Painting all plastic parts on a Liberty CRD sport

hgrimberg · **Joined:** Mon Dec 19, 2011 11:03 pm **Posts:** 363

Whats you guys opinion on painting the plastic parts like the bumper and over the wheels the same color as the rest of the car trying to make a Liberty CRD Sport look like a Limited one. If my KJ is from 2006, thus my paint is 6 years old, will it be very noticeable to have new paint on the bumpers and old paint on all the rest? Suggestions?
And, to make it look like a Limited model, I'll have to chrome the plastic strip that says LIBERTY on the sides and the front which is made out of plastic too. Is the original Limited model chromed plastic too or is it metalic?

dgeist · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2012 5:01 pm

hgrimberg wrote:

Whats you guys opinion on painting the plastic parts like the bumper and over the wheels the same color as the rest of the car trying to make a Liberty CRD Sport look like a Limited one. If my KJ is from 2006, thus my paint is 6 years old, will it be very noticeable to have new paint on the bumpers and old paint on all the rest? Suggestions?
And, to make it look like a Limited model, I'll have to chrome the plastic strip that says LIBERTY on the sides and the front which is made out of plastic too. Is the original Limited model chromed plastic too or is it metalic?

Trying to paint the textured sport trim to look like the smooth limited trim probably won't turn out too well unless you start with new panels (which is not that expensive for the fenders, but the bumpers would be a lot). What might look cool is doing a body-match line-X. That way you get the color similarity without making it look like you tried to make a limited and failed. It would something unique and yours altogether. Alternatively, flat black line-X looks great on the trim as well.

Dan

hgrimberg · **Joined:** Mon Dec 19, 2011 11:03 pm **Posts:** 363

dgeist wrote:

hgrimberg wrote:

Whats you guys opinion on painting the plastic parts like the bumper and over the wheels the same color as the rest of the car trying to make a Liberty CRD Sport look like a Limited one. If my KJ is from 2006, thus my paint is 6 years old, will it be very noticeable to have new paint on the bumpers and old paint on all the rest? Suggestions?
And, to make it look like a Limited model, I'll have to chrome the plastic strip that says LIBERTY on the sides and the front which is made out of plastic too. Is the original Limited model chromed plastic too or is it metalic?

Trying to paint the textured sport trim to look like the smooth limited trim probably won't turn out too well unless you start with new panels (which is not that expensive for the fenders, but the bumpers would be a lot). What might look cool is doing a body-match line-X. That way you get the color similarity without making it look like you tried to make a limited and failed. It would something unique and yours altogether. Alternatively, flat black line-X looks great on the trim as well.

Dan

If I do the painting, I'll give it to a professional car painter, so I suppose that they will smooth up the surface first with some material. Right?
The line x thing is too extreme for my taste. I prefer the stock look. Also for selling the KJ some day, having line x will be an issue and having the look of a Limited KJ on a Sport KJ wont be too much of deal for a potential buyer I guess.

Greaser · **Posted:** Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:48 pm

I know from experience to try to smooth out the textured surface is very difficult, your best bet us to call a couple of bone yards and find the already smooth bumpers and fenders, and since you will be painting them anyway, it won't matter what color the panels are originally.

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hgrimberg · **Joined:** Mon Dec 19, 2011 11:03 pm **Posts:** 363

Greaser wrote:

I know from experience to try to smooth out the textured surface is very difficult, your best bet us to call a couple of bone yards and find the already smooth bumpers and fenders, and since you will be painting them anyway, it won't matter what color the panels are originally.

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I dont live in the US so buying used parts from a bone yard is not an option for me. Pitty.

surfRenegade · **Posted:** Sat Mar 31, 2012 12:54 am

what about smoothing them all out with some body filler. it would be thin coating. never used it on plastic surfaces and never used it on that large of an area so i have no idea if that would work...just throwing an idea out there

surfRenegade · **Posted:** Sat Mar 31, 2012 6:53 pm

also, the chrome door trim is plastic with a chrome finish. You have a few options, i would think trying to swap those parts with another member that has a limited would be the easiest..the parts are small enough to ship. the other is having the plastic pieces professionally chrome plated. Places that chrome plate plastic are not cheap. the other is to try out one of those chrome paints like dupicolor makes. If it were me i would just color match those...much easier

hgrimberg · **Joined:** Mon Dec 19, 2011 11:03 pm **Posts:** 363

Yes, for what I researched here, the chrome on plastics is a paint. I dont know if the original parts of a Limited are just painted plastic.
The body filler is what I thought every professional car painter uses to smooth out any part on a collision repair. I guess it should work over plastics...

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Painting all plastic parts on a Liberty CRD sport

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