tspence45

iTrader: (30)

Well, I decided that I wanted to sell my stock exhaust tips and get some better looking ones. I wasn't getting much interest, so now, I've decided to sand them down and paint them chrome. I'm not sure if I'll end up keeping them afterwards or still trying to sell them. If anyone's interested in them, after I'm done, let me know. Here's some pics of the process.

Here's a before shot:


After some sanding: (left one hasn't been sanded yet, just the right one. I did a little more on it after the pic too because I wasn't quite satisfied)


And, now, I've got the first one primered: (1st of 3 coats, I'll keep adding more pics as I get them done)

02silvaZ

iTrader: (12)

i have never seen anyone do this, this should be kinda neat

tspence45

iTrader: (30)

I had never heard of anyone doing it. I hope it turns out alright. If it doesn't, no biggy. I wasn't getting any interest from anyone in buying them.

I just got done with the 2nd coat of primer. The can said to do a 2nd coat within an hour. So I waited about a half hour and did it.


I'll let that dry completely, then do a 3rd coat. Hopefully I'll be getting the chrome paint on there in about an hour and a half or so. I'll do 3 coats of that, then go get some clear coat, since I forgot to pick some up yesterday, when I got the paint and primer.

go-t

Ive seen it done with TA tips and it looks good!! Keep us posted with pics

tspence45

iTrader: (30)

3rd coat of primer is on. Now, I have to wait for it to dry, and flip it over to do the other side. In the mean time, I gotta go get some clearcoat.

NHRAMAN

iTrader: (1)

Big difference...

Brian2006

iTrader: (42)

My car came with them already chromed:

tspence45

iTrader: (30)

^^^^I like the look of that. Aren't those aftermarket though? I've seen lots of places that sell them, but I figured I'd rather just try and paint them myself instead of spending $100 on new tips that are essentially the same thing. Or atleast look the same.

I went to Oreillys and got the clearcoat. When I got back, I flipped it over and put the first coat of primer on the other side too. I'll go back out soon and put the 2nd coat on. I think I'll have to sand the next tip down a little better. This one is looking OK, but not perfect. I can see spots where I should've sanded it down more.

On a side note: I think my clutch is fucked. When I got back home, it felt really soft. And now whenever I put it in reverse, it grinds and jumps a little. Also, it smells horrible. I just left the car out of the garage to air out the smell.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

^^^^the car doesn't like being driven without the tips so its rebelling. better finish those tips ASAP.

tspence45

iTrader: (30)

I got some replacement tips for now. They're just some dual tips I found at Oreillys a couple days ago for $7 a piece. I really don't mind the look of them. But, my tailpipes are offcenter and both tips are too far off the left, so it looks a littld dumb. The problem with the clutch was that I was spinning in first, hit 2nd, and caught traction. The burnt clutch smell sucks. But, it's getting its feel back and isn't grinding going into reverse anymore.

Final primer coat is done on the 2nd side of the first tip:



I won't start painting it until tomorrow because I have plans tonight for my dad's b-day. And I had to move it out to the garage. It was smelling up the house too much down in the basement. And it's cold out in the garage. So, it's going to take a bit longer to dry.

fccs

iTrader: (26)

I've kinda done this, I sanded down my tips while still on the car, went with a polishing pad on a dremel, and took those blue brillo soap pads to it, then put a cleacoat on. It looks much better

tspence45

iTrader: (30)

Yeah, these needed something done. Just look at the first couple pics. lol. I'm going to have to go out and get some 400 grit sandpaper tomorrow, to sand down a little bit of the primer before putting on paint. Apparently, the first side wasn't completely dry, and when I had it face down on the paper, it got a little messed up. I'll just have to sand out the imperfections and finish painting. Hopefully it'll turn out as good as expected. I'll post more pics tomorrow once I start working on them again.

tspence45

iTrader: (30)

I brought it back in the house to let it dry a little more. It only smells up the house when I'm spraying in here. The final primer coat is almost completely dry. I really want to start with paint now, but, I think it needs to dry a little more first. Here's a better pic of it with the almost dry final coat of primer.

RickyMartinZ28

iTrader: (5)

I just hit mine about once a month with some semiflat krylon when they are looking dirty...

What color are they from the factory?

-Rick

tspence45

iTrader: (30)

I think they're black from the factory. But, the black is pretty well worn off on mine anyways. I thought about just sanding them down and polishing them. But, they didn't look very good just after sanding. Paint and pics coming tomorrow afternoon guys. Maybe, since my friend is back from Florida now, I'll be able to continue the project over at his grandpa's heated shop. Then, I'll have sanding tools to go quicker on the 2nd tip, and a lot more heat, for quicker drying.

tspence45

iTrader: (30)

Got started on painting the first one today. I'm using Duplicolor Chrome paint Here's pics of each coat.

1st coat:


2nd coat:


3rd coat:



It's going a lot quicker, now that I'm doing it over it my friend's heated shop. The 3 coats of paint dried rather quickly. I'm hoping to get over there in the morning to sand the imperfections out of the other side and start painting it. Then, I hope to have it completely done and the other tip sanded by the end of tomorrow. I'll update with more pics tomorrow afternoon or tomorrow night.

tspence45

iTrader: (30)

Okay, a little update. I know it's been a little while since I've posted anything in this thread. After putting the clear coat on, it looked like crap, because I didn't read the instructions on the clear coat can. I didn't realize that I had to put it on about an hour after paint. So, I was getting frustrated, especially with destroying one of my temporary tips by it falling off at 70mph. lol. So, I grinded all the paint off of the painted tip with a wire brush wheel on a grinder. I used it on the 2nd tip too, to get it sanded down. Then, I put them on the car that way after doing some more little work with a wire brush wheel bit for a cordless drill. I'm not sure if I'll try and paint them again or not. If I do, I won't start on them until next weekend probably. Here's some pics of them, after taking the wire brush wheel to them and putting them on the car. They're not perfect. But, if I decide not to paint them, I'm going to pull them off again and polish them up real good, so they become decently shiney.

94TRANS

iTrader: (39)

id say just leave them off or get different tips, iv just never been a fan of those rectangles, but props on the work on them they do look a lot better than before.

Havok2

iTrader: (118)

i woudl just buy the chrome ones.
ebay sells them for about 50-60 bucks if i recall correctly

brian2006: chrome are aftermarket tho, only black is stock/factory

3pnt4maro

iTrader: (2)

yeah you could have hit ebay for the time and money you got in that project and just not worried about it..never seen chrome paint turn out well for anyone