Re: [DML] facia repainting update

["doctor280" <doctor280@xxxx>]

As it has it, my Delorean is having the facias repainted along with all the
black trim work and bumpers. (I am one of those people that would fail a
finger painting class, so I would never attempt to do something like this on
my own.)

I am having some custom paintwork done on the facias that may interest some
and just may upset the purest out there.

As several people know I have made some changes to my car that are not
exactly original and most of this changes have occurred to interior of the
car. Such changes are, leather MOMO gear shift knob (previous owner, but I
love it), black headliner (with the gray interior I think it looks great and
a CD player (matches the black trim and even lights up green to match the
climate control lights and console clock. Out of this changes what I like is
the fact that, I think the changes improved the looks of the car and the
fact that to someone who is not familiar with the Delorean would never know
that the car did not come this way.

Now that the mechanicals are all working and the interior is done the
outside improvement are commencing.

Now looking on the outside of the car, I knew the facias along with the
black trim and bumpers needed repainting, but also I really had a distaste
for the lower grill on the car. (The wire mesh grill protecting the
radiator.) So I went around town and found a person willing and able to make
a stainless steel grill that uses an X pattering. I am leaving this
unpainted as I really think that it adds a sporty look to the front of the
car that it just seemed to be missing.

Now to the facias, what can be done to help this area out? Well one of the
best custom painters here on the east coast, has an idea and I should see
how it looks soon, because it is being done to my car. After looking at the
car he came back and said that he really hated the way that the facias did
not match the stainless panels and that he had an idea to change this.

What he is doing, is mixing some paint, so that he can get it to match the
stainless as close as possible (paint is still paint, so I don't believe
that it will ever match or duplicate the properties of stainless steel, but
he may prove me wrong.) After the paint is applied to the facias, he is
going to lightly sand it. I know this is a no no when working with metallic
paint, because it will leave scratches in the paint. But this is what we
want......see what is being done here is duplicating the grain of the
stainless panels into the paint. After this is done the facias will be clear
coated. The total effect should be that the front and rear facias look as if
they were made of stainless.

I will let everyone know how it comes out.

Robert Starling
Vin#5252