so i am too cheap to pay 17+ dollars for 5 bolts and washers from PWJDM when for 21 dollars i can get paint screws and washers from home depot but when i did it on my civic they started peeling what would be the best way to paint these washers so i can add some bling to my engine bay without it starting to look like ****

 

you probably need to media blast the bolts first, tape up the threads so you don't blast off the corrosion resistant finish on them, you need to either prime or use one of the combination primer/paints. you will need to bake the paint to make it as chip resistant as possible. You can get pretty decent epoxy paints such as vht, your best option is probably powdercoat, what colors are you looking at? if you want to do basic black or a single color, you can get a reasonably priced powercoat kit from eastwood. you would need it and an old oven that won't be used for food anymore

 

Automotive epoxy (you can mix in basecoat to get whatever color you want.)

 

im just trying to paint them white thats about it so could i just paint it with VHT white high heat paint and stick it in an oven and let the paint harden? what degree and for how long

 

They have bake on high-heat ceramic paints that are pretty hardy. They're oven bake.

 

ok so i went to the VHT site

Off the Vehicle
Paint must be completely dry before curing
Heat to 250°F (121°C) for 30 minutes
Cool for 30 minutes
Heat to 400°F (204°C) for 30 minutes
Cool for 30 minutes
Heat to 650°F (343°C ) for 30 minutes

Thanks for your help guys

 

Even 2K automotive paints and primers will not adhere well enough or be tough enough to withstand torquing down the bolts. The only thing I have seen that will is the moisture-cure stuff like POR15 or Rust-Bullet.

You are wasting your time with rattle can stuff. It will look OK for a while, but it just isn't very durable... Baking them does nothing, that is for powder-coating.

Why not go with aluminum stuff from McMaster or Fastenal or something? Not that much $$$ and it looks fine

 

VHT ceramic paint NEEDS to be baked, that is the way it cures.

Moisture cured urethanes are allright, but honestly not necessarily much better than a 2k catalyzed or epoxy.

 

I didn't know that about VHT...do you why it needs the heat to cure?

POR15 is MUCH more durable than 2K catalyzed paint...MUCH more.

 

VHT is a ceramic paint, and much like ceramics need a kiln, VHT needs to be baked. It is intended for high high applications and ceramics are about the only thing that can withstand that.

I'm not sure how I feel about POR. I know it is is extremely durable, but I know some friends in the auto body industry who have had nasty experiences with it. Some guy coated his frame with it and had it rust through because the POR wouldn't flex with the metal on hard turns and made micro cracks that fostered rust.

 

not all vht paint needs heat to cure they have an epoxy black paint which cures on it's own. I even did my dash in it and it's held up excellent, I have banged the heck out of that dash on my bench and it hasn't peeled or chipped, i probably should have modified the dash first, but long story

 

The problem with POR and RB is the prep is unusual and very specific...and if not done right you can have problems. Had he done it correctly the POR would have bonded chemically with the metal and cracks would not be an issue. It's not like a regular paint that creates a protective layer that moisture can get under, it becomes part of the metal (when done right).

I always get the piece down to bare metal, clean it, then mist with water for a couple days to get a good coat of bright orange surface rust, then scuff the rust and apply POR. Sticks like a ****