I showed you how to use automotive paint to make your projects stand out from the crowd. Now I want to show you a neat trick using automotive paint and clear acrylic that's sure to turn heads at a car show or in the parking lot. This technique lets you integrate a clear logo into any painted panel that can then be backlit with neon, LEDs or even LCD monitors for a very highlighted look. We did this in the side panels of our BMW X5 show car, but it can be done in any painted surface with any logo. You can highlight your company name, shop name, shapes and designs or sponsor logos easily in your installations using this technique.
 1. We integrated a backlit...  1. We integrated a backlit Alpine logo in the side of our project BMW X5. First, cut a hole in the side of the fiberglass side skirt. Then, 11/48" clear acrylic is mounted in the hole from the back side (the clear acrylic is the stuff with the brown protection paper on it). Notice the black line around the edge of the acrylic - this is the adhesive used to bond the acrylic to the fiberglass. |  2. 3M's Panel Bonding Adhesive...  2. 3M's Panel Bonding Adhesive is the adhesive of choice to bond the fiberglass to the clear acrylic, and it's available at body shop supply stores. This is an epoxy that can bond fiberglass, steel, aluminum, plastic, acrylic and many other materials. It's available in two sizes with an applicator gun for easy application. Be sure to scuff the edges of the acrylic with 100-grit sandpaper before bonding and wait 24 hours for the adhesive to fully cure. |  3. The black edge where the...  3. The black edge where the acrylic transitions into the fiberglass is then sanded down, and the car is painted taking care not to paint the area where the logo will go. Panel Bonding Adhesive can be sanded easily when dry, making it very easy to work with. After the paint is dry, sand down the area around the acrylic with 2,000-grit sandpaper to scuff the surface. |
 4. Now it's time to make the...  4. Now it's time to make the logo. We happen to have a sticker cutter in-house, but there are many sticker shops that will make you any logo you want for a small fee. Check out www.brandsoftheworld.com to find a wide variety of company logos that are even in the proper format for cutting. If you're good at Adobe Illustrator, you can even design your own logos and designs. |  5. The sticker is applied...  5. The sticker is applied to the side of the car using transfer paper. If you have a sticker shop make the sticker, they'll put it on transfer paper for you to make it easy to apply. To avoid bubbles in the sticker, spray the acrylic with water before laying down the sticker. Take a plastic squeegee or credit card and firmly wipe it over the sticker before removing the transfer paper. |  6. Now the sticker is applied...  6. Now the sticker is applied to the vehicle. Make sure that the sticker only goes over the clear area. If there are any bubbles in the sticker, poke a small hole in the bubble with a razor blade and press out the air or water. |
 7. We painted the area around...  7. We painted the area around the logo black to contrast against the silver car, so the edges around the logo are taped off. Use good tape, like 3M's 233+, and take care to make the edges clean and straight since this edge will show in the final product. The side of the car is also masked off with a large piece of painter's plastic sheet to protect it from overspray. |  8. We painted the area around...  8. We painted the area around the logo black to contrast against the silver car, so the edges around the logo are taped off. Use good tape, like 3M's 233+, and take care to make the edges clean and straight since this edge will show in the final product. The side of the car is also masked off with a large piece of painter's plastic sheet to protect it from overspray. |  9. Allow the basecoat to dry...  9. Allow the basecoat to dry for a few hours and then remove the sticker very carefully. A small razor knife works great to help peel the edges of the sticker. Notice that I'm pulling off the sticker at a 90-degree angle in order to cleanly separate the sticker from the painted surface. |