Repainting plastic driving light covers?

[MichaelD]

I have these lights with the "Smiley Face" covers on my truck.

For some time now, I've wanted to redo the covers and either change the smiley faces to angry, teeth-gritting faces, or remove the faces completely and put the words MOVE OVER! backwards on the covers so that you see it in your rearview mirror.

How to I get the current faces off without destroying the surface of the plastic? I have "Goof Off" but I don't know if that would work.

Assuming I get the current print off, do I just use black spraypaint (sprayed thru a stencil, of course) and then shoot some "clear" over it?

Thanks!

 

[MichaelD]

Dang. Slipped to second page already. Bump.

 

[CraigRT]

No idea how you get it off, but that's a nifty idea dude..

pics when its done!!!

 

[iamwiz82]

i dunno, but one guy turned his Hella's on accidently while the cover was on and didnt notice til they were a puddle of goo on his bumper.

 

[amdskip]

Depends how the black was put on. Can you scratch the black if you tried right now? Might have to repaint them a solid color first but that yellow over black would be hard.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
i dunno, but one guy turned his Hella's on accidently while the cover was on and didnt notice til they were a puddle of goo on his bumper.

Yep, I've seen that before...not pretty and harder to remove than melted cheese inside the oven. :Q

I'm not sure how the pattern is on there now. It looks almost moulded-in...I guess I'll have to try the "scratch thing" first.

I just think it would be wild to see, you know? As a truck is coming towards you and you see yellow light covers, everyone expects to see the familiar "smiley face." I think people would do double-and-triple-takes if they saw a scowling, mean face. Hahah!

 

[iamwiz82]

why not sand the whole thing down a fraction?

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
why not sand the whole thing down a fraction?

Well, that's another possiblity. Remember, I haven't done anything to them yet. Assuming the current pattern doesn't easily come off, my only options are:

1. Sanding/repainting (possibly leaving a "grooved" surface...fugly)
2. Just repainting over it (yellow than new stencil, possibly being "see thru" fugly, but not quite as fugly)

 

[iamwiz82]

are they smooth or do they have a rough finish right now?

 

[MichaelD]

Very smooth. Glass smooth, almost.

 

[iamwiz82]

i would say spray them with primer and then whatever color you want. Make a stencil of the drawing and go from there. The only thing that might cause problems is debris on the road. It may chip the paint. Do you think that plastic was molded in the color it is now?

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
i would say spray them with primer and then whatever color you want. Make a stencil of the drawing and go from there. The only thing that might cause problems is debris on the road. It may chip the paint. Do you think that plastic was molded in the color it is now?

No, b/c the black lettering does not go all the way thru the plastic. When I walk out to the truck, I'll try to scratch it off w/my key...we'll see what happens. I just don't want to destroy the covers (They are $10 each!) in the process of trying to redo them.

 

[Ziptar]

Not sure how to remove old lettering. But, Don't just use paint... Use Plast-Kote Vinyl Ultra. It is made for plastic, it is a dye not a paint. (works great on computer cases too.).

maybe you could spray both sides of the cover first with black dye first to make it less see through.


BTW: can get this stuff for $3.50 a can at any autoparts store.

 

[MichaelD]

Thanks for the tip and the linky. I'm not sure what kind of plastic the covers are made out of, but they are indeed semi-flexible plastic.

 

[Lvis]

Ziptar, has the right idea. Plastic is pretty difficult to paint. I've used the product he recommends, and it works better than any paint I've ever used. It's not perfect though, it will chip with use. (at least it did on the boat rail I used it on) As long as you won't get upset if it chips, cracks, or peels, go for it.