[mpesik]

Hi.
Im wondering if the paint around the rear side glass and the horizontal fender patch next to that window on the fender is supposed to be factory semi gloss or flat black.
Its all in very good shape but I would stilllike to know.
There is an area on the top part of the rear side window that is not painted very well -both sides- nor along the bend of the body.
You cant see it driving by or standing next to the car. But when your sitting in a computer chair and going over the car at a lower perpective it must be done.
Looks sloppy and unfinished. Which some areas were.
Mike E

 

[sleekgt]

Are you talking about this area? On my car, it appears to be flat black paint; not glossy at all.

Here's a better shot that seems to say 'flat black' more convincingly:

 

[mpesik]

Thats it!
Also above the rear window into the curve.
There is also a strip on the body which runs verticle along the rear door frame on the body right front of the plastic covered b pillar. What this is supposed to hide? I have to focus more to figure out. I havent a clue yet.

 

[amanda11270]

I accidentally hit it with my buffer when I polished the car, and the finish there came out beautifully, I did the rest of it, it looks like new black plastic. If yours does not come out well, use duplicolor "auto-trim" black (pep boys, autozone etc), its a pretty good happy medium for wierd places like that, it is also impervious to wax, like if you accidentally hit it when waxing the car, flat or semi gloss wax will get into the finish and whiten it, this paint it will not, it wipes right off it. I learned about it on one of those old sunday morning hot rod shows, its a good tip.

It's not an SE, I bought those windows with the SE on it already, I just left it. Someone tried to clean my original windows from the inside with scouring pad or something, they were shot there was no bringing them back.

 

[Autocross7]

Flat black. I touched mine up with Krylon from Walmart. It lays more evenly and drys faster than the more expensive spray paints.

 

[mpesik]

Doughnuts and Lotus.
Heaven.
Though I have to lose a few pounds so ill just have to go with Amanda and go for the Polish.
I did hit the area with some tire shine that seemed to be from the roswell incident.
It did look good-to me- but if it aint what factory had, sometimes I dont want it.
Thanks guys.
Btw- I painted the wheel wells black and it drastically improved the car. None of this grey dusty look in the wheel wells.
I see beautifully washed vehicles and the wheel wells are dirty. WRONG!
Like a beautiful stripper with hairy pits..WRONG!

 

[jfitz981]

I did the same to my wheel wells too. I used undercoating. Seems to last longer and gives it a great look.


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App

 

[mpesik]

I did the same to my wheel wells too. I used undercoating. Seems to last longer and gives it a great look.


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Hi.
I grabbed what was inside the garage. Semi gloss black paint and painted.
I would absolutely do it your intelligent way but I just wanted to experiment.
Ive done this though with all my vehicles.Painted the wheel wells.

I sit in my computer chair and go over sections of the car for a very long time. Then I see what needs more work than other areas. I remember and then plan.

This is temporary like going over the car and polishing and detailing and then interior.
And then doing it again right.

Its all in fun now but I can see and feel where the car needs the work moreso here and there than just a good wash. Which in this case would be an insult to the Marque.
Ill polish the car once overand then hit it again.

I will do it your way!!!
Im curious though. When you run over gravel and the tires pick it up and throw it in the wells, does the spray insulate the sound at all?
My mother in the eighties had an 86 Accord. I was never into Jap. Cars but what threw me off was the gravel being picked up by the tires and throwing it into the wheelwells which were noninsulated and sounded like a miracca at every turn especially in the spring time.
I thought it was so cheap sounding.

 

[MidLifeZ]

On my 1994 S4, it is not paint, it is a decal... And PMN and the usual spots sell replacements as well...

 

[amanda11270]

After painting my Esprit, I left the wheel wells oversprayed with yellow for a couple months, then one day I too decided to spray the wheel wells black and make a crisp line where the yellow turns to the black, amazing difference it made. I added cheap small mud flaps also, and it keeps the washing down as well, I did this after driving thru road paint once. Its amazing how well the paint in the wheel wells actually holds up too.

 

[carbuff]

I used undercoating on the wheel wells.

Pay particular attention to the two bolt heads at the forward side of the rear wheel wells. These bolts extend into the fuel tank area (they support the plywood boards over the tanks) and can be a source of water that can rust the bottom of the tanks.

 

[mpesik]

I accidentally hit it with my buffer when I polished the car, and the finish there came out beautifully, I did the rest of it, it looks like new black plastic. If yours does not come out well, use duplicolor "auto-trim" black (pep boys, autozone etc), its a pretty good happy medium for wierd places like that, it is also impervious to wax, like if you accidentally hit it when waxing the car, flat or semi gloss wax will get into the finish and whiten it, this paint it will not, it wipes right off it. I learned about it on one of those old sunday morning hot rod shows, its a good tip.

It's not an SE, I bought those windows with the SE on it already, I just left it. Someone tried to clean my original windows from the inside with scouring pad or something, they were shot there was no bringing them back.

Hi.
Curious if your vehicle has been repainted. The area is pristine in your photo.
Mike E.

 

[amanda11270]

Now that I read some of the posts in this thread, prior to my painting the car, I seem to remember there being a big lip where the paint (my car was blue) met that black, and if I remember correctly it seemed like a decal like someone else mentioned.

That black was absolutely crappy previously, I hit it with 3 grades of maguires machine polish, right after I painted the car like two years ago, it was entirely an accident, I didnt mean to polish that area, it just ended up that way when I polished the minor imperfections out of my new yellow finish. But it turned out excellent (the black area's I mean specifically).

I think you just got your Esprit not long ago? My car was probably in worse shape than most I have seen when I bought it, but it was the amount ($$$) I was willing to gamble on a car like this and it has been a quest to bring it back to excellent condition again. It takes alot of time and patience, I did alot of what you mentioned though, sitting and looking it over from all angles and getting all the small areas back to good condition again. Im pretty meticulous I feel.

The day I bought mine, the next day I ripped the entire interior out LOL. It was driveable, but the car looked like $#%T

 

[mpesik]

@ Amanda.
What did it cost you for your repaint and did thet paint the hidden parts.
I hope not to over step my boundries here.
Money is a very personal thing.

 

[sleekgt]

@ Amanda.
What did it cost you for your repaint and did thet paint the hidden parts.
I hope not to over step my boundries here.
Money is a very personal thing.

Here's Mark's detailed post on painting his car - he did it himself

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f164/i-finally-painted-my-esprit-106795/#post1650535

 

[MidLifeZ]

It is a DECAL, check out PMN Engineering or SJ or the other Lotus vendors...

 

[Vulcan Grey]

It is a DECAL, check out PMN Engineering or SJ or the other Lotus vendors...

It's only a decal on the later cars... It is painted on on the earlier cars...

 

[mpesik]

Here's Mark's detailed post on painting his car - he did it himself

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f164/i-finally-painted-my-esprit-106795/#post1650535

Thanks for that!

I read the post and I am in awe.
The man is a craftsman and was born with skills.
He absolutley knows what he is doing. He appears quite sane and confident otherwise he would never paint his Esprit if it were a gamble. Not a guy like that.
Well done. Well done.
Must have a fantastic work ethic.
:clap:

 

[irox]

Speaking of decal... I was finally able to solve my issue of peeling paint on the black finishing strip below the power side windows by using black tape....