Warning: Neither Focus Fanatics nor its Members may be held responsible for the outcome of performing such a modification to ones car(Ford Focus). Such acts are performed at ones own risk, and sole responsibility must be assumed. This may include, but not limited to, the voiding of Ford vehicles factory warranty.
Always put safety first; using jackstands, eye protection, and all other required safety measures. It is also recommended to have supervision whenever possible.
Items Needed:
1. Approx. 2 Cans of Krylon or Duplicolor paint of your color of choice.
2. One Can of Duplicolor or Krylon Clear coat
3. 600 Grit Sand Paper
4. Masking Tape
5. Denatured Alcohol or Acetone
Once you have all of the pieces out that you want to paint, you need to start sanding. Take each piece and make sure to sand ALL of the area that you want to paint extremely well. You will know its sanded well if you cant see the gloss of the old paint/plastic on top. Once everything is sanded take your denatured alcohol and wipe everything down to clean off any shavings or whatever the sanding may have left behind. Now, check all of your pieces again, if you see glossy or shiny areas, resand and reclean with the alcohol.
If you want to keep anything its current color, simply take the masking tape and mark off anything you don't want the paint to get on. Make sure you have the tape on smooth around the edges, so the paint doesn't leak under it.
Step 2
Now that everything is prepped, its time to start painting. Take one part at a time, and smoothly apply the paint over the surface. Hold the can approx. 6-10 inches from the surface and make steady, even passes until the whole surface is covered with the first coat. **If the paint isn't bonding to the plastic, wait for the coat to dry and resand the area that isn't bonding. Its also to go over the area with steel wool to get it nice and rough so that the paint will stick**. Let the paint dry for about 15 minutes and it will be ready for the next coat. After about 4 coats of paint, let it dry for at least an hour before applying the clear coat to avoid running.
The clear coat process is pretty much the same as the paint process, except it only takes about 5-7 minutes for the clear coat to be dry enough for the next coat. I would HIGHLY recommend letting the clear coat dry overnight. It becomes extremely tacky after about 10 minutes, and may seem dry, but the slightest amount of pressure can really make it look messy.
Step 3
Everything snaps into your focus just like it came out. Be careful to not scratch any of your paint as you're putting it back into the car. If you notice little nicks that you don't want to leave just spray some of the paint into its lid, take a brush, and lightly paint over the mark.
