[Jambo1]

Having changed the exhaust tips a little less than a year ago, with some of the recognizable styles available, mine were showing some wear.

The clear coat had started cracking and peeling, the etched in ///M logo over the black high temp lacquer disappearing as the paint generally cooked with higher heat.

Rather than get a new set, I felt it wasteful to not restore these, and risk the obvious happening to the new set after a year or two. Using 2K Sp*****x Clear Coat (the best stuff ever), I first dismantled the tips, went to town with a wire wheel on the metal part, removing all the black lacquer.

I also wanted a little bit of the gold color on the stainless steel, so tried a little heat coloring with my propane torch. I overshot this a little when it turned blue.

For the ///M logo, I found a local guy working out of his garage, and we laser etched in a new logo, playing around with different power levels - resulting in a really cool looking finish. At some angles, the logos are jet black, and at others, it’s a light steel blue color.

For the carbon parts, I wet sanded these down and used Sp*****x - the finish came out stellar, with not a spec of dust anywhere. Use of a tack cloth is paramount. I didn’t care to sand down all the way to the point of removing the gel coat to remove the yellowing that had occurred. If it was some item other than carbon fiber, I would have done so. Not so noticeable now anyway, and it actually looks good the way it is with a super thick and shiny clear coat.

As an impromptu bonus, I had to repair a curbed wheel of the wife’s X5, together with one of mine after my car came back from the dealer (I’m too OCD about curbed wheels, but of course I can’t prove they did it - so just moved on). For the wheels, I didn’t want to go through a ton of prep work protecting the cars or removing the wheels, so I used an airbrush with automotive urethane clear with a urethane reducer. Came out great. I could have spent more time wet sanding the machined lips down to 2500 grit, but one gouge was so large on the X5, that sufficient material had to be removed, resulting in a change in angle on the plane.

The abrasions on the wrist was a whiskey dick moment, with the wire wheel not caring what it took out next.

[Jambo1]

I just noticed - the word *S.p.r.a.y.M.a.x* is being censored lol.

[DryBark]

I wish the curb rash on my wife’s X5 was this mild. How do you rub 360 degrees without noticing? There’s a new one every week, so I’ve given up on repairs. Curved wheels drive me bananas 😂

[pbonsalb]

Nice work!