Painting the 99: The Beginning

If you saw my last update on the car, I'm going to start the process of painting it. Before we paint the whole car, I'd like to start by painting some of the smaller pieces that have become faded over the years. In this post, I'll be painting the side view mirrors, rear fender vents, headlamp bezels, and grille. If you're interested in painting your own parts, follow this guide!

What you'll need:

• Rustoleum Satin Black (enamel)
• Rustoleum Metallic Silver (enamel)
• Sanding block

1. The mirrors: 

Fortunately, these were easy. I sanded the pray finish off down to mostly the bare metal, but really, just until it was smooth. 

Using masking tape, I covered the chrome support and actual mirror part, then using some twine, I strung a line across my garage, hanging the mirrors in the middle by the mounting screw holes. 

I sprayed the mirrors Satin black, allowing a day to dry before applying a second coat. Once dry, I reinstalled them. They look great!

2. Side vents:

Tape and paint! Unlike later 900s, 99s (and early 900s) have a separate chrome strip on their side vents. Mask these off, and spray! 

Because these are plastic parts, there's no need to sand.

3. Headlight bezels and grille

Similar to the side vents, I masked the chrome detailing and black rungs on the grille, and sprayed them silver. What a world of difference these made!