My tail light panels are new again

[cozye]

Found some black metallic that is real close to the 280z original tail light panel color. I've been cleaning these up, refinishing the screws, cleaning up the chrome, and repainting the plastic panels for a couple of weeks off and on. The last step was a quick color sand with 1500 and some fine cut buffing compound. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, however one of my chrome bezels is a bit faded. It will do until I find another.

[kitran01]

Very nice.

[Oiluj]

very nice!

[Threehz]

That turned out great! Mine needs the exact same thing done and I've actually been wondering what the original color looked like but I really like that one you used. What kind of paint and the exact color if possible is that?

[cozye]

I used Duplicolor "Perfect Match" Universal Metallic black, then 4 or 5 coats of the clear per instructions. I wet sanded with 1500 a few days later, then used a fine cut polishing compound and rubbed out by hand. Since the panels are plastic, I wet sanded with 600 first, then used the duplicolor adhesion promotor recommended for plastics first.

They are probably a bit shinier than original, but the metallic black is very close from what I can tell. If you could do a "semi gloss" finish, it would be closer to original i think. For my purposes, the glossy works just fine for me.

[Z train]

I thought the panel had a grey-ish"mat" finish to it.

[cozye]

I thought the panel had a grey-ish"mat" finish to it.

If you find a section of a part that hasn't had much weather (like the underside of the license plate light), it's a dark metallic gray. I wouldn't call the sheen a matt or flat finish. It's not a high gloss as I mentioned previously, but if you wax a section that hasn't weathered much, it's some where between a low gloss and satin finish. I believe originally they were just a painted plastic part, evident by the finish wearing off on many of the sharp edges and sanding reveals a lighter grey or tan plastic underneath. Every example I've found of panels is weathered, faded, and most of the metallic worn off. Also, I don't think its the same finish as what the 240's had on them. On the 280, the mirror, license plate frame, license plate light, and tail light panels all have this metallic finish on them. My 280 had been garaged for 30 years, I believe the plastics hadn't degraded as much as many I've seen.

I tried to go with more of a subdued sheen on my first attempt, but I couldn't get it consistent. I had to redo one of the panels do to a little separation in the coating, so I decided to go full glossy. Below is a pic of when I first painted it, it's the same color but the photo shows more of the metallic that gives it the gray look.