3800 Painting my strut tower brace

[imported_PaceCarBoozer]

I sandblasted the chrome off of my strut tower brace cause it was rusting a litte bit and, I never liked the way the welds looked. So I blasted it, finished the welds, and made a plate over the ends where the water used to sit. I'm gonna get all the welds cleaned up, little skim coat of filler, primed up, and then.......can't make up my mind. Here are some pics of what the engine compartment looks like now (one with and one without the brace). The silver is the Galaxy siler from a '02 Bonneville, and the blue is colormatched to my car. SO, it can be sprayed any color or combination of colors (graphics possible like the arrowheads), but I just can't decide. Post an opinion, and I may go with that. Thanks everyone.
CJ
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[MIKES3]

I used Rustoleum. Holds the temperature and the colors look great. I didnt even prime it just sanded to get a rough surface and slapped about 7 or 8 coats on. Looks great.

The way you have your set up now looks good, but I assume thats unpainted?

 

[imported_PaceCarBoozer]

Originally posted by MIKES3@Jul 25 2005, 12:27 PM
I used Rustoleum. Holds the temperature and the colors look great. I didnt even prime it just sanded to get a rough surface and slapped about 7 or 8 coats on. Looks great.

The way you have your set up now looks good, but I assume thats unpainted?

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I work in a shop so I use basecoat/clearcoat urethane (same as a car), I was looking more for an opinion as to what colors would look good, thanks for the input though. The pic with the brace hasn't had anything done to it other than filling the holes and plates welded on, that is all going to be ground down and cleaned up.
CJ

 

[frankenstinesy]

Maybe go with the gulf blue(or whatever that color is). You already have a lot of silver in the engine bay, so might as well throw a little variation in there.

 

[imported_Ron Vogel]

I agree, the motor will "pop" more if you tone down the brace. You also may want to consider a semi-gloss black, and match the crash braces.

 

[imported_PaceCarBoozer]

Originally posted by Ron Vogel@Jul 25 2005, 01:08 PM
I agree, the motor will "pop" more if you tone down the brace. You also may want to consider a semi-gloss black, and match the crash braces.

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the side braces are silver too. I was considering doing the strut brace and side braces with the silver and putting a blue candy over them, but then it would be a different color blue from the accents that are already in the engine, or maybe a black pearl. and yea, it is Med. gulf blue.

 

[imported_Ron Vogel]

I'm sure it'd be fun to do the candy effect, but it'd probably look too gaudy. With your color scheme all that silver will be over the top. I would definately try to color coordinate the 3 bars though.

 

[imported_PaceCarBoozer]

Originally posted by Ron Vogel@Jul 25 2005, 02:15 PM
I'm sure it'd be fun to do the candy effect, but it'd probably look too gaudy. With your color scheme all that silver will be over the top. I would definately try to color coordinate the 3 bars though.

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Yea, I agree, it probably would look too gaudy, I have a tendency to over- customize from time to time. I would just go with the gulf blue on all of them, but then they would be cleared and shiny, and the rest of the engine bay would be just basecoat which is dull. I am eventually going to spray my engine bay, but that is a chore taking everything off the strut towers, firewall and core support (if I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it right) I may just do the pearl black on there, it will match the "3800 series II" on the engine cover and if I don't like it, I can always repaint it, I'm so indecisive (sp?). Thanks for the ideas guys, and if you have any more, send em my way, it's going to be painted tomorrow night hopefully, cause I want it to be done before I go to Lemont's cruise night (weather permitting), so Wed. at the latest, I'll post pics when it's done.
C.J.