Front Active Aero Tray Restoration

[UselessPickles]

My front active aero tray was looking a bit ugly. The color was faded, it had red paint overspray from a past re-painting of the front bumper, and it was missing the “ACTIVE AERO” decal.

I cleaned it thoroughly, then scrubbed the entire panel with rubbing alcohol and fine steel wool to lightly scuff the surface and ensure cleanliness, then again with a cloth and rubbing alcohol to remove any debris/dust caused by the steel wool. Then a few coats of SEM Trim Black spray paint (part number 39143) really brought it back to life.

I also found nearly perfect replacements for the access panel mounting hardware:

Ebay link: Body Bolts & U-nut Clips- M6-1.0 x 16mm Long- 10mm Hex- 20 pcs (10ea)- J#379 | eBay

New bolts and U-nut clips.
Bolts: M6-1.0 x 16mm long. 10mm hex. 17mm washer. Black finish.
Clips: M6-1.0 thread. 13.5mm center of hole to edge. Black finish.
Quantity: 10 bolts and 10 clips.

The only difference from original is that the u-nut clips are not perfectly sized for the thickness of the active aero tray. They are a bit more “one size fits many thicknesses”, up to about double the thickness of the active aero tray. Because of this, the clip will not sit flush against the tray, but will compress as you tighten it. The panels still seem to sit nicely when tightened up, so it’s good enough for me!

OEM “ACTIVE AERO” decals can still be found for sale for about $50 USD, but I found a much cheaper exact replica on ebay for about $25 USD: New Mitsubishi ACTIVE AERO Logo Decal VR-4 3000GT 3KGT AWD TT Chin Spoiler | eBay

Here’s the final result:

The non-OEM replica decal seems very nice. The vinyl feels thick and durable, and the adhesive is strong.

NOTE: Allow the paint to fully cure (48 hours) before re-installing the panel or applying the decal. Also confirm that the panel will not scrape against the lower edge of the bumper when deploying/retracting. You may need to bend the metal reinforcement around the bottom edge of the bumper to create clearance if yours is deformed from past impacts with curbs or animals.

I specifically chose NOT to try sanding/smoothing any of the scrapes on the tray. They are all underneath the car, so they are not normally visible. I was also afraid of creating larger patches of extra smooth plastic from sanding down the normal texture of the plastic. Even without trying to repair the scratches, they are still much less visible with the new paint job.

[spiros]

That is a very nice job

[Camster]

That looks amazing, great job!

I removed my front aero tray after some driving in the snow pulled it down a bit. I had it stored in my parents’ garage and before I could repair and refit it they binned it thinking it was a trashed part .

I’ve been on the hunt, on and off, for a replacement tray but never found one. I’ll need to make a temporary undertray and then come up with a permanent aero tray solution.

[UselessPickles]

Ouch, That’s rough. Hope you can find another one in decent condition. A while back, someone on one of the facebook groups scored an active aero tray still in its original plastic packaging, never used. And I have seen used active aero components in decent condition for sale a couple times on the facebook groups. Shipping cost on that must be ridiculous, though, especially if it requires international shipping. Good luck!

[UselessPickles]

I was just looking at the front end of my car today thinking that this same spray paint would probably work well on the intercooler and radiator ducts too. But am I willing to risk dealing with snapping some rusted bolts/studs to remove my front bumper for this?

[Camster]

Worth removing so the rusty bolts can be replaced with new ones. Makes for hard work but then future removals will be much easier.

[Joe90]

Amazing job. Very impressed.
I have spoken to a company about getting new ones made the same as original but the virus hit while the molds were in production so things have been held up. I also noticed on the gtouk site that someone is trying to make them from fiberglass and carbon fibre but they arn’t ready yet. It will be interesting to see what turns up in the future.

[Darren.S]

Well done looks amazing

[Taffyduck42]

my front aero tray is split in a few places is it easier to replace rather than repair at the moment its off the car as ithe car needs a few things doing to it . Cheers .

[Joe90]

Welcome to the forum Mr Bill Gates.
Only Bill Gates has the money and resources to locate and buy a new tray. You should be able to get it plastic welded but just wait to see if anyone else has a better idea.

[zanac]

Do you think this kind of spray recommended for back ‘black license plate plastic’ or black frontal line in MK1 restoring?

[UselessPickles]

This paint seems to be an industry standard color for exterior black trim pieces, so I expect it would work well for everything (rear bumper license place area, front bumper “mustache”, windshield wiper arms, black section of the hatch at the base of the rear window, etc.).

I just don’t know how exactly it matches the original black paint in these areas.

The paint also worked well on the plastic cover at the base of the rear window wiper:

NOTE: Before painting that plastic part with the SEM Trim Black recently, I had previously (last year) tried wet-sanding and buffing it, and also repainted the wiper arm with a glossy black. The plastic part looked good for a while, but the chalkiness started coming back. Painting seems to be the best solution. Also, I like how the glossy black of the arm matches the glossiness of the rear window (probably moreso because the original owner had the windows tinted, so they look like glossy black), but I will probably repaint the very base part of the wiper arm to match the plastic cover. For the front wiper arms, I would use SEM Trim Black rather than a gloss black to avoid sun glare reflected into my eyes while driving. In general, it would probably be best to use the non-glossy SEM Trim Black consistently for all wiper arms?

[UselessPickles]

I forgot to mention I also found nearly perfect replacement hardware for the access panels on the active aero tray:

Ebay link: Body Bolts & U-nut Clips- M6-1.0 x 16mm Long- 10mm Hex- 20 pcs (10ea)- J#379 | eBay

New bolts and U-nut clips.
Bolts: M6-1.0 x 16mm long. 10mm hex. 17mm washer. Black finish.
Clips: M6-1.0 thread. 13.5mm center of hole to edge. Black finish.
Quantity: 10 bolts and 10 clips.

The only difference from original is that the u-nut clips are not perfectly sized for the thickness of the active aero tray. They are a bit more “one size fits many thicknesses”, up to about double the thickness of the active aero tray. Because of this, the clip will not sit flush against the tray, but will compress as you tighten it. The panels still seem to sit nicely when tightened up, so it’s good enough for me!

EDIT: Initial post updated with this info.

[Camster]

That black trim paint looks pretty good. I need to refresh all the black sections on mine so will keep this one in mind .

[spiros]

Hi Cammy I’ve used this many of times and on plastic parts also it looks very nice and holds well, give Rob a call if You need it ! Satin Black Mitsubishi Perfect Match Spray Paint

[UselessPickles]

Hmmm… there’s also SEM Trim Black Ultra, available in matte, satin, and gloss, “recommended by OEMs”: Trim Black Ultra | SEM Products

The plot thickens. Did I choose the wrong paint?

[Joe90]

Just a little caution for some owners. Some models have a slightly grey appearance to the finish. If you’re picky like me, we will have to wait for a color match. Otherwise, this is priceless information. Thanks.

[jensen360]

The Active Aero Mold has been made and we should see the first carbon fibre active aero tray from it VERY soon.
We wont be making any fibreglass ones im afraid as this is not practical.
Other parts will be available in fibreglass and carbon fibre.
We have been working on this project for a long time.
Its something we are excited about, and again hope owners are pleased with the finished product.
As im sure Joe90 will agree trying to source or produce these discontinued parts can not only be exciting but worrying as well.
Everyone involved in the various products on the way have worked hard to produce a quality item for all owners.

[jensen360]

now that’s a great condition aero tray.

[UselessPickles]

Thanks

It remained in that condition for a total of about 8 hours. My first drive later that evening (and also the first drive ever with absolutely EVERYTHING functioning on this car), a raccoon ran out in front of me:

Luckily, the active aero seems fine after I cleaned it, except for some minor scuffs in the paint. Not bad enough to bother me.

I have replacements for the fog lamps on the way that are actually nicer than mine (even before the raccoon incident):

The only part I can’t easily fix now is the paint damage from the bumper flexing during the impact. That will have to wait a couple years for an eventual complete repaint of the car. At least the bumper had already been resprayed once, so it’s the original paint that is now visible in spots where the newer layer of paint cracked and separated. It still looks OK if you’re not specifically looking directly at that area, especially after peeling off the loose pieces of paint.