Camaro and Firebird: Paint Modifications
Customizing your F-Body with a new paint job is a terrific way to really make it stand out on the road. Most mods are easy enough to do yourself in an afternoon at home and there is a couple to choose from—the following are some of the more popular options to go with.
This article applies to the Camaro and Firebird (1990-present).
Love your Camaro, but tired of its same old look? Consider a customized paint job, customizing accents on the car for more visual flare.
There are a couple of different options to choose from, whether it’s plasti dipping the wheels, adding color to the brakes, or giving the car a full body makeover. As such, the cost of this project ranges pretty wide, and the total time spent doing it yourself can range from an hour to several.
To consider some of the more popular paint mods that Camaro and Firebird owners like to go with, read on.
#1 Paint the Brake Calipers
DIY Cost – $20
Professional Cost – $200+
Skill Level – Easy; this task is easy because it involves updating the look of an easy-to-access part of the car.
To paint the brake calipers, all you need to do is remove the wheel, clean the area around the brake calipers, and then tape off the surrounding section to protect it from the paint. Apply about three to four light coats of high-temperature paint to the caliper itself, and allow to dry each time. When complete, you’ve made a subtle upgrade to the look of the car, for relatively little investment.
#2 Plasti Dip the Rims
DIY Cost – $20
Professional Cost – $100+
Skill Level – Easy; this task is easy because it involves updating the look of an easy-to-access part of the car.
Plasti dipping the rims of your F-Body is a great option to go with (and the step-by-step instructions are listed below) for three reasons: you can do it yourself, it’s cheap, and it’s not something you’re stuck with for the rest of the ownership of your car. When finished, the whole bottom half of your car will stand out, giving you terrific return on relatively little investment.
#3 Paint the Body
DIY Cost – $3,500+
Professional Cost – $5,000 to $10,000
Skill Level – Difficult; this task is difficult because it requires a great level of skill, a tremendous amount of time, and access to the tools/resources necessary to complete the project.
This is by far the most difficult option to go with, and it’s not because it requires a tremendous level of skill to complete. It’s difficult because there is a ton of prep work involved. First, you must find the right paint to use, and more often than not, the right option is the more expensive brand. That’s because the more affordable car paints are of lesser quality; owners who’ve painted their vehicle with cheaper paints report earlier wear, and change of color over time. So there’s a lot of research and knowledge that needs to go into buying the right materials in order to finish with a worthwhile product. Then, before you paint the car, you need to prep it–this includes sanding it and prepping the vehicle. Finally, when you do paint it, there’s a ton of paint needed to evenly cover the body from top to bottom. All told, from a DIY standpoint, days are needed to complete this at home, and several thousands of dollars.
The best route to take if you’re interested in this option is to visit local body shops, review their handiwork, and get quotes on your Camaro or Firebird. Typically speaking, this model of car will run anywhere between $4,000 to $8,000 for a solid, fully body paint job.
How to Plasti Dip Rims
This is by far the easiest and most noticeable way to give your F-Body a new look. It’s also incredibly safe—if you’re not happy with the look, you can take the plasti dip off without damaging the body of the car.
Step 1 – Clean the rims
Use a hard-thistle brush as well as a rag with soap and water to clean all dirt, grime, and brake dust from the rims. Dry thoroughly.
Step 2 – Protect the surrounding area
To avoid getting plasti dip on the surrounding area of your car, you want to protect it with painter’s tape, and plastic bags (over the brakes).
Step 3 – Apply plasti dip and glosser
Apply three to four light layers of plasti dip, allowing adequate time to dry after each coat is applied. When complete, add a layer of plasti dip glosser to protect the new coating, and give it a nice finished look.
Step 4 – Remove extra plasti dip
Peel away any ancillary plasti dip that may have gotten on to the car/surrounding area.
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