Modifying/colouring my bonnet...

[L.Hurst]

Hi,

I have been thinking of colouring my bonnet black/dark, as I have the open sky and tinted windows (I have silver car). So I was thinking of continuing the black tone from the open sky to travel down over the bonnet. making the middle of the car black/dark from the bonnet all over the top of the car.

Just wondering what people think and wondering if anyone else has done it and have any photos?
As I have looked in the gallery but can not find anything.

or maybe anyone has a black spare bonnet lid if I do ahead and do it?

Regards,

welsh_wallace

[wooly A2]

If you send some pics of the front of your car i can show you what it will look like with a black bonnet before you try it ...

[L.Hurst]

Here are two photos.

Cheers, Much appreciated.

L.Hurst

[wooly A2]

Just a quickie to give you some idea what it might look like ...

[Skipton01]

Hmmm, without carrying on the black down through the bumper, this just looks like a taxi to me!

Cheers,

Mike

[MPG Lover]

Agree with Mike. Would it look any better in a shiny black and carried down in a block within the corner strips on the bumper?

[L.Hurst]

Cheers for that great help.
What do people think?

I quite like it, once it has the black shine on it too.

any comments would be great.

does anyone know where I could pick up a black bonnet at a cheap price at all?

L.Hurst

[Skipton01]

Here's a couple of mock-ups to show what difference painting the bumper would make:

Cheers,

Mike

[bretti_kivi]

... or you do the a-c pillars?

[humps]

sorry, that looks hedious, with or without the bumper painted...

[A2-BC]

I agree with humps. The A2 has some very subtle surfacing and precise shutline detail around the nose and headlamps. It makes sense to stop the black panel at the bumper shutline but the graphic will fight with the grille and indicator graphics. It's could end up looking like one of the black vinyl 'car bra's' that were 'popular' in the US before the clear protective films came on the scene for cars with low noses pop up headlamps. Running the black band to the front valance is even worse. :(

If I had to do this (and to be honest I just wouldn't) I would try stopping the black paint just above the headlamps following the sweep of the bonnet plan shape to leave the front mask intact. I can Photoshop an image to show what I mean. You won't get reflections because of the fast front (since you can't see the bonnet) but all the road cars I've ever seen with black bonnets used matt paint (didn't the original Capri 3000 Gt have this?).

It's personal taste of course but I think the screen graphic is already perfectly proportioned on the A2. :)

[A2-BC]

Actually, after my initial scepticism, I think this can be done sympathetically:o

Here's a couple of images. First shows the black paint line taken straight across the bonnet above the headlamps following the plan shape sweep. The second shows the same but radiussing the outer edges of the graphic to be more sympathetic with the existing forms.

A dark metallic or mica pearlescent could then be used because it would visually extend the windscreen graphic.

Why not just mock up your schemes with some black bin liners and thin masking tape so you can view them on the actual car from different angles?:)

Brian

[erstens]

Just some fun.

[A2-BC]

Ha Ha:D

The penny's just dropped seeing Erstens reply. All you need to is to meet up with somebody with a black car and swap the bonnet panel for a look-see.

I never though of that.

Doh! :o

Brian

[the grim reeper]

Ha Ha:D

The penny's just dropped seeing Erstens reply. All you need to is to meet up with somebody with a black car and swap the bonnet panel for a look-see.

I never though of that.

Doh! :o

Brian

As i started looking at this that just what i thought, try someone elses bonnet on yours. but to me i don't think it works and what about the back end was you going to do the same with the tailgate? (paint it black that is not try someone elses on)

Cheers Phil

[L.Hurst]

It was just a initial thought, and thanks for everyones paintshop jobs, after looking at the photos, I think I like it as normal and silver.

The last few pictures from "erstens", I noticed the bottom black bumper has been painted silver in the centre, and around the fog lights. and I really like that look.

Just wondering has anyone painted the orginal black bumpers? and what is needed to make it a good looking DIY job?

Loving this forum and site, great to see other A2 lovers.

L.Hurst

[esson]

Bleh. I don't really like how the A2 looks like with a painted bonnet. :(

[erstens]

The last few pictures from "erstens", I noticed the bottom black bumper has been painted silver in the centre, and around the fog lights. and I really like that look.

L.Hurst
This is my car and I painted it myself. I also painted the rear bumper and the side (only the door-parts). I covered the whole car with plastic for doing the paint-job.

[esson]

This is my car and I painted it myself. I also painted the rear bumper and the side (only the door-parts). I covered the whole car with plastic for doing the paint-job.

You didn't take off the parts before painting? you just covered the car up? That's interesting. Maybe I'll try painting mine too. Anyone know how I can get a hold of the dolphin color?

[L.Hurst]

erstens great looking car, that paint job looks good, and looks a good job too.

So what exactly did you do?
Clean, then did you prime the plastic? or did you just spray straight on?
Was it a spray can you used?

Details on how exactly you did it would be great, because I am really keen to do that now looking at your photos.

L.Hurst

[Sarge786]

You didn't take off the parts before painting? you just covered the car up? That's interesting. Maybe I'll try painting mine too. Anyone know how I can get a hold of the dolphin color?

I thought your car was Azure Blue?

SARGE

[Sarge786]

In my experience if you want to spray it yourself with cans then get the colour 'mixed' for you and put into a can from good paint shops, avoid getting generic types of paint cans which can cause problems.


SARGE

[erstens]

erstens great looking car, that paint job looks good, and looks a good job too.

So what exactly did you do?
Clean, then did you prime the plastic? or did you just spray straight on?
Was it a spray can you used?

Details on how exactly you did it would be great, because I am really keen to do that now looking at your photos.

L.Hurst
Thanks.
I took off the fog light covers of course and painted them separately. I used plastic primer. But I think this is not necessarily because the black part in the bottom part of the bumper is not pure plastic. It is painted black matt.
Best is, you let mix the right color and let it fill in an aerosol can. I chosed the lightest of the three or four silver metallic color offered. This is better for painting yourself. If it would have been done by a painter, I would have chosen the one step darker color.

[Phil K]

Front and rear pillars would work but I con't like the bonnet either I'm afraid :eek:

[fbi]

Erstens,
how did you make the chrome surround of the lower front grille ?
It looks very nice with its rounded edges and its thicker width...
Much better than what we usually see
Cheers,
Fabrice

[erstens]

Erstens,
how did you make the chrome surround of the lower front grille ?

I had an idea, no one had before. I used the original A2 grill where the service flap is inside twice!! So I just removed the chrome part (it is a plastic part) from the original grill and only needed to cut some pice off to get the right high!
The wideness fits perfectly. Only the high was the problem. And you also can bend it a little bit by using hot air and kind of melt the plastic (just warm it up enough). But there is no need for much bending.
And I glued it by using three different types of glue.

[fbi]

Well done !
Thanks for the explanation :)