As you can see, my engine bay is in need of some help:



I've seen some people with fresh paint on their lid and upper radiator support (or whatever the part is called that he lid attaches to) and was wondering if there was a special pain for this. If so, what is it?

There's a lot to do under the hood but I thought I'd start here.

 

I did this,

start by taking it all off the car, clean really well with degreasing soap and water. then.
1. lightly scruff it up a bit with some 300+ grit sand paper
2. spray plastic adhesion promoter
3. filler primer
4. base coat (i used krylon for plastics)
5. clear coat (krylon for plastics)

I wet sand with 2000 grit sand paper between primer and base then between base and clear. I assume you know about the prep work with paint, if not I can go into more detail

 

I understand some basics and could follow along but some explanation would probably be best if you don't mind.

 

Ok some basic things youll need for this job. (This was the first thing I ever painted so I didnt know this stuff when I painted mine)

-For any plastic you want to have plenty of plastic adhesion promoter (found in most paint isles). for this job one can should do.
-Youll need one maybe two cans of filler primer, I like gray over black, makes it easier to see the coverage.
-I would get two cans of your base color and two cans of clear (I like krylon for plastics). Be very mindful of the clear you choose, I made the mistake of not paying attention to whether the cans said "gloss" or "clear" or "satin" more times than I care to admit. I assume you want it to shine so make sure the can of base and clear say "gloss"
-pick up a combo pack of sand paper or individuals. For this job you should only need a 300+ and a 1000+. I like to use 1000 grit and then a 2000 grit for wetsanding.
-have thin masking tape and plastic bags or masking paper handy
-get clean cheap cloths and a bottle of rubbing alcohol
-a few metal coat hangers so you dont have to touch it when wet. then just hang it somewhere when coats are drying

1. like I said before clean as much grease and dirt with a dish soap cleaning, rinse and dry.
2. sand the plastic (lightly) with the 300+ grit just enough to give the paint and adhesion promoter something to grab into. No need to get crazy with sanding away layers of plastic. Wash with dish soap and dry.
3. mask and tape off any part you dont want painted. once masked off, use the rubbing alcohol and cloth to wipe the surface clean.
4. spray on the paints in this order: adhesion promoter, primer, base, clear.
- for the first coat of each I like to spray a very very light coat just enough to make it slightly tacky
- the second coat is nearly the same just taking care to try to fill in areas you missed with the first coat
- third coat is a medium coat that covers the entire surface without spraying to much.
- fourth coat is a medium-heavier coat. Be careful not to spray too much too fast in one spot or youll be sanding out runs.

Now if you want a very good looking finish here you will want to wetsand after the last primer and base coat is completely dry. I like to wait 3-4 hours before even touching the paint. If you have a hair spray bottle, put a few small drops of dish liquid in and fill to the top with water and shake well. What you want to do is take your 1000+ grit sandpaper and spray the primer or base coat with a good amount of soapy water and using it as a lubricant very lightly rub the painted surface like you would a womans nipples lol. Basically your just trying to gently rub off any microscopic rough spots. Once you've wet sanded the entire surface go ahead and rinse it with a hose and gently dry with a clean cloth or pressurized air. THen when completely dry wipe with a clean cloth and rubbing alcohol to prep the surface for the base coat or clear coat. There is usually no need to wetsand the clear coat if you are very careful to avoid runs.

other tips I can say is to shake the can very very well before each time you are about to spray the paint. I always wait atleast 15 minutes between coats of the same can, more if its humid environment. If I think of anything else I will post or if you have any questions let me know

 

Wow, thanks for the detailed write-up. I'll have my car within a few days and will start looking in to this.

Any tips to clean up the rusty bolts? I heard letting them sit in a cup of soda works but never tried it.

 

You can try calcium lime rust, or sanding the rusty away, or you could just buy new bolts and never worry about it again