Part 2 ..

Why? Because I figured you would ask.. No. Just messing. Because there was a Part 1 of course! Now I couldn't just leave you all hanging afterwards and not give you a part 2. That would be just wrong. Plus I am here drinking my coffee and wasting time thinking about part 2. I may as well write it out for you. Plus Molly is stinky and in need of a serious bathing. Before I get into that, I want to get this down on paper.. Sorry I mean the blockchain.

Where Did I Leave Off ? ..

Let's see. Oh YES! A Pile Of Parts .. Set to make their way out to the trash. But not so fast I told myself. The new parts had not yet arrived and for some reason (call me crazy) I had a slight feeling that the new parts were not going to meet my high expectations. Was I right about this? Guess you'll soon find out.

The New Parts Arived!

Yippie!!! New Parts!!!!!!.. And that was about it as far as excitement and cheer goes. The next sound that could be heard was that of light crying and whimpering. It seemed to be coming from the very garage where sounds of giggles and laughter once originated. And let me be clear, the whimpering was not coming from Molly. No. Molly was happy as could be knowing Santa-Paws was on his way.

(I didn't have the heart to tell her that he had already come, and unfortunately forgot to get her something this year. Come on! Give me a break.. I've been under a lot of stress and it just slipped my mind. I'll make it up to her I promise)

So back to the story.. The house was quiet (except for the crying coming from me in the garage), and Molly was waiting by our childhood Christmas ornament tree for Santa-Paws (who wasn't coming).

STINKIN PARTS DON'T FIT!!!!

I was so disappointed in these parts .. That I carefully ordered after reading tons of raving reviews. Maybe people don't realize that they are crap, or maybe my standards are too high. One or the other may be true, but either way these are going back! I have to come up with an alternative solution.

The photo on the left is that of the original fit. The photo on the right is the new made to fit, exact match part. What bull! Just look at how short it is and how it does NOT cover all of the paint.

I think their mold is slightly off.. just sayin.

So the parts arrived at noon and were returned at 1 pm same day.. I loaded the crap back into the box and shipped their fine product back to them.

ENJOY!

I Went Back To The Drawing Board ..

I could order a different style aftermarket flare, but I was trying to keep things a little more original than that. Plus I am not too thrilled with many of the styles available. I guess you could say, none of them were speaking to me.

So I decided to fix up and paint the ones I already had.

I collected a few basic items after doing a little research on what I would need to get the task done right. I laid out some scrap cardboard and prepared to get down and dirty. lol

The objective was to make these old parts look as new as possible .. While keeping in mind that they ARE 17 years old and DO show signs of obvious wear and tear. The end result will not be perfect, but they will be black. And that was my goal from the start anyhow.

I gave them a light sanding using 180 grit sand paper. I tried my best to sand out any large scratches and gouges. It was a challenge. They didn't come out perfect, but I was still happy with it.

After the sanding I then used a towel soaked in paint thinner to wipe off any debris left over. When I was satisfied with the results from the sanding and after the paint thinner dried, I then proceeded to wipe all surfaces to be painted with rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is great for picking up any lint or small pieces of dirt that may affect the way the paint looks after it dries. Not necessary, but I figured what the heck.

Always remember to protect your hands, eyes and lungs using the right PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). After all, we only get one set of those things. We are not starfish that can regrow stuff.. lol.

All cleaned up and ready to paint..

The Paint.. I chose KRYLON FUSION All-In-One Paint and Primer. I also decided to go with a "Textured Black" paint. I figured that the extra texture could help in covering up any flaws in the surface. And I saw plenty of those! hehehe. I have used this Krylon Fusin product on many occasions and absolutely LOVE the results. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a good paint, especially for outdoor projects. Great for plastic and that's another reason I went with this paint.

LET'S GET PAINTIN!!!

I gave the parts 4 coats when all was said and done. I purchased and used two cans for the job. I had just a tiny pinch of paint left after the four coats, so I painted the hood latches too. They were already black, but I thought they could use some freshening up. I had just enough paint and the latches are so easy to remove and reinstall. Great idea if I say so myself .. haha.

Two cans of paint at roughly $8.00 USD per can
Some prep work and cleaning
Sanding until my elbows hurt
Four coats of textured black beauty
A few hours of dry time

And I Was A Happy Camper!

They Look Fantastic!!!

And Now For More Fun..

I have to put them back on. I got to work and in a few hours they were back on and looking fine. Not bad for roughly $16.00 worth of paint. Labor is a whole other animal though. I spent about 15 hours total on this project. If I had to pay someone to do the work I would be looking at approx. $450 to $600 USD in labor. I'm glad that I am blessed to have a little knowledge and the spare time to do it myself.

DIY isn't always easy, but very gratifying in the end.

The Finished Results ..

Don't mind my messes or the fact that lights are hanging out. I have another Jeep project going on at the same time. I am changing out lighting.. But I'll leave that for another post.

Before And After ..

And That's All He Wrote!

I am calling the project a success and am excited to get the Jeep out and about for some real reactions. I run into a lot of other Jeep owners who like to talk about Jeeps, so I am curious to what they think.

But FIRST I have a few other Jeep projects to both start and finish. One at a time.

Oh yeah.. Almost forgot (Again)

I BETTER Get Molly Something From Santa-Paws

Before She Gets Too Dispirited

“He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much;
Who has enjoyed the trust of pure women, the respect of intelligent men and the love of little children;
Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
Who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty or failed to express it;
Who has left the world better than he found it,
Whether an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;
Who has always looked for the best in others and given them the best he had;
Whose life was an inspiration;
Whose memory a benediction.”
― Bessie Anderson Stanley, More Heart Throbs Volume Two in Prose and Verse

Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!

All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.

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