Acura TL - Font Bumper Logo Painting

Want to snazz up your Acura TL but don't want to shell out $35 or so for an Acura logo decal to fit in the recess on the front bumper? Me either. So I painted it.

Note: This is not an original idea of mine. I swiped it from PsychoRx on the Acurazine forum - acurazine.com Thanks PsychoRx!

You don't need too much to accomplish this:

1) Clear laminate film - find it with "contact" paper
2) Craft knife with fresh, sharp blade. #11 is probably best
3) Spray paint of the color desired. I used black on my Anthracite Metalic TL
4) Masking supplies
5) Degreaser/cleaner. I used Prep-All, found in the auto dept at Wal*Mart
6) Cotton swabs
7) Scissors

Optional (not shown)
1) Clear coat paint

Using the degreaser/cleaner and cotton swabs, thoroughly clean the recessed letters in the bumper. This will help the paint to adhere to the surface.

Measure and cut off a section of laminate. I used an 11" piece which was plenty long. Apply this over the letters, making sure it's firmly applied around the letters. Don't worry about wrinkles away from the letters. The bumper is composed of compound curves so a flat sheet cannot possibly lay on it perfectly. Perfection is only needed around the logo and that's easy to achieve.

Feeling patient? Good, because now you have to use the craft knife to carefully cut out the logo. Identify the flat part of the letter - the most recessed part. Where that starts to "rise" to the surface of the bumper is your guide line. Gently cut out the laminate following that line for each letter. The laminate will cut easily with the craft knife, so cut lightly and try not to scar up the original bumper paint.

Do this for each letter.

Hint: This need to be done well - as good as you can do it, but perfection isn't required unless you or your buds are going to inspect it from 6". The final job won't come out any better than your cutting effort.

Use your masking supplies and mask off the bumper further - until you're satisfied that you won't get extra paint on it.

Hint: DO NOT use newspaper. Paint will soak through it and onto your bumper. Use something like grocery bags.

I applied three (3) light coats of paint, waiting about 5 minutes between coats. The can said 10 minutes, but I was impatient and had done very light coats.

Hint: Use LIGHT coats. You do not want a run to ruin your hard work thus far!

Optional: Apply a shot of clear coat over the paint to protect it more and gloss it up some.

Allow the paint about 5 minutes to harden some - this is with or without the clear coat. I peeled mine from the top down, but it does not really matter. Peel the laminate back against itself or almost against itself so that it comes off in a "shearing" motion. This is a lot easier on your paint that pulling it directly away from the bumper.

If you don't understand this, I'm sorry. It's one of those things that's easier to show than to write out. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture - I wanted to see the end result!

You can now admire your work and be the envy of your friends. Offer to do theirs for $20 a pop so you can pay for your supplies.

Thank you for reading this Instructable. If you have questions or comments, please leave me a note.

Steve