Tech Tip: Restoring Rear View Mirrors
Kahuna
familEE
Alright, I got tired of the faded out look of my stockies, so I decided to spice em up with some paint. Then I deided to do a how-to since a lot of Wagon owners have faded mirrors also.
Products needed:
600 Grit sandpaper (must be for wet use)
Amonnia
Krylon Fusion Spray Paint
Clean dry cloth. (paper towels work)
Step one:
Assuming you have the rear view mirrors removed from your car, tape off the mirror part, make sure you have it covered completely.
Step two:
Now you are ready to remove the seal from the mirror. First remove the two small screws holding the plastic piece on. Now lift up on the plastic piece slowly. It is hooked at the tip of it, so you will have to lift and pull at the same time. You will see it once you lift it up. Now, at the end of the seal it is on a prong holding it down. You will have to pull it off the prong and then slide it off the mounting plastic. Now that the seal is removed you are ready for wetsand.
Once the seal is removed it should look like this:
Step three:
Get out your 600 grit sandpaper and waterhose, and sand the mirror plastic down till it is all a dark gray color, with no black showing through. Don't worry about the water rusting, most of the internals are plastic. Once you are done wetsanding, let the mirror sit and dry, to speed up the process you can use an air compressor.
After wetsand the mirror should look like this:
Step four:
Take ammonia and wipe the mirror throughly. after you are through with that, you are ready for paint. NOTE: Make sure that none of your tape came off during prep, I'd hate for you to get paint on your mirrors.
Step five:
Get out the Krylon Fusion paint (color of choice) and lightly coat the mirror plastic. Be sure not to put it on too thick as it will not dry 100%. Let sit for about 30 minutes, and then put another coat on, repeat until the mirror is completely coated. (I did mine in two coats)
After 1st coat:
After you have the mirror completely coated let it sit for about 30 minutes then stick it in the fridge (yes, the fridge) for another 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove it from the fridge and let it sit in the sun For about 30 minutes, then stick it back in the fridge for another 30 minutes. After that is over, pull it out of the fridge and let them sit in the shade/overnight. Then install the mirror. It will take about a week to 100% harden, and it is hard to scrape of/chip off. It looks a lot better and makes me happy.
I hope this helped.
Products needed:
600 Grit sandpaper (must be for wet use)
Amonnia
Krylon Fusion Spray Paint
Clean dry cloth. (paper towels work)
Step one:
Assuming you have the rear view mirrors removed from your car, tape off the mirror part, make sure you have it covered completely.
Step two:
Now you are ready to remove the seal from the mirror. First remove the two small screws holding the plastic piece on. Now lift up on the plastic piece slowly. It is hooked at the tip of it, so you will have to lift and pull at the same time. You will see it once you lift it up. Now, at the end of the seal it is on a prong holding it down. You will have to pull it off the prong and then slide it off the mounting plastic. Now that the seal is removed you are ready for wetsand.
Once the seal is removed it should look like this:
Step three:
Get out your 600 grit sandpaper and waterhose, and sand the mirror plastic down till it is all a dark gray color, with no black showing through. Don't worry about the water rusting, most of the internals are plastic. Once you are done wetsanding, let the mirror sit and dry, to speed up the process you can use an air compressor.
After wetsand the mirror should look like this:
Step four:
Take ammonia and wipe the mirror throughly. after you are through with that, you are ready for paint. NOTE: Make sure that none of your tape came off during prep, I'd hate for you to get paint on your mirrors.
Step five:
Get out the Krylon Fusion paint (color of choice) and lightly coat the mirror plastic. Be sure not to put it on too thick as it will not dry 100%. Let sit for about 30 minutes, and then put another coat on, repeat until the mirror is completely coated. (I did mine in two coats)
After 1st coat:
After you have the mirror completely coated let it sit for about 30 minutes then stick it in the fridge (yes, the fridge) for another 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove it from the fridge and let it sit in the sun For about 30 minutes, then stick it back in the fridge for another 30 minutes. After that is over, pull it out of the fridge and let them sit in the shade/overnight. Then install the mirror. It will take about a week to 100% harden, and it is hard to scrape of/chip off. It looks a lot better and makes me happy.
I hope this helped.
Comments
I wear my sunglasses at night?
Still, a good write up...I'm just giving you a hard time.
my experience with Krylon is that it will start peeling here and there.
i have to keep spraying that shit on like a bad habit.
I've even used it on my 4-wheeler and dirtbike with no problems. On the dirtbike's rear fender, it has a lot of scrapes from getting on and off the bike, but it never cut the paint.
On my 4-wheeler I used it, and then I ran into a tree in going backwards. (long story) It had the back fender at a 90 degree agle and barely chipped any paint off, only where it was flexxed so much.
I love Fusion!