First off if you are on cobaltss.net I just copy and pasted this from my post over there,, so don't flame me if you keep reading just to realize it's identical.

Anywho

I was getting bored with the stock look of my cobalt, so I decided to take a trip down to my local auto parts place and pick up some paint.

Here's what I started with for those who haven't seen my car,, nothin special,, stock cobalt minus the GM badges.



Can you guess what I'm up to?



I figured why not make it a full day of painting

front cleaned and masked


rear cleaned and masked




by far the best $15 mod ever, IMO,
only 3 coats and still have 80-90% of the can of paint left.
front

rear


I know, I know, the rotors look like ass,,, and as soon as they need to be replaced I will upgrade,,, but til then, might as well punish the stockers.

I dunno why I liked this pic


The fun begins, (I took lots of in between pics,, but there is already a nice how to available)

One coat of primer on the left,,, just starting to sand on the right


Well you know what they say about watching paint dry, so here's the bezel after 2 coats of primer,,, mucho sanding, 3-4 coats of base, more sanding, and 3 coats of clear.


Rims bolted back on


And in case anyone wonders or notices, no the headlights are not fogged up, I just hadn't washed my dirty ass handprints off of the outside yet, and didn't realize til the next day.

Front angle without the emblem


I'm still undecided on the front emblem. I think I'd prefer an SS badge, any opinions?


I would love this pic if I hadn't just rolled through some mud and dirtied up my rim/tire.


Well that was my Saturday, and I'm happy with the results, the stock chrome headlighhts always bugged me. I want to go CF hood and trunk in the future to tie it all together.

All comments, crtiticisms, and suggestions welcome,, thanks for looking



"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where
they're going and hook up with them later." RIP Mitch Hedberg

headlights are good

chevy badge no so good in black

imo car need bigger rotors for the stock 18 inch rims

Yeah, I'm still unsure about the badge, but it was free and only took me an hour or two with wait time, but I am probably going to order an SS badge to replace it until someone makes a CF emblem for the Balt.

The rotors aren't a bad size at all,, actually if they were any bigger finding winter shoes could be a problem. But like I said when the stock rotors are toast I will replace with some slotted and drilled ones. I'd do it now, but I can't justify the $3-400 dollars when the stockers are still doin their job. I have other places to spend that money until then anyways.

But as always thanks for the comments good or bad, keep em coming



"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where
they're going and hook up with them later." RIP Mitch Hedberg

best mod you could possibly do on any cobalt SS is to take that damn factory wing off looks good though, why not paint the caliper bracket though?




Arrival Blue 04 LS Sport
Eco
Turbo
Megasquirt
'Nuff said

Yeah I know, but since I want to go with a CF trunk anyways I don't wanna go through patching up the holes on the stocker. Def. can't wait to be able to see out of my rear window or use the rear view again though, lol

I left the bracket unpainted because I liked the contrast. I still have tons of the caliper paint though, so I can always take an evening and change it if I want to. I've seen them done both ways and alwyas thought it looked like better this way. For now though I like the red and silver contrasting. I'll see if I can find a better thru-rim pic.



"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where
they're going and hook up with them later." RIP Mitch Hedberg

Just snapped some more pics in the sun,, excuse the quality they are from the camera phone

Scarab, I will try and get a better thru rim pic when I go home if I remember









"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where
they're going and hook up with them later." RIP Mitch Hedberg

just repaint the bracket, like silver again, or black, it would look cleaner and still contrast....i think he just meant, compared to the caliper itself, the brackets paint looks worn...but i agree dont do the bracket red too, that would be to much.

^^ That is a really good idea. I think black would look good, or maybe something gunmetal to match the rims. I'll do that when I upgrade the rotors for sure, if it doesn't bug me too much before then. I can't believe I never thought of that, I knew if it was all red I wouldn't like it.

Thanks guys,, this is why I love the .org



"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where
they're going and hook up with them later." RIP Mitch Hedberg

Looks good, but umm why did you go with Red paint for the calipers? I love the headlights..











~2014 New Z under the knife, same heart different body~
______________________
WHITECAVY no more
2012 numbers - 4SPD AUTOMATIC!!
328 HP
306 TQ

WHITECAVY wrote:Looks good, but umm why did you go with Red paint for the calipers? I love the headlights..

Probably the same reason that you did. I typically think calipers look better in red,, maybe black would have looked cool.
My only options were red, yellow or blue in the caliper painting kit.

I could have tried mixing red and yellow to get orange,,, but I probably would have hated the shade I ended up with. And yellow or blue would have looked like ass in my opinion.



"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where
they're going and hook up with them later." RIP Mitch Hedberg

Looks like good work there, I like it....

Wish I had da time ta do it meself...






Silver Stripey makes your Day!

03eco33 (SS33) wrote:

WHITECAVY wrote:Looks good, but umm why did you go with Red paint for the calipers? I love the headlights..

Probably the same reason that you did. I typically think calipers look better in red,, maybe black would have looked cool.
My only options were red, yellow or blue in the caliper painting kit.

I could have tried mixing red and yellow to get orange,,, but I probably would have hated the shade I ended up with. And yellow or blue would have looked like ass in my opinion.

Well I went went red because my engine and interior is red.. I was just wondeirng about yours because you have an Orange car. I didnt know you were so limited on color choices, thats all











~2014 New Z under the knife, same heart different body~
______________________
WHITECAVY no more
2012 numbers - 4SPD AUTOMATIC!!
328 HP
306 TQ

Mine will be red too!....Soon






Silver Stripey makes your Day!

WHITECAVY: Ya there aren't alot of options out there in ceramic paint, at least that I have found. But I just bought the $15 cheap kit from AutoZone, so if anyone knows a good place for the high heat ceramic paint lemme know.

And actually I thought about doing the headlight bezels paint matched, but dupli-color doesn't even make my color in a rattle can yet, I found the touch up paint, but the catalog doesn't even list a number for rattle can. Has anyone had any better luck finding the sunburst orange coded paints?

Thanks for all the comments everyone, keep em coming



"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where
they're going and hook up with them later." RIP Mitch Hedberg

03ecoSS, you don't have to use caliper paint. The main reason you need the caliper paint is because its high temp. So use engine block paint. More colors and hell of a lot cheaper.

Also about the rotors. I am converting my rear to LS1 disc brakes and the front to C4 Corvette brakes. I was researching and reading on the F-body boards and pretty much everyone said rather then wasting your money on slotted and cross drilled rotors a good set of racing brake pads you will notice a bigger difference. It will release the gases just as well if not better. It will also cost a whole hell of a lot less. Biggest reason for slotted/drilled rotors unless you pay BIG bucks is looks.

^^Yeah I thought about that, but I liked the brush on ceramic paint idea better, no need to worry about oversray. If I ever completely take them off the car the high temp aerosol would def. be the way to go. .

The stock rotors are just under 12" up front and just under 11" out back,,, so they should do the trick for all I'll use her for. I won't be doing any Auto-X. And just like you said Rabbit the only reason for the slotted/drilled rotors would be for looks. But they aren't too expensive. I can do all 4 for under $400, so once these ones go I might do that. Even if it is only for looks.

If my cavy ever makes a comeback I will def. be doing the swap from the W/N/F body platforms.

The cobalt will never see an Auto-X track though, so all of my mods will be for appearance or more passing power.





"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where
they're going and hook up with them later." RIP Mitch Hedberg

I know what you mean on the looks thing. I love the looks of some slotted and cross drilled rotors. I haven't started my brake upgrade because they wont fit behind the wheels I have now. It may be a little while before I can afford to buy some rims so I need to wait. Would hate to do a brake upgrade and cant fit my wheels back on.

I hear ya bout the wheels, that's what I was trying to tell the guy who suggested I needed larger rotors. If they were any bigger I'd be screwed for winter tires. As it is they're too big for alot of rims.

But the drilled/slotted rotors would look hella sexy behind my rims I think.

It's too nice outside,, makes this cubicle feel like a prison cell

I need freedom and my grill



"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where
they're going and hook up with them later." RIP Mitch Hedberg

I'd have to see the Cobalt SS rim again in person. Seems to me you dont see enough of the rotor with stock rims to upgrade to a slotted/drilled rotor for looks.

You do not need that over priced caliper paint any spray paint works just fine I done this stuff for almost 20 years now and never had any special paint before so obviously its not needed. My Cavi is the same color and I painted the calipers and drums to match the car. I also painted my headlights but I painted them to match the car. The black looks great on the lights but I would have done the brakes to match the car.

Looks so much better then them damn chrome headlights!










Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.

you should have painted the caliper braket too, and made them orange instead.


-Borsty

Holy Crap Borsty and I agree!!





Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.

The headlights look great. It seems there is a perfect amount of black on the car right now.

Keep up the good work.





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lights look good but im not feeling the black bowtie or the red drums, drums would look better in black i think, red doesnt match at all.

Jackalope wrote:Holy Crap Borsty and I agree!!

is that odd or something?


-Borsty