:::I just really fucked up a "painting lowers" job :::

[FACT]

I'm really really upset right now and wish I hadn't started this project. I thought all was going well with painting my lowers. Had everything done and waited an hour after applying clear coat to remove the masking tape protecting the rest of the car. Here is the result:


[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

the damn masking tape (green 3m automotive masking tape) pulled a **** ton of the paint right off the car. I currently have no idea what to do and want to kick myself

suggestions? Thanks a lot for your time

[ChriS4]

You're gonna have to redo it. Next time around, let it cure overnight (at least), and pull very slowly, away from the paint, at a 40-60* angle.

[SportSter]

^^^ do what he said, sorry that sucks, I paint boats, and have had that happen too many times myself.

[FACT]

how exactly would I go about "redoing" it? Use paint thinner and remove the paint/clearcoat?

[SportSter]

good heavens no. That would just smear everything around as its not cured 100% yet and will take you days to then wait for it to dry when it really looks like ca ca before you can sand it off. Ask me how i know this....

Wait till it gets about 2-3 days in some heat. (atleast 60) or one day in high heat (like 90's) Sand it with 300 sand paper. Taking it back to plastic/primer. Then Prep, then, re-primer, then paint steps..

[AudiRacerS4]

brings back memories of when this happened to me...i was so fucking pissed

[kingtr]

Couldn't you remove the tape/paper carefully just after spraying the clear coat? In essence, why not just remove the masking tape/paper (covering car) after spraying and letting the paint settle (no paint in air). That way none of the paint on the lowers would be pealed off when removing the tape. I am sure other ways will work too, but just seems like a simple solution.

[leon]

If you use paint thinner, the plastic will be fucked up..
Just sand it and repaint it..

[Poopie]

next time run a razor blade on the edge before you peel.

[Burntaudi]

next time run a razor blade on the edge before you peel.

Bad advice. Many people don't have a steady hand and will cut to deep. Right thru the paint into the metal and then it will be source of rust.

Best advice is to unmask it while it's still wet...just wait for it to tack up a bit.

FYI I used to paint cars.

[mike-2ptzero]

Why didn't you just take the lowers off the car to paint them?

[Burntaudi]

Why didn't you just take the lowers off the car to paint them?

I'm guessing because they almost always break in the removal attempt. I know I had to destroy my old ones to get them off to replace them.

[audiness]

EXACT same thing happend to me when did mine. I just re-masked and re-sprayed the parts that got F'ed up and it was fine.

[audiness]

Bad advice. Many people don't have a steady hand and will cut to deep. Right thru the paint into the metal and then it will be source of rust.

Best advice is to unmask it while it's still wet...just wait for it to tack up a bit.

FYI I used to paint cars.

the only thing is , most people do at least 2 coats and i did like 3 coats of clear. you can't unmask each time. I used the razor blade... hopefully i didnt cut too deep

[solowb5]

FYI plastic doesn't rust.

[mike-2ptzero]

I'm guessing because they almost always break in the removal attempt. I know I had to destroy my old ones to get them off to replace them.

Thats odd, I just took mine off to have molds made of my doors and mine did not break at all. But then I also live in socal where the weather condition doesn't kill car parts.


BTW you most likely mean the small plastic tabs on the back break when removing the lowers, those are cheap and can be bought at the dealer.

[FACT]

haha well here in Cleveland the salt in the winter just tears apart our cars its really terrible. I already had to replace the passenger plastic piece because it had become completely corroded. But I guess I'll sand it all off and try again. Gunna be a pain in the ass.

[audi5150]

I'm really really upset right now and wish I hadn't started this project. I thought all was going well with painting my lowers. Had everything done and waited an hour after applying clear coat to remove the masking tape protecting the rest of the car. Here is the result:


[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

the damn masking tape (green 3m automotive masking tape) pulled a **** ton of the paint right off the car. I currently have no idea what to do and want to kick myself

suggestions? Thanks a lot for your time

yep best bet , pull tape off while paint is still wet ...

[FACT]

yep best bet , pull tape off while paint is still wet ...

wouldn't it still do the same thing seeing as how the underlying paint will probably be almost dry by the time I'm done clearcoating?

[Durkin]

couldn't you remove the masking tape, then let it dry and re-apply the masking tape and clear coat?

[Burntaudi]

the only thing is , most people do at least 2 coats and i did like 3 coats of clear. you can't unmask each time. I used the razor blade... hopefully i didnt cut too deep

I didn't mean pull the tape off between coats. If your letting the paint dry completely between coats your letting it dry to much. You just let it flash between coats and pull the tape off after the last coat.

FYI plastic doesn't rust.

Really no shit? You do know the moldings are metal under the rubber and that there is a metal stud that holds them to the door...and guess what they rust.

Thats odd, I just took mine off to have molds made of my doors and mine did not break at all. But then I also live in socal where the weather condition doesn't kill car parts.


BTW you most likely mean the small plastic tabs on the back break when removing the lowers, those are cheap and can be bought at the dealer.

Guess yours were fine because of where you live. Where I live mine where rusting and needed to be replaced. The screw was also frozen into the molding.

I know what you mean about the plastic however thats not what I meant mine where fine.

[mark_2328]

Happened to me also, but worse! Got so mad haven't gotten around to doing it again, worried it will do the same thing.

[Poopie]

Bad advice. Many people don't have a steady hand and will cut to deep. Right thru the paint into the metal and then it will be source of rust.

Best advice is to unmask it while it's still wet...just wait for it to tack up a bit.

FYI I used to paint cars.

true...i have hands like a surgeon though

[josmo]

make sure to pull the tape off away from the new paint when your removing the tape

[Davect06607]

I didn't mean pull the tape off between coats. If your letting the paint dry completely between coats your letting it dry to much. You just let it flash between coats and pull the tape off after the last coat.

How long for this "flash"?

[Burntaudi]

How long for this "flash"?

Depends on the weather. But just long enough so that surface drys...but it's not dry all the way thru.

[k0mpresd]

where do you buy paint to do this?

[FACT]

If you want an absolutely perfect match you can get it from a place like paintscratch.com but it is pretty expensive. People have been getting perfect or near perfect matches using duplicolor products which are only like $5 a can and can be bought at autozone

[B5 SLPR]

what colors are you guys using, I am goin to be putting skirts, rear valence and a new front bumper and i need to pain them. anyone know what paint to use to get the best match?

[FACT]

for my 01 silver a4 I used duplicolor "radiant silver metallic". I had to go to like 3 stores to get 4 cans though because it seems like none of the places had more than one can of it. I'm thinking maybe they're not making that color anymore. Not a huge deal however as duplicolor has at least 8 shades of silver, many of which would still match as well if not better than what I used.

[loustylez]

ugh, i need to repaint my lowers again soon. i didn't sand down the bumps in the plastic first but did everything else and now it's cracked.

anyone got any pics of the reiger V1 sides with oem bumpers? i'm considering having those painted and put on as well unless it won't look right. my car is silver obviously.

[im sofa king]

Has anyone found a match for Laser Red yet?

[jturnbull]

Rip the tape off right after you paint it i do this with paiting all the time this way the paint is still wet and has less of a chance of chipping like that

[FACT]

Well everyone i ended up waiting a day and a half for the paint to dry completely then took an xacto knife very gently to the border of the tape and the paint and it did a pretty decent job... not 100 percent perfect but not too bad. If I were to do it all over again I probably would have taken the guy above me's advice and taken the tape off before the paint dries except I don't really understand how that is entirely possible. You have to first put on the primer, wait 5 mins and then put on a few layers of paint, then wait an hour before applying clear coat. The paint is pretty much dry to the touch after an hour so how could you remove the tape while the paint is still wet? You still need to have the car masked when applying clear coat...