Anyone paint their gas caps?

[M20E-1964]

My gas caps have seen better days- flaking paint, etc.

 

Has anyone repainted theirs?  How did you prep?  What paint did you use?

 

I'm thinking about painting them red (the wings are white).  Black may be another options. 

 

Any thoughts or ideas?

[jetdriven]

I am thinking about painting them red.  The ones for the bladders, at least, are aluminum. Which means strip, acid etch, alodine, wash prime, then paint with urethane. Easy if you have a spray gun etc.  I have some left over red Sherwin-Williams Polane prop paint,  I might paint them with that.

 

If your paint is in vry good condition, hit it with a red scotchbrite pad and paint with a real good red spray paint, but I'd still prefer urethane, such as Nason.

[FBCK]

There was an Mooney with picture here the other day and the caps where striped to down to the metal, I thought they looked great and was going to do the same.

[jetdriven]

I know a guy in Houston that had his fuel caps chromed, along with his door prop rod, baggage door rod, door handles, and tie downs.

 

EDIT.  the caps were polished like a mirror. The rest was chromed.

[FBCK]

Jetdriven, you seem to know a little about paint, so, what would be the best way to strip the paint of the caps (what chemical) to get ready for a polished look?

[jetdriven]

Hit it with aircraft stripper, you can get it at Autozone.  Then sand it with 400, then 600, then 800, then 1000, then hit it with a muslin buffing wheel and some aluminum buffing compound. It will polish like chrome.   You can get the wheels and compound bars at Southwest Metal FInishing.

Then wax the heck out of it.

[1964-M20E]

If you polish them you could always put some clear laquer on the caps that will save you form having to polish them. I'm sure that in a few years it will chip or fade but then you cna strip and re polish once ever 4 or 5 years instead of polishing evey 6 months.

[BigTex]

I know a guy in Houston that had his fuel caps chromed, along with his door prop rod, baggage door rod, door handles, and tie downs. EDIT. the caps were polished like a mirror. The rest was chromed.

Byron, You referring to Jerry Johnson's C model? His chrome got him the best C model at this year's MAPA convention!

[jetdriven]

I wasn't aware Jerry's were chromed.  I was referring to his son Mark, who has a 1984 201. IIRC his were polished like mirrors.

[BigTex]

you know what they say... a family that Chromes together stays together...

[OR75]

are you guys talking about shaw 431 fuel caps or another model ?