Top: ready for paint. Lower: as delivered. Project 17 came to me with some pretty nasty-looking exhaust pipes as part of the SuperTrapp slip-ons. Normally I would have them sandblasted but my guy's machine was out of service, so I simply went old-school — elbow grease.
I start with a thorough degreasing, then wire brushing the big stuff, then hitting the metal with a rotary rust-removing disc, and finally hand-sanding — first with 100-grit paper followed by a finer wet-sanding with sponge-backed sandpaper. Sponge paper helps get into the grooves and small crevices. After a wipe with acetone the pipes are hung to be sprayed with hi-heat primer and finally several coats of flat black. After a few days to cure I rub out the black paint with a clean, dry microfiber cloth giving the pipes a medium sheen which is very close to the factory look. Fresh gaskets and new chrome clamps finish 'em up.
The aluminum mufflers were finished with various grades of wet-sanding with a light hand polishing, which I've covered in previous posts.
NOTE: The spray-can paint used here is not at all impervious to gasoline or other chemicals. But if future touchup is necessary it's pretty easy.
I start with a thorough degreasing, then wire brushing the big stuff, then hitting the metal with a rotary rust-removing disc, and finally hand-sanding — first with 100-grit paper followed by a finer wet-sanding with sponge-backed sandpaper. Sponge paper helps get into the grooves and small crevices. After a wipe with acetone the pipes are hung to be sprayed with hi-heat primer and finally several coats of flat black. After a few days to cure I rub out the black paint with a clean, dry microfiber cloth giving the pipes a medium sheen which is very close to the factory look. Fresh gaskets and new chrome clamps finish 'em up.
The aluminum mufflers were finished with various grades of wet-sanding with a light hand polishing, which I've covered in previous posts.
NOTE: The spray-can paint used here is not at all impervious to gasoline or other chemicals. But if future touchup is necessary it's pretty easy.
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