Race car or Ricer, need some opinion on an aesthetics issue

The question is, should my air dam fasteners be painted black to blend in with the air dam?

i would say if you have time it would look better painted, but i wouldnt sweat it if they didnt get painted... because racecar

I would paint them to match. That being said, it looks fine with them raw. Very GRM.

(Coming from a guy with a plywood splitter )

Leave the fasteners alone. Looks industrial which makes it more awesome! If you paint those, the paint will eventually begin to peel making it look like @##%^&.

The Hoff wrote: I would paint them to match. That being said, it looks fine with them raw. Very GRM. (Coming from a guy with a plywood splitter )

Yeah, kind of my feelings too. It's just going to have to get re-done after a four-off at a wrong spot on the track, anyway. Here is some more GRM style: my sealed radiator inlet duct made from mylar film and urethane adhesive! The rad is now boxed all the way around woth this stuff.

trucke wrote: Leave the fasteners alone. Looks industrial which makes it more awesome! If you paint those, the paint will eventually begin to peel making it look like @##%^&.

Sad truth, even though IMO painting them would look better (in the short term at least).

Yes, paint them...if you can do it without them peeling.

I would look at anodizing them, which would avoid the peeling issue and should hold up to being removed and reinstalled if necessary.

Sometimes you can even find fasteners that already black from places like McMaster-Carr, etc.

In reply to Stefan (Not Bruce):

You can diy anodize. I can't remember which chemicals you need and if its the same for aluminum and zinc/whatever coated steel but its really simple and you can get the two chemicals from walmart or homedepot and use ritz clothes dye from walmart, any color you want pretty much.

In reply to chiodos:

Exactly what I was thinking.

I personally like them shiny. But I believe in the "can't see it from the drivers seat" theory as far as most aesthetics go.

Lol. The easiest diy anodize ever- a sharpie. Nearly free. Doesn't peel. Can be redone anytime.

In reply to Trackmouse:

It amazes me how well a sharpie holds up. I picked up energy suspension motor mounts for my car at a junkyard. The red mounts didn't go with my sleeper looking engine bay, so I colored them black with a sharpie. It has lasted for years.

Replace them with black oxide fasteners and you should be good to go.

Paint is heavy. Bare metal makes it go faster.

mndsm wrote: Paint is heavy. Bare metal makes it go faster.

But if you fill in the recesses in the screw heads, does the aero benefit help more than the extra weight hurts?

On a car like that does paint make it go faster. If no then leave alone.

rslifkin wrote:

mndsm wrote: Paint is heavy. Bare metal makes it go faster.

But if you fill in the recesses in the screw heads, does the aero benefit help more than the extra weight hurts?

Good question. Run unpainted, paint, run again?

They do sell colored rivets.

Plasti-Dip with a small brush or Q-Tip.

Peel it off if you need to access the head.

Black nail polish after a good cleaning.

Or colored, actually, if that is more your style.

mndsm wrote:

rslifkin wrote:

mndsm wrote: Paint is heavy. Bare metal makes it go faster.

But if you fill in the recesses in the screw heads, does the aero benefit help more than the extra weight hurts?

Good question. Run unpainted, paint, run again?

Hah! On a car like this, even taking a good dump first makes it go faster!

I'm fine with the exposed fasteners, but I have a high tolerance for stuff like that.

In reply to the question you never asked, I would bring the black on the rockers up another 2" to the fold line in the door, and add a yellow border like you did on the skunk stripes.

Bare is fine, sharpie if you must.

Are those screws? After years running crapcan races, here's my PSA: Back those puppies out one at a time and replace them with a big rivet and backing washer.

Sheetmetal and wood screws end races.