Ok, so I haven't seen any real "DIY" for our Bugs on how to paint our fogs yellow. I know it's a pretty straight-forward process, but I figured that since I did mine this afternoon, that I would just do a quick tutorial anyways
Yes, you can use Rockblocker, Lamin-X, etc., to cover and protect the fogs, but if you're like me (on a poor man's college budget) then this is a cheap and effective way to go :wiggles:
Anywho, onto the pictures.
BEFORE:
1). Pick up some Krylon Stain Glass paint in yellow. I finally found mine at the local Michael's, but I've also seen some online stores that carry the stuff as well.
2). (Optional) Pick up some Scotch Blue Painter's Tape to mask off the headlights (you could most likely just use regular masking tape, but I have some other projects coming up that I'll be needing this for).
3). This is optional as well, but I decided to play it safe and remove my fog's from their housings on the bumper. I know other people who have just masked off the bumped, etc. Each fog is only held in by 3 screws. Unscrew and un-plug them from their harness and take them out.
4a). Clean the lights!!! This couldn't be more important. If you want any sort of good result at all, spend some time NOW on the cleaning otherwise you'll most likely be disappointed in the end. I used some rubbing alcohol to get all of the dirt/grime/bugs/gypsies off of the glass so you have a nice, smooth surface to paint.
4b). I also used a razor blade to smooth the glass out even further (it actually does help). Just put some of the rubbing alcohol on the lens (so it's a little slick) and gently rub the blade at an angle across the glass. I then wiped all of the residue off, and re-cleaned it using the rubbing alcohol.
5). Time for masking. I first went all the way around the lens and masked off a fine line where the glass and plastic meet. I then went around and used index cards (you can use w/e you want) to protect the rest of the plastic from yellow over-spray.
**This is actually alot trickier than I had thought. The brackets made it difficult to get the cards to work with me. Next time, I think I would try maybe using newspaper or wax paper.
6). Paint time!!! I went outside and laid the fogs down on some newspaper (to avoid pissing off the apt. complex). I had to put them pretty far apart (it was a tad windy). I applied one thin, very even layer to both lights and waited for it to dry ~15 mins. I decided it needed another coat so I put another VERY thin layer on the lenses. After letting them sit in the warm sun for about 30 minutes, I brought them inside and put them in our guest bath (with the fan on to get rid of fumes) and let them dry the recommended 3 hours.
***WITH SECOND COAT (look darker than they are)
7). Reinstall the fogs and enjoy!
EDIT!!! Daylight Pics.
All this for $15.49
Yes, you can use Rockblocker, Lamin-X, etc., to cover and protect the fogs, but if you're like me (on a poor man's college budget) then this is a cheap and effective way to go :wiggles:
Anywho, onto the pictures.
BEFORE:
1). Pick up some Krylon Stain Glass paint in yellow. I finally found mine at the local Michael's, but I've also seen some online stores that carry the stuff as well.
2). (Optional) Pick up some Scotch Blue Painter's Tape to mask off the headlights (you could most likely just use regular masking tape, but I have some other projects coming up that I'll be needing this for).
3). This is optional as well, but I decided to play it safe and remove my fog's from their housings on the bumper. I know other people who have just masked off the bumped, etc. Each fog is only held in by 3 screws. Unscrew and un-plug them from their harness and take them out.
4a). Clean the lights!!! This couldn't be more important. If you want any sort of good result at all, spend some time NOW on the cleaning otherwise you'll most likely be disappointed in the end. I used some rubbing alcohol to get all of the dirt/grime/bugs/gypsies off of the glass so you have a nice, smooth surface to paint.
4b). I also used a razor blade to smooth the glass out even further (it actually does help). Just put some of the rubbing alcohol on the lens (so it's a little slick) and gently rub the blade at an angle across the glass. I then wiped all of the residue off, and re-cleaned it using the rubbing alcohol.
5). Time for masking. I first went all the way around the lens and masked off a fine line where the glass and plastic meet. I then went around and used index cards (you can use w/e you want) to protect the rest of the plastic from yellow over-spray.
**This is actually alot trickier than I had thought. The brackets made it difficult to get the cards to work with me. Next time, I think I would try maybe using newspaper or wax paper.
6). Paint time!!! I went outside and laid the fogs down on some newspaper (to avoid pissing off the apt. complex). I had to put them pretty far apart (it was a tad windy). I applied one thin, very even layer to both lights and waited for it to dry ~15 mins. I decided it needed another coat so I put another VERY thin layer on the lenses. After letting them sit in the warm sun for about 30 minutes, I brought them inside and put them in our guest bath (with the fan on to get rid of fumes) and let them dry the recommended 3 hours.
***WITH SECOND COAT (look darker than they are)
7). Reinstall the fogs and enjoy!
EDIT!!! Daylight Pics.
All this for $15.49