Yellow Indy Joins Family!

[MY91GT(Z)]

looks pretty good and coming along nice, at least is another indy being saved

[Rettax3]

So the chin spoiler was in such bad shape that it probably wasn't worth saving, except I don't have much other choice. The spoiler originally came from a red GTU, I am guessing an '88 since the plastic was molded in black, whereas my other Indy and my '89 GTU both had spoilers molded in yellow (a little ironic, I think). The left half still had red paint under the yellow, and the right half had been stripped down to plastic and reprimed with a poor attempt to repair a crack in the right corner.

Now, any of us who have attempted any body-work (and I am not a body or paint person, I am at best at a good amateur level) know that old paint can be removed mechanically, like with sand-paper, or a 3M-style paint-stripping wheel on a power drill, etc, or it can be removed be chemical means, like Jasco paint-stripper, Aircraft Stripper, or even by lacquer-thinner or paint thinner or MEK if you are brave enough to use it. A heat-gun can also remove paint, but wouldn't be recommended on a plastic spoiler... I swear it looks like the previous owner tried to strip the old paint off with an angle-grinder!

Hmmm, should I strip the old paint with Aircraft Stripper, sand-paper, or an angle-grinder? Hmmm...

I sanded as much of the spoiler smooth as I had patience and energy for. The rest was smoothed with filler which probably won't last forever, but it is the best I could do.

The upper section shows the results of too much time sanding-down the plastic spoiler.

I spent a lot of time and effort sanding-down the right-side of the spoiler, trying to smooth-down the gouges cut all across it, and finally used a thin spreading of body-filler epoxy and spot-glazing putty to fill-in the deeper cuts and smooth it for paint. I am waiting to see how quickly these fillers will pop-out of this flexible plastic. But it works for now. I'm still thinking of cutting holes in it for some driving-lights, if I find a set I really like for the car. I won't feel too bad considering how rough this spoiler is, and the lights might actually provide some support for the spoiler if I mount them right. The yellow is courtesy of rattle-can, but it looks very good for what it is, and is almost a perfect color-match for the original paint. Unfortunately, the hood and front bumper-cover paint was so badly painted by the previous owners that the spoiler now has the best-looking paint up front. I touched-up some of he worst areas, but it needs repaint at some future time, like most of my cars.

After paint, it looks pretty good, total cost aside from time was under $2 in materials.

Far from done, the car is at least presentable now. With a new hood, some paint, and some buffing, she'll look good from ten feet away.