Should I DIY the fitting+spraying of my new spoiler or get it done by a panel beater

Rudolph Claus

Its already primed i think, well its whiteish colour. I know the paint colour code of my car so should i just get the paint spray cans in Halfords or a motor shop and spray it myself? Do i have to lacquer it then or something too. Whats the general rate i should be paying someone to spray+fit a spoiler? And wire up the LED brake light in it?

ANy advice here chappies, thanks.

bspoke

By the sounds of things you have no experience doing these kind of things so i would advise against doing it yourself. You dont want the job to be half arsed and I mean that as no offence to your painting/fitting skills but a spoiler is a big job to be experimenting on. I would have gone for wing mirrors first.

If you want to drop me a PM i can put you in contact with a guy to do the work. Im not sure how much he would charge for the job (shouldnt be too much as its fairly easy for those with experience)

stratos

You should have a go at doing this yourself it's pretty easy and you get an immense feeling of satisfaction that you did it yourself.
Look online for techniques involved, I have done many on my own cars and heres a few pointers.

Spray the spoiler off the vehicle, at a height that the spray can, can be kept vertical as much as possible. Stand the aerosol in a bowl of hot water prior to each spray, it helps to give better misting.

Wet the ground around the spray area to keep dust down.

use about 5 to 6 coats leaving 15 mins between coats.

if the surface of the supplied spoiler is smooth, roughen it with sand paper to help the paint stick.

I have never used primer on spoilers, without any ill effects.

colour matching is not as important as you might think as the join of the spoiler to the vehicle provides a visual break (cheat line) which fools the eye to a great extent.

You can get a custom aerosol made for the colour code of your car, these are expensive (30 euros each) but well worth it.

I usually spray about 2 to 3 coats of clear laquer over the finished product usually the next day however impatience has got the better of me a few times and did it half an hour after the last paint coat.

I have done this many time with wheel arch kits spoilers and body kits, remember if you make a mistake its easy to start again, patience is the name of the game.

JohnCleary

If you need to ask - You can't do it

You can have a go at it, and if you're not happy with it, just sand it down and throw it into a paint shop

Henry Ford III

JohnCleary wrote:

If you need to ask - You can't do it

You can have a go at it, and if you're not happy with it, just sand it down and throw it into a paint shop

Agreed.

p.s. Spoilers, and infact any body work need proper priming and rubbing down.

maidhc

Henry Ford III wrote:

Agreed.

p.s. Spoilers, and infact any body work need proper priming and rubbing down.

Yup. Chanced my arm before on a fiberglass roof on a tractor. The paint stuck for about 3 years, and then literally fell off.

5500

JohnCleary wrote:

If you need to ask - You can't do it

I wouldnt agree,How else are you supposed to learn if your not working in an actual body repair shop.Trial and error

Ive painted my spoiler,sideskirts,front and rear lip and front grill on the current car and you would literally need the eye of a hawk to notice they were diy.It was my first time spraying stuff like that and how did i learn,by asking on the net:D

Basically what i did was wipe the parts down with alcohol first (they were plastic bar the spoiler which was fibreglass and i had to give a light sanding on first) i then gave two coats of plastic primer and sanded after the second with a really light sanding block - like 1600.

Let the bits over night,gave another wipedown and then gave 3-4 coats with about 20 mins in between each coat,surface was smooth as it was so i didnt sand again,left over night and then gave 3 coats of laquer the next day.

I was well happy with the way it all turned out,my only problem was finding a close colour match.Halfrauds one was no where near the same colour,it was totally different.I bought both the premade can and then exchanged it for one made on the spot to the colour and they were both well off.

In the end i found a good one from east coast car parts,14.50 per 400ml can.The best advice i can give is be patient,try not to do it in a dusty area,and be prepared for greenflys landing on the fresh paint if doing it outside!