Interior Exterior
Q:
I think that there are too many shades of gray on my Graphite Gray Elise.
Question is... should I... ?
(a) Leave it alone
(b) Powder coat it the same graphite gray as the paint
(c) Powder coat it satin black to match the rear mesh
Please excuse my rough PhotoPainting...
Eventually I will probably lose the rear mesh (Sector111 panel kit) and just have an exposed exhaust... Arqray? MillTek?
Local quality powdercoating shop quoted $40 for satin black, $60 for black chrome or closest color matched graphite.
I know some of you bumblebee guys (yellow with black wheels) have done this but do you think it's a good idea on a GG?
Whatcha think?
A:
You can't go wrong with black...
A:
I think everyone should powdercoat their diffusers. I believe they should come from the factory black. It just "blends" so much better.
A:
Screw powdering coating....hard anodize it!!! It should stand up to scratches better, no? And it'll let the grain of the aluminum show...which I think is sexy!
A:
I think everyone should powdercoat their diffusers. I believe they should come from the factory black. It just "blends" so much better.
Ditto... and mine is going in to get the black powder-coating done in a week or two. Having them do the Gas door first. Then the diffuser and stock rims are going in.
A:
Having them do the Gas door first.
Funny thing is that I LIKE the silver gas cover and adore the silver LSS rims - even though they're painted and not anodized - anyone want to trade?
I just didn't like the assemblage of colors when looking at the back of the car.
Hmm... I think when I NiteShade the side LED reflectors in a couple of days I'll do the rear red ones as well. Are they hard to remove? Can I do it within taking out the entire rear grill? (I don't have service manual handy)
A:
Black.
A:
Black.
Mick, didn't I meet you at Log25?
Anyway... is that flat, satin or semi-gloss black - and is it anodized or powder coated?
Looks wonderful - I've decided to make it black!
A:
Mick, didn't I meet you at Log25?
Yep, the night they unveiled the Exige.
Anyway... is that flat, satin or semi-gloss black - and is it anodized or powder coated?
Semi-gloss, I'd say. From a can of high-temp, black engine paint. Two coats. I also painted the heat shield behind the mesh divider so that silver bits don't shine through.
Looks wonderful - I've decided to make it black!
Good choice!
A:
Black....
A:
I may be the only one, but I like it the color it is. It is an interesting feature on the rear of the car, and I feel it should stand out a little IMO.
A:
Mine is black, but I've always wondered what it would look like if the mesh, the area around the license plate, and the rear diffuser were all painted to match body color.
A:
You forgot option # 4, Replace with carbon fiber diffuser!
A:
You forgot option # 4, Replace with carbon fiber diffuser!
Ooooo.... that's really tempting... but the $40-$60 option is much cheaper right now. Maybe when I figure out what exhaust system I want (if the exhaust exits through the existing diffuser hole or not)...
A:
I think everyone should powdercoat their diffusers. I believe they should come from the factory black. It just "blends" so much better.
They come from the factory black...
On the Exige!
A:
powdercoat! Don't forget the rims, too!
A:
powdercoat! Don't forget the rims, too!
or you can just leave a year's worth of brake dust on the wheels for the same effect...
yeah yeah.
flame away.
i can take it.
A:
I'm a fan of the black, too, although the photo you did of the body-color diffuser allows it to show more of the lines--it's easily argued that black hides the diffuser against the rear mesh.
Still, the all-black rear end looks evil. In a good way.
A:
i guess i'm also in the minority in that i like how it looks standard.
A:
the Audi TT seemed to be the start of showing aluminum bits as being cool. I guess that is passe now and more seem to want powdercoated black pieces. History repeats itself. I remember in the early 80's when black trim was IN. I remember taking cheapo flat black spray paint and coating my wheels and other bits on my 73 Capri. I can remember the "euro" trimmed cars had black trim pieces instead of chrome. Black was cool back then and it seems to be coming around again.
I don't care for it.
Either keep the diffuser original or go CF.