What paints to use to black out trim?

[joesregalproject]

My dad and I have been working on this regal lately, and we want to blackout the trim. This is by no means a fancy restoration project to which we have an unlimited access to tools and money, so I'm talking about stuff you can get at pepboys. I'm thinking etching primer and then high heat paint (not for its heat resistance but for its resistance to oil and gasoline.) I figure I have to scuff it pretty well. I tried that plasti dip stuff which is virtually a thin undercoating, and the stuff peeled off with masking tape.

 

[DRIVEN]

SEM makes great trim paint. Not sure you can get it at PepBoys but most paint supply stores carry it. The newer stuff is self-etching.

 

[pontiacgp]

SEM makes great trim paint. Not sure you can get it at PepBoys but most paint supply stores carry it. The newer stuff is self-etching.

x2

 

[85Frankencar]

SEM makes great trim paint. Not sure you can get it at PepBoys but most paint supply stores carry it. The newer stuff is self-etching.

x2[/quote

x 3 - I re-painted my (formerly chrome) headlight bezels and the SEM covered it really nicely - you can still see some scuff marks, but only if you look really close, it covers very well. IIRC, it's probably around $11-12/can (which is expensive for paint, but def worth it), depending on where you go, but you get a pretty good size can. Don't go with the cheap Pep-boys stuff, it won't last neary as long or look nearly as good. Spend a few extra bucks and do it better.

 

[pontiacgp]

come to think of it I cleared the Sem trim paint I put on the center section of my front bumper and grill and it turned out good. It was matte clear so I wanted it to be the same as the rest of the car plus I wanted the clear to help it from chipping from rocks...

 

[joesregalproject]

SEM makes great trim paint. Not sure you can get it at PepBoys but most paint supply stores carry it. The newer stuff is self-etching.

x2[/quote

x 3 - I re-painted my (formerly chrome) headlight bezels and the SEM covered it really nicely - you can still see some scuff marks, but only if you look really close, it covers very well. IIRC, it's probably around $11-12/can (which is expensive for paint, but def worth it), depending on where you go, but you get a pretty good size can. Don't go with the cheap Pep-boys stuff, it won't last neary as long or look nearly as good. Spend a few extra bucks and do it better.

Yeah but like I said we are really kind of doing this as a father/ son project and with the way the economy is, don't have the money to spend $11 on a can of spray paint. I already have some of the trim done in rustoleum and some in duplicolor, both with self etching primer and high heat paint, and so far it seems that rustoleum holds up a little better, and actually overall, the rustoleum holds up well. It doesn't flake off or knick unles you literally take a key to it. I am planning on re-restoring this car in about four or five years (when it will need it) and I hopefully will have the money for SEM paint then. But for now, rustoleum will do.

 

[pontiacgp]

The Sim trim paint is a 20 ounce can so I think that's larger than most spray bombs...so the price isn't bad and it works real well

 

[80lemans]

Krylon semi gloss black, $3-4 per can.

 

[pencero]

rust oleum and krylon really do prevent rust especially if you take the time to do a quick coat of 'rust converter' first. However, it can come out really bad if you don't get even coverage. If you're going for looks the SEM would probably look 10x better, but if you're trying to stop rust the spray can is probably a better choice

 

[carmangary]

$11 for a can is not much considering that if you use the $3 stuff it will likely look like crap after awhile and you'll have to take apart everything to redo it. That said, I am not convinced the SEM paint is the best thing to use either since I am not sure how well it will stay attached to the chromed plastic. My recommendation would be to get a scrap bezel from a junkyard and try various paints to see what lasts. I'd rather spend $100 for a can of paint than $3 if it meant it would look good for the life of the car and not end up flaking off when I wash the car.