Engine Bling-Bling - PIC
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Looks very nice. You stole my idea for painting the raised "Lotus" lettering, etc. I was going to do the cheap and easy route with a silver paint pen for the lettering. It takes a steady hand but looks fine- works well on almost any raised surface. I've even done it on my NSX and RX-7 brake caliper lettering. ...and plan to do it on the Elise caliper lettering.
Did you DIY or pay a professional? How much? Did you use heat-resistant paint?
Did you DIY or pay a professional? How much? Did you use heat-resistant paint?
Looks nice.1) Twelve (12) dollar APC oil filler cap
2) Krylon "fusion" paint. This stuff stick to plastic with no primer - it's awesome stuff. Should live fine in the under hood heat as the covers do not get that hot. I did it myself in about 1/2 hour. Just remove and clean the covers, paint completely red, then paint the letters black using a brush. Dries to touch in 15 minutes, to handle in about an hour or less and fully cures by the next day.
The raised portions of the front calipers (fins and LOTUS), I blackened. The front caliper might also look nice as is but sealed so that it doesn't get stains in the pores. Or perhaps coated a solid color and then block sand the raised areas....
2) Krylon "fusion" paint. This stuff stick to plastic with no primer - it's awesome stuff. Should live fine in the under hood heat as the covers do not get that hot. I did it myself in about 1/2 hour. Just remove and clean the covers, paint completely red, then paint the letters black using a brush. Dries to touch in 15 minutes, to handle in about an hour or less and fully cures by the next day.
The raised portions of the front calipers (fins and LOTUS), I blackened. The front caliper might also look nice as is but sealed so that it doesn't get stains in the pores. Or perhaps coated a solid color and then block sand the raised areas....
>>>Very nice Stan, I'd also like to paint mine red. Simple hi-temp paint used? Brand recommendations and any tips would be appreciated.<<<
My color red is called "red pepper" and is the only red available in the Fusion line. It's not too far off the red interior color by the way. Before Fusion, paint would always peel off of plastic things folks would try to paint at home.
Plastic is hard to spray paint. If you don't use Fusion, you should first use a plastic primer and then follow it with regular paint. That would give you more color choices.
I don't think you need heat paint here as the temps should be around 200 or so or less. The covers themselves don't get as hot as the engine. I have used Fusion on brake calipers and it seems to last just fine.
My color red is called "red pepper" and is the only red available in the Fusion line. It's not too far off the red interior color by the way. Before Fusion, paint would always peel off of plastic things folks would try to paint at home.
Plastic is hard to spray paint. If you don't use Fusion, you should first use a plastic primer and then follow it with regular paint. That would give you more color choices.
I don't think you need heat paint here as the temps should be around 200 or so or less. The covers themselves don't get as hot as the engine. I have used Fusion on brake calipers and it seems to last just fine.
>>>Looks very nice. Now, please remind me of why you would want to do this??<<<
A) So my Elise will look different from all the others I keep tripping over...
B) See your first sentence.
C) Seems to me that the red provides a nice accent against the silver valve cover and yellow body paint. The Lotus designation on the plastic cover is rather understated too.
A) So my Elise will look different from all the others I keep tripping over...
B) See your first sentence.
C) Seems to me that the red provides a nice accent against the silver valve cover and yellow body paint. The Lotus designation on the plastic cover is rather understated too.
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Interesting- Stan's car has two creases on the painted (red) and stock (silver) engine "covers" but the other car does not. (I copied that photo from YELOELISE's post.) His car is also new so I'm surprised there's a difference. Must be an East Coast thing! He's also from Reston, VA.
>>>Interesting- Stan's car has two creases on the painted (red) and stock (silver) engine "covers" but the other car does not.<<<
Those aren't creases...that's just the sun coming through the slats in the engine cover....you can see some more "sun creases" on the RHS yellow body work...
Those aren't creases...that's just the sun coming through the slats in the engine cover....you can see some more "sun creases" on the RHS yellow body work...
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Ahhh... I hope you are kidding...:huh:DCNSX said:
The "creases" is the light shining through the louvers on the bonnet cover - see the original picture and the light on the side of the body...
Edit:
Ah heck. Two others beat me too it... We all need to get a life...
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I like it! I think I'm going to copy it (once I get my car back, that is!). Someone please post pics of the calipers, I'm thinking of painting mine red. They would look sweet!
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Well, if I actually HAD my car, I might have figured out that they weren't creases. ...and to think I almost PM'd YELOELISE to tell him he got short-changed. ..and yep, we are WAY too obsessed with this car.
PS- Shinoo- you're really on top of things. Will have aftermarket stuff before most of us even get our cars.
PS- Shinoo- you're really on top of things. Will have aftermarket stuff before most of us even get our cars.
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