After almost 10 years of use the door pulls on the Box were getting rather tattered....lots of chips, nicks etc. They were looking rather sad. I really like the aluma look (or whatever it's technical name is) that I've seen and started looking for replacements for my pulls. New ones were between $400 and $600!! They weren't worth THAT much. So I read on here about someone painting theirs. Great idea. Except the reference to the paint wasn't accurate. However....after much searching and talking to paint shops this is what I ended up with:
The Aluma paint,
afaik, can't be purchased directly (according to the paint shop and everything I've researched. It's a factory paint only). However I found the paint code for it and had an auto paint supplier mix up a batch.
The paint is Spies Hecker. Code 4W9
Ref No.745710
Color: ALU 03 - Effect
Series 293
Formula is WB858 955.8 g (Brillantsilber extra)
WB807 5.2 g (Oxidrot)
WB837 1.0 g (Dunkelblau)
(This is from the Spies Hecker web site and is for 1 qt of paint, you don't need that much!)
The label on the can says
MB557 Brilliant Silver fine 109.5
MB506 Oxide red 109.9
MB547 Deep blue 110.1 (cumulative weights!!!
(These are for 4 oz of color)
I'm sure your paint guy will know what to do on the mixing. Paint guy said all you need is the 745710 number in order to get to the right formula, but I have no idea.
The quantities from the label are for 4 ounces of paint, which is plenty to do the door pulls, instrument surround, and probably several other pieces.
I had the shop mix it up and put it in a spray can. (I was skeptical but it's a pretty neat process of mixing the paint and getting it into the can) Perfect!
Cost was.......$17.....a bargain
The Spies Hecker web site has the formula which can be downloaded by the shop for other quantities. (google Spies Hecker and you can find the formulas for other quantities if you want)
This link will take you to all the photos I took of the process:
http://tinypic.com/a/1ck2a/3
Removing the pull is a pretty easy task. Firmly but gently pull up and out on the plastic surround above the door latch. You might have to wiggle it some in order to release it and if you pull too hard or have ham hands the catches could break. There is one Torx bolt under the cover to remove. In the middle of the pull is a curved cover (just below the leather upper part). Again, firmly but gently push up and pull out on the cover and it will come off. Another Torx bolt. The handle has two studs which fit into slots below the storage lid. Pull up and forward to remove the handle.
After that, it's a matter of masking off the leather, sanding or using steel wool on the plastic to smooth it out and eliminate any gouges and nicks, and painting. As usual, several LIGHT coats of paint is better than one heavy one. I put on four coats of color and three coats (with the final coat being slightly heavier than the initial two) of the Wurth GL Clear Laquer that I got from Pelican.
The results are, imho, great! NOTE: The match is not exactly 100% perfect. The grain in the paint is slightly (very slightly, probably only discernable by me, but I know what I'm looking for) more than in the original. The color is an exact match, but the grain is just barely off....not enough to be noticeable unless you're really really looking. Besides, the door handle and shifter (the only other pieces in the car already aluma look) are far enough away from the pull that you don't see it. The formula states that it is for 03-05 Porsches....so I assume that the factory increased the grain size in the later models. There IS no formula for the 01...according to the paint guy and all my research. BUT.. in order to save ohhhhhhh $350 - $550 and get the results I did.. that's a non issue to me. It made the interior look soooooo much better.
Anyway, here are some pics and the rest are at the link.
Let me know if you have any questions and I'll try to answer them.
Next up is the instrument rings!
Bob