Painting textured ASA plastic mirror

RenewAP

RenewAP

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I have a friend that broke the plastic surround on a 2024 Silverado, The OEM tow type mirror that got broke is painted the color of the truck. OEM does not offer a prepainted mirror, or even a smooth paintable one. Someone must have custom painted it. I have The mirror assembly completely disassembled so that I can paint it without having to tape off all the glass, lights, and sensors. All the textured parts are made of ASA plastic ( acrylonitrile styrene acrylate ) What I have read online looks like a straightforward plastic paint process, but has anyone had any issues I should know about on the ASA?

What i read is...
step 1 clean
step 2 lightly scuff with red schotchbrite
step 3 adhesion promoter
step 4 plastic primer, i am planning on using gray epoxy
step 5 base / clear.

I will need to add a step 4-1/2, as I need to sand it and reprime as needed to remove the texture. The current mirrors have no sign of original texture.
 
I have done truck mirror housings that were textured but they were ABS. They don't need the adhesion promoter, the SPI epoxy takes to them nicely. A few coats, don't remember exactly but it filled the texture, sanded, base and clear. Same procedure with several auto mirrors, no problems. The ASA I am not familiar with but I would research further and question the ad-pro. Only trick I know is test a sliver to see if it floats. "If it is a floater use promoter" the saying goes. But you are wise to ask.
 
asa is extremely similar in chemistry to abs. i have 3d printed quite a few things for my boat in glass filled asa because its very uv resistant but i have not tried painting it and i have not done a solvent test on it to even see what it does. take some acetone or laq thinner on a rag and wipe the plastic in a spot. does the solvent bite in and melt the plastic the way it would with abs? if so you dont need to do anything. heck, you dont even need to scotchbrite it. just spray epoxy on it and go to town. if its a chemical resistant plastic and the thinner doesnt touch it then my rule is to always do a coat of adpro.
 
I had no issues, I sanded the texture down some with 180, then 2 coats of epoxy, 24 hours later wet sanded with 320 and gave it 2 more coats of epoxy. 24 hours later wet sanded with 500, then straight to base / clear. Came out perfect, no texture left. When I sanded with the 320, the sand throughs feathered out nice with no signs of adhesion issues.
 
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