We trust this guide assists you in refining your approach to painting plastic car parts. For further expert advice and detailed information on automotive painting and masking techniques, we encourage you to explore our JTAPE blog.
