upstater Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 The reason I ask is that I have similar but painted guards on my 2008 Miata and after over 57,000 miles they are holding up very well. They are Mazda parts and they are painted only on the rear-facing surfaces. I think they look a lot better than the plastic black finish, especially if they're installed on a light coloured car like my silver. Take them off your car (if already installed) or buy a set, bring them to an autobody shop, and give it a shot. Worst case scenario, you omit them or buy another set in black. They aren't all that expensive to experiment with, though if you want a custom color, you both get to do the experiment, and pay for your desired change. You could probably plastidip them silver/gray, which would offer a temporary (durable, but removable) and cheap change, you could even try this out without removing them from the car, but I am going to guess you want OEM matching paint, so go do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsmith Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Take them off your car (if already installed) or buy a set, bring them to an autobody shop, and give it a shot. I did this on Friday with a set still in the box. The owner of the shop was not confident the paint would hold up because it's not a smooth surface. It had a light texture to it. I do not want the inside painted, only the outside portion so it blends with the car. I will get a second opinion this week. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovcoursitsilver Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 I'll be interested in knowing what you find out. I picked up a set today and they really don't look that textured. In fact I'm pretty sure I've seen bumpers with the same texture. I have a friend who works in a body shop and I'll ask his opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsmith Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 I'll be interested in knowing what you find out. I picked up a set today and they really don't look that textured. In fact I'm pretty sure I've seen bumpers with the same texture. I have a friend who works in a body shop and I'll ask his opinion. Let me know what you hear as well. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovcoursitsilver Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 I showed the splash guards to my friend who does a lot of body repairs and painting. He said the texture of the guards is not a problem for paint adhesion. He said that with proper cleaning and the use of a "bumper adhesive" primer there will be no problem. Essentially, it's like doing a jobber bumper cover. Those that are done properly do not peel or flake. Maybe the body shops turn this kind of job away because it doesn't pay enough and they're too busy. I may do it myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsmith Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 Maybe the body shops turn this kind of job away because it doesn't pay enough and they're too busy. I may do it myself. I was thinking this as well. If I can find Twilight Blue in an a spray can, I would try it as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovcoursitsilver Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 When we repaired my wife's car, he sent me to a car paint distributor with the car's paint code. They made up a spray can (about $30 IIRC) and sold me a can of clear coat. We used a professional grade primer and then the colour followed by the clear coat and it's still good two years later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsmith Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 I'll have to find a good spray can in Twilight Blue. I don't know which sources are of quality and which are not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovcoursitsilver Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 If you go to the local store that sells car paint (like PPG) to body shops, they'll usually be able to mix a spray can to match your paint code. They'll also sell you a can of clear gloss to finish it. Not sure where it is on a 6th gen Legacy but you can find the paint code somewhere on the car. It won't be cheap ($30 per can) but don't try this with a can of "matching" touch up paint. The same store will also sell you a can of primer/adhesive specially for painting raw black plastic bumpers. I'm sure if you tell them what you're planning to paint they'll be able to advise you on the right products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crudzinskas Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Shop around for your best/cheapest option but this should give you an idea of what you'll need for your paint color/codes/primers etc..: https://www.paintscratch.com/ I got some touch up paint and clear coat from them before for rock chips in black and it matched perfectly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTG Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 They worked just fine on mine. Car had no chips or paint damage after 2 years of ownership before I got rid of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tornichoe Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Has anyone had them painted to match the colour of the car? I actually thought my car didn't have them. After reading this thread, I went to look. And guess what, they were there. All four, in black. Don't know if it's worth the money and effort painting them. They are not strikingly ugly or anything close. I'd say, put them on as they are and try it for a few weeks. If you really don't like it, then look for the paint option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovcoursitsilver Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 What colour is your car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsmith Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 What colour is your car? I actually thought my car didn't have them. After reading this thread, I went to look. And guess what, they were there. All four, in black. Don't know if it's worth the money and effort painting them. They are not strikingly ugly or anything close. I'd say, put them on as they are and try it for a few weeks. If you really don't like it, then look for the paint option. I imagine its gray or black.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tornichoe Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 What colour is your car? Ice Silver Metallic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsmith Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 I stand corrected Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tornichoe Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 I stand corrected They don't cause an eye sore, so it never caught my eye; unlike the ugly trapezoidal mirrors or the dealer sticker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovcoursitsilver Posted November 3, 2017 Share Posted November 3, 2017 I got the material together and painted my splash guards last week and I've been waiting for a dry day to instal them. After a week of rain I finally got around to installing them today. Here are some photos. Yes, the car is dirty; it's been raining! I took the paint code (G1U for Ice Silver Metallic) to our local auto paint supply store where they mixed up a can of acrylic enamel colour coat. Cost was about $32. My friend helped me prep the parts and used his can of Plastic Adhesion Promoter - a kind of primer/sealer that makes sure the paints adhere to polyurethane parts like bumpers. After the 10 minute wait for the adhesion promoter to dry, we applied one light coat and three medium coats of the colour base coat, ten minutes apart. Another 10 minute wait and we applied one light coat of clear coat followed by two heavier coats of clear coat. I used a can of Dupli-Color acrylic enamel clear coat and it worked very well. The parts got a good week to dry as I waited for it to stop raining. Installation took a bit longer than I expected because I had to jack the car up to fit my drill under the rocker panel. I also found that I had to remove the rear wheels to be able to get at the screws and clips. The colour doesn't match perfectly. It's a little blue, but it's very close. It depends on the angle of the light and the time of day. The finish is quite good and plenty shiny. I like the look and I prefer it to the raw black plastic against the silver. The cost of doing the paint job myself was around $50, including $10 I gave my friend for the use of some of his adhesive. I'll see by next Spring how well the paint stands up to our winters. Sorry for the poor quality phone-photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimle1301 Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 Looks great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surmiser Posted November 4, 2017 Share Posted November 4, 2017 Yes, looks great! Wish I had the time and patience to do something similar. Excellent results [emoji106][emoji106] @redvenetian on Instagram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovcoursitsilver Posted November 5, 2017 Share Posted November 5, 2017 I'm retired... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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