Acura RSX (DC5) Side Skirt Painting: Matching Black Plastic Skirts to Body Color

Find the factory color code on the sticker inside the driver-side door jamb. Take that code to an automotive paint counter and have them mix the matching color into an aerosol can; local paint suppliers, dealer body shops, or online services such as automotivetouchup.com and paintscratch.com can all do this. Plan on one can of color (about 33 oz is enough for both skirts), one can of plastic primer, and one can of clear coat. Be aware the shade will differ very slightly from the factory finish, and that red and silver cars tend to reveal the mismatch a little more.

Working at one side of the car, take off the front mudguard (splash guard). Each guard is retained by three screws; back them out with a Phillips screwdriver and keep the hardware together. Repeat on the opposite side so both guards are out of the way before the skirts come off.

Each rocker skirt is held by four retaining clips along its underside. Pop these clips loose, then slide the skirt forward toward the front of the car to free it from its mounts. Each skirt should release in about ten minutes. If the car is lowered and you cannot reach the clips with a screwdriver, raise that corner with a jack and set it on a stand first; at stock ride height there is no need to lift the car at all.

Wash and degrease the removed skirts with a plastic-safe cleaner and let them dry. A spotless surface is critical, because the rough factory plastic does not grip paint especially well and any residue will weaken adhesion. Lay out newspaper or a drop cloth to protect your work area for the coats that follow.

Apply the plastic primer in light, sweeping passes rather than one heavy layer, keeping the can moving so the finish does not run or pool. Let each pass set roughly ten to fifteen minutes until it is dry to the touch; a heat gun held at a distance speeds this up. Build the primer to three or four thin coats this way for an even base.

Lay the color down in thin passes, moving in a single sweep from one end to the other per pass. Do not try to bury all the black at once. Let each coat flash off and dry, then add the next, repeating until the black plastic is fully and evenly covered. Patient, thin coats are what keep the finish from running and give a smooth result.

Once the color is even and dry, lock it in with automotive clear coat applied in the same light, repeated passes. Expect to use a fair amount of clear, since it provides most of the gloss and surface protection. Note that aerosol clear may not be strongly UV-resistant, so some gradual fading over the years is possible.

Let the finished skirts cure a solid 24 to 48 hours before you handle them. Fitting them the same day, while the paint is still soft, will smear the finish and undo the work, so resist the temptation to rush this step.

For an easier refit, move any clips that stayed behind in the body over to the skirt itself: seat each clip into the skirt first, then press the skirt back onto the car and slide it into position. Refit the mudguards if you are keeping them. The skirts will stay secure as long as the front screws are tight and the working clips are engaged, even if one or two clips broke during removal.