Painting plastic parts question.

[Dergara]

I have some color keyed fender flares for my 2012 HL and want to paint the bottom of them to line up with the unpainted black plastic parts of my vehicle.

My question is, what do I need to do to prep them, and what kind of paint should I use. I believe the color will be Matt Black?

Examples I found on Ebay are below. The bottom link is how I want them to look.

BEFORE:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/260820498323...#ht_500wt_1156

AFTER:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/260722046243...#ht_500wt_1413

Thanks

[luck123]

If you're painting on top of existing paint, then all you need to do is tape off flare leaving only area to paint exposed, sand it down with a very fine sandpaper (500+ grit), then clean it with a rubbing alcohol, re-mask and paint. I would recommend buying a proper automotive paint that is designed for plastic (ie. that has some flexibility to expand and contract with change in temps).

If you're painting directly on the plastic, I believe you need a special adhesion primer (depending on the paint).

Personally, I would take this to a body shop and have it done properly, with proper paint and baked on. Else, I guarantee that DIY paint will be more prone to chipping from road debris.

[Dergara]

Thank you.

[JMSinMD]

Why not color match the black to your vehicle color? It makes it look much better and not as trashy as the factory makes them look (no offense).