So as some of you have already seen I am going for the "stealth" type look on my car.

I've already tinted the headlights and taillights.....removed all the decals as well as the "Civic" and "Si" logos on the trunk lid.

So now I'm looking for advice as far as either painting the "H" emblems on the front grill and trunk lid black or purchasing black ones straight up (if they are available for the car). Any advice/located DIYs would be helpful.

I know this is a bit off topic but anything directly regarding my car I post in here because other sub-forums usually do not provide very much help with issues like this.

Thanx guys!

 

Get the clear smoke spray (like VHT), spray a few coats on them.

Darkens them up enough to look good

 

i agree. dont make them to dark though

 

What about sanding? Recommended...or will the spray stick fine over the existing material?

 

They make a plastic adhesion promoter from like Autozone, I would imagine that would do the trick, And wouldn't require you to sand off the chrome covering.

*edit*

I should also add the plastic promoter goes on clear. So it's not going to ruin the chrome look.

 

How difficult is it to remove these emblems?

 

They should be made with two spots that hold the emblems together.

if you do paint, make sure you sand off the chrome part first!

 

be careful not to break them

 

you still need to sand before applying the plastic promoter. nothing's going to stick to a chrome finish. the front emblem will quickly start to look like **** as the spray chips off.

 

a search should tell u how to take the emblems off, either here and i know there is a diy on 8th

 

Oh I was under the impression he was going for a black chrome look.

Ignore my statement then.

If he's going for straight black then by all means sand the chrome and then apply a plastic primer that'll do the same thing as an adhesion promoter then apply regular black spray.

 

if the op wants the glossy black look he's better off sanding the emblems and using some kind of glossy gunmetal or black paint. if the emblems aren't sanded first you'll be able to tell within a few months cuz they'll be chipping.

 

What type of sandpaper grit should I use in terms of sanding?

 

use a red scotchbrite pad and scuff it.

 

Either way, you don't need to sand it. A paint made to adhere to plastic will stick to the "chrome" just fine. If it were real chrome (metal), it'd be another story. If you aren't going for a chrome finish, spray a nice even coat of primer (for plastic), and let it completely dry. Then use the finish (intended for plastic) of your choice. If you are going for a chrome finish, just lay down the plastic promoter first, followed by your finish. 6 years ago, I sprayed the emblems on my '91 Accord black, and they still looked like the day I did them, when I sold my trunk lid and grill.

 

if he scuffs them he wont need a primer. the paint will stick just fine

 

One of my friends has a NHBP '08 Si and he painted the Honda 'H' emblems on the front and back glossy black. They turned out really well and in my opinion, the glossy black is perfect for the stealth look. I think the only way it could be better is if he had actually gotten some NHBP paint and painted them with that.

The front emblem is held on by 2 screws on the back. Since the grill is attached to the front bumper, the easiest way to get to them and remove it is to take off the entire front bumper. They are phillips head screws and you will need a long, thin screwdriver to get in the holes that they are in. The rear emblem is held on by 2 clips inside the trunk and maybe a little glue on the outside. I don't think my friend's had glue on it, but I have heard of some people having it so get some goo-gone just in case.

Despite what some people say...yes you have to sand the emblems and yes you need to prime them. 200 grit sand paper will work just fine. Your sanding doesn't have to be perfect. All you need to do is scuff it up to get rid of the smooth finish. The paint will adhere much better to a rough surface. Once you have sanded both emblems, apply 2 coats of primer to each. Since you will be painting them a dark color, you will need to use a dark grey tinted primer. My friend used the Krylon industrial strength stuff in spray cans.

Next comes the paint. My friend used glossy black (again, the Krylon industrial strength spray cans) to paint his emblems. I would recommend applying at least 4-5 coats of paint to each emblem. This will help to keep them looking better longer. You may even want to add an extra coat or two to the front emblem since it will on the receiving end of road debris regularly. The paint cans should have instructions on how long to wait in between coats and how long to wait before applying the clear coat.

After the paint is ready, you can apply the clear coat (and you guessed it, it's the Krylon stuff again). 4-5 coats of clear should keep the emblems looking good for a while. Make sure that you let the clear coat dry before putting the emblems back on.

Once the emblems are painted, your stealth look will be complete. Let me know if you have any questions and good luck!

BTW....Don't forget to post pictures when you finish.

 

Yes, I know. And scuffing won't hurt anything, but IF he wants to retain the chrome look, then scuffing isn't really an option. Once again (from personal experience painting hundreds of things), primer or plastic promoter will be a fine base and you don't "have" to sand it. Sanding is always recommended when you paint something, but sometimes it is not a viable option, like when you might want to retain a chrome finish. If you use the right base, and apply it correctly, it will last forever.

 

my buddy painted his black on his nhbp. they looked good and hes a complete doofus so you should be good to go RICO

 

Okay so I have one person saying I HAVE to sand them....and you are saying I don't have to.

This is the situation I was hoping NOT to run into.

Which is it?

 

The only reason I was really saying you don't have to sand is because there was a possibility that you want to keep the "chrome" look. Sanding would ruin that. If you don't care about the chrome look, then just be safe and sand.