V8V Wing Mirror corrosion fix, part 1.
Discussion
I know lots of people have suffered from the wing mirror arm corrosion issue, so I thought I'd create a DIY fix thread, to help anyone else wondering if they can tackle the issue themselves. This guide shows you how to get the area prepped and primed. I'll do another later for the finished article
You will need:
1. Sandpaper - 80, 120, 180 grit.
2. Torx bit and screwdriver
3. Masking tape.
4. Sheeting to mask the vehicle, (I used bubble wrap)
5. White spirit
6. Kitchen towel
7. Etch primer
Step 1.
To make the job easier, you can easily remove the wing mirror body from the arm, and then fix it out of the way. To do this, simply push the wing mirror so that the mirror is closest to the window. This will allow you access to the first torx bolt. like so.
Then push the wing mirror back to it's normal position, and then continue pushing the mirror in the same direction, it will move around and click into a final position (with the mirror pointing away from the car. This gives you access to the second and final torx bolt.
Step 2.
Prepare four strips of masking tape and stick to the window. Now move the wing mirror body into a position that's best for you, and with the strips of masking tape, secure the wing mirror body out of the way...
Step 3.
Using 80 grit sandpaper, rub down the affected area, being particularly cautious not to touch any other paintwork. if you're not confident, you might want to mask off any area that you need to protect. The 80 grit paper will make quick work of the corrosion.
Step 4. Once the main flaky areas are removed, move to 120 grit, and finally 180.
Step 5. Clean the area affected and the surrounding area with white spirit.
Step 6. Now mask the area, I cut a whole into a sheet of bubble wrap and used masking tape to secure it, then mask carefully around the area to be painted. Given that you're going to paint black over the top of this, don't be afraid to mask a straight line. Like so...
Step 7. Shake your can of etch primer, do not shake the can near the car in case you let go of it (not I didn't, but I've seen it done) Then apply light strokes from around 8 inches from the paintwork. The trick here is to 'waft' paint over the area rather than simply pointing and spraying. Let each coat dry according to instructions, (mine was 15 mins) I gave mine 5 coats
Step 8. Wait for the paint to dry for 30 mins, remove all masking, re-position the mirror body into the wing mirror arm and re-affix. This allows the etch primer to dry and harden for at least 24 hours, then you can tackle the black top coat. I'll create that guide, when I've done mine!
Checking my photos, time taken from start to finish was 2.5 hours but the vast amount of that is waiting for the paint to dry.
Hope this helps.
part 2 is now available...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
rancid
You will need:
1. Sandpaper - 80, 120, 180 grit.
2. Torx bit and screwdriver
3. Masking tape.
4. Sheeting to mask the vehicle, (I used bubble wrap)
5. White spirit
6. Kitchen towel
7. Etch primer
Step 1.
To make the job easier, you can easily remove the wing mirror body from the arm, and then fix it out of the way. To do this, simply push the wing mirror so that the mirror is closest to the window. This will allow you access to the first torx bolt. like so.
Then push the wing mirror back to it's normal position, and then continue pushing the mirror in the same direction, it will move around and click into a final position (with the mirror pointing away from the car. This gives you access to the second and final torx bolt.
Step 2.
Prepare four strips of masking tape and stick to the window. Now move the wing mirror body into a position that's best for you, and with the strips of masking tape, secure the wing mirror body out of the way...
Step 3.
Using 80 grit sandpaper, rub down the affected area, being particularly cautious not to touch any other paintwork. if you're not confident, you might want to mask off any area that you need to protect. The 80 grit paper will make quick work of the corrosion.
Step 4. Once the main flaky areas are removed, move to 120 grit, and finally 180.
Step 5. Clean the area affected and the surrounding area with white spirit.
Step 6. Now mask the area, I cut a whole into a sheet of bubble wrap and used masking tape to secure it, then mask carefully around the area to be painted. Given that you're going to paint black over the top of this, don't be afraid to mask a straight line. Like so...
Step 7. Shake your can of etch primer, do not shake the can near the car in case you let go of it (not I didn't, but I've seen it done) Then apply light strokes from around 8 inches from the paintwork. The trick here is to 'waft' paint over the area rather than simply pointing and spraying. Let each coat dry according to instructions, (mine was 15 mins) I gave mine 5 coats
Step 8. Wait for the paint to dry for 30 mins, remove all masking, re-position the mirror body into the wing mirror arm and re-affix. This allows the etch primer to dry and harden for at least 24 hours, then you can tackle the black top coat. I'll create that guide, when I've done mine!
Checking my photos, time taken from start to finish was 2.5 hours but the vast amount of that is waiting for the paint to dry.
Hope this helps.
part 2 is now available...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
rancid
Edited by rancidswan on Monday 4th September 15:16
Edited by rancidswan on Saturday 9th September 17:14
Edited by rancidswan on Saturday 9th September 17:15
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