Side plastic pieces

[Kyle]

So I have some plastic pieces that run down the side of the Xterra. They're kinda a faded grey now. Just need some advice from anyone who has painted these things before. I have 2 cans of plasti dip left from my tires. Would it be better to paint them with a flat paint or the plastidip?

 

[yellowx16]

probly not the plastidip, I have that on my emblems and hatch handle and it's decent, but I would use plastic/trim paint. I used adhesion promoter followed by rust oleum trim and bumper paint and it has held up really nicely so far

 

[drbandkgb]

I have painted them before on my white Gen 1... CLEAN with DAWN soap... scrub them to get all the road oils off.. then repeat lol
Tape them off and use Krylon fusion paint.. best thing I have used for plastics.. 2 light coats then one med coat

happy modding

 

[Slasa]

Both of the above work. Rough it up a little with a fine grit sandpaper to give the plastic some surface for the paint to grab into. 400 is what we used on a buddy's dash. Acetone works for the final cleaning to remove soap residue, too.

 

[ThePlasticOne]

In two years of wheeling, my PlastiDip has held up on the side moldings. I've lost more Dip off my wheels than those things.

 

[Kyle]

Seems like everyone prefers the flat paints. I was thinking I would too. I'm not sure how the plasti dip would look on the plastic. I need to paint these things dark grey. The contrast with my wheels looks dreadful lol.

 

[NickX]

Seems like everyone prefers the flat paints. I was thinking I would too. I'm not sure how the plasti dip would look on the plastic. I need to paint these things dark grey. The contrast with my wheels looks dreadful lol.

I used bedliner on my trim pieces (and also front & rear bumper trim) a few weeks ago since I was going for a flat black textured finish.

Combine all the tips in this thread and you're golden...clean >> rough up with sanding block or red sanding pad (usually in the same section as auto paints) >> clean again >> 2-3 light coats adhesion promoter >> 2-3 topcoats of your choice finish.

 

[Dutch169]

I used bedliner. Came out nice. Prep is key.

 

[sickboy595]

I also used bedliner on my first X. Looked great. Definitely do a good prep.

 

[wiseguy3501]

Or, another option....

Rip them off, scotch tape over the holes, and bedliner from there down.

Pic for reference

 

[Kyle]

Or, another option....

Rip them off, scotch tape over the holes, and bedliner from there down.

Pic for reference

Yeah I had thought about taking them off but I do like them. I think they just need some paint. As for what you said....it looks good on your...but I'm not so sure about a red xterra lol.

 

[wiseguy3501]

Yeah I had thought about taking them off but I do like them. I think they just need some paint. As for what you said....it looks good on your...but I'm not so sure about a red xterra lol.

Was just offering another option. Not trying to push it on ya, but I saw a red Dodge Ram recently where a guy did the same as mine, it actually looked really good.

Could do that with some black wheels....would really pop! Well imo...

 

[Diadaga]

I've got a tan X but I painted everything from the top of the pieces down with bedliner and it looks good enough most people think it's factory.

 

[Kyle]

Was just offering another option. Not trying to push it on ya, but I saw a red Dodge Ram recently where a guy did the same as mine, it actually looked really good.

Could do that with some black wheels....would really pop! Well imo...

No worries. I know you're not pushing lol. It's all good