Custom Rocker Cover

[Rumbuck]

Hey guys,

Just wondering if any of you have done a custom paint job on your rocker cover?

I was thinking about doing it when I get the Ute back, maybe sooner if I can find a scrapped rocker cover up here in the wreckers, and I'll just swap 'em when I get my vehicle to the Territory.

Basically, I was going to take to mine with either a 4" (What my mates reccomend) or my 9" (What I have and what is close at hand, I don't want to go buy a 4") and shave off the ridges, the Mitsubishi Logo, the DOHC 16 Valve lettering and such, and then paint her gloss yellow, mask off the Bundaberg Rum Logo, and then go at her with some Gloss Black, then peel back the mask, and hit her with some gloss clear coat to make her done.

So my process will be roughly:

1. Obtain Rocker Cover from vehicle to work bench
2. Shave off excess lettering and such with alloy grinding disc
3. Polish up with flapper disc
4. Fine grain orbital sand to get the surface down nice and smooth
5. 2-3 coats of etch primer
6. 3-4 coats of gloss yellow
7. mask off logo
8. 3-4 coats gloss black
9. remove masking
10. 3-4 coats of clear coat gloss
11. Bake in oven for 45 minutes @ 200 C
12. Re-install into vehicle

Will post pics when done, and when doing, if any of you have done this before, I would love to see the result, and if you have any advice, tips-tricks, how-to's, do's and don't's of the project, I would love to hear and see it all.

Cheers guys :thumbsup:

 

[Rumbuck]

Bump

Some help in this matter would be greatly appreciated guys, and once I get good, I'll be happy to make them for people.

 

[Gianni]

I painted mine using metallic blue touch up paint from auto barn. Really good stuff. I used my orbital sander to sand it really smooth. Then 2 coats of primer. Let it dry under flood lights. Sanded back with wet and dry 800 grit, then I think I did 3 coats of color a light cost and two medium coats. Again let it dry under lights for a few hours, rubbed it back again and then high temp clear coat. It's smooth as and looks great

 

[EVO-00X]

Mine's shaved and polished. Takes a bit more looking after but it looks schmick. Had to buy a polishing kit recently to get stuck back into polishing parts under the bonnet though lol.
The good thing about painting or powder coating a rocker is that you can spray and wipe to clean it.... not so much the case with polished as it can scratch and discolour with oil and heat.
I had one of my old rockers bead blasted then powder coated silver. Places charge about $20 to blast and about $70 or so to powder coat. Saves you a shitload of hassle doing it all yourself plus the powder coating is a longer lasting and strong surface like OEM rockers.
Still... each to their own.

 

[4piknup]

mine is shaved too, hang on what is the topic?

 

[Rumbuck]

I was thinking gloss yellow, with gloss black and clear coat.

All high-temp of course, and cured in the oven at 300 degrees.

Beauty of a conventional oven over a fan forced, they just work better for curing paint, as you don't get uneven heating due to the airflow inside the oven due to the fan...or so I am told.

 

[ENGINR]

I paint stripped mine, cleaned it up with a high pressure rinse at the local car wash, wiped it down with wax/grease remover then after that hit it with 2 coats of primer then 3 coats of colour straight from the can.

Didn't get the chance to bake it in the oven though, however I reckon once I've run the motor for the first time since installing it, it'll cure!

 

[Rumbuck]

Sounds pretty good, got any special advice on tips or tricks??