The graphic to the right is the shape of the hood logo. Click on it to enlarge it. It can then be printed out or you can use the .jpg file in a paint type of program to play with your color scheme if you like.
Paint Hood Liner |
| Performed on: | '01 GTS |
|---|---|
| Benefits: | Looks cool |
| Parts Required: | $15 - $20 |
| Total Cost: | Same |
| Tools Required: | Masking tape, paint, something to apply the paint (paint
brush, foam brush or small roller), 13mm socket or wrench Retaining clip removal tool (optional) |
| Time Required: | 1-2 hours plus drying time |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| This is one of those projects that is fun, creative, easy and cheap. Can't beat that! The idea is to paint the relatively inconspicuous Viper head logo which is embossed on the hood liner so that it is a little less inconspicuous. | Click pics below to enlarge |
| The hardest part of this project is deciding what color
scheme to go with. I chose to go with a color combination that
included the color of my car (yellow) along with the color of the engine
(red).
The graphic to the right is the shape of the hood logo. Click on it to enlarge it. It can then be printed out or you can use the .jpg file in a paint type of program to play with your color scheme if you like. |
|
| For my project, I used the Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch paint from Home Depot. I selected this paint since it has a gloss finish to resist dirt and is for indoor/outdoor use. They also happen to have a yellow and red color which matches my car exterior and motor colors fairly well. | |
| The hood liner should be removed from the Viper to make this process easier and to avoid the chance of getting overspray on the car. There are a number of plastic liner retaining clips holing the liner in place which need to be pulled out. I used a $3.99 generic interior pin tool which worked OK, but I still messed up a couple of fasteners which will need to be replaced. | |
| In addition, the two ground braids which connect the liner to the hood mounts must be disconnected by removing the top hood mount nuts using a 13mm socket or wrench. The large plug pointed to by the top arrow can be popped out of the hood with a screwdriver or similar flat bladed tool.. | |
| Here is what the hood liner looks like once it is out of the car. | |
| The hood liner is composed of a very porous mat material. In order to seal this somewhat and help with the colored paint to be added later, I masked the basic logo outline off. I then applied an entire spray can of the semi-gloss black paint in multiple coats. | |
| Here you can see my work setup. I had my printed out logo picture handy to ensure I painted the right parts. On the right, you can see the small foam brush which is what I used for painting the graphic. | |
| Here is a close-up of the finished logo. One lesson I learned was that as long as I kept the paint up on the embossed portion, I could keep a nice clean line. If I got too close to the 90 degree bend, the paint would want to puddle out a little. This can be seen on the jaw line a little in the picture to the right. | |
| Here is the completed project back in the car. It does a good job of tying the colors of the car together. | |