Roof Rails - Painting Another Color

[Surfsup]

Anyone paint their rails a different color? After researching some old threads here it seems they only come in silver. I am expecting to pick up a soul red cx5 today. I'd like them to match either the paint of the car or the wheels (which I intend to change). So I am thinking to paint them soul red, or a color very close that will not be discernible from the soul red. So I am curious if anyone did this:

1) Are the rails metal?
2) Easily DIY painted?
3) Would the custom paint get scratched mounting racks to the rails? (never had a roof rack before)
4) How much did it cost if you had it done professionally by a dealer or paint shop?

I really prefer the rail vs the foot installed look. While we're at it, how quickly can one mount and dismount a rack if one has a cx5 with the oem rails?

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

The rails are metal, in fact they ARE black, painted silver. The end caps are plastic.

 

[Surfsup]

Yea that's what I'm talking about. Looks good. Like the 20s in black/gray as well. I was considering a similar setup but mine's going to be red. I think red or black would work. Can you comment on the durability of the paint after mounting and removing racks? I'd loke to get a rack that doesn't gouge into the paint. Was this DIY or did a shop do it? I Googled and seems about 150 bucks is the going rate to do this. I have a compressor so i'm thinking to just get theaint and a paintgun and do it, so i have the gun for free as a result (need to paint my whole house so gotta get one anyway)

 

[bmarsh]

Yea that's what I'm talking about. Looks good. Like the 20s in black/gray as well. I was considering a similar setup but mine's going to be red. I think red or black would work. Can you comment on the durability of the paint after mounting and removing racks? I'd loke to get a rack that doesn't gouge into the paint. Was this DIY or did a shop do it? I Googled and seems about 150 bucks is the going rate to do this. I have a compressor so i'm thinking to just get theaint and a paintgun and do it, so i have the gun for free as a result (need to paint my whole house so gotta get one anyway)

Totally different types of paint guns, or at least tips, would be required. Automotive paint (oil or lacquer) would need a very small tip to paint properly, but you can get good results with what you are thinking. Latex paint (house) probably wouldn't stick good enough for a automotive part (especially one in the air like the roof rails) and really can't be painted very well with a typical air compressor anyway. Latex usually uses a high pressure airless sprayer for efficient painting.

 

[Surfsup]

Well I'm not a paint expert here. Are you saying I can't even use the compressor with a paint gun to paint the house with latex paint? Aizah! That would not be good as I don't want to pay someone $20k, yes $20k, to paint my house.

Here's a pic of my CX5 GT I just brought home. I think red roof rails would looks pretty nice. I'll talk to a couple paint shops. I'm still undecided whether to do the hitch or rails:

 

[paris1]

Well I'm not a paint expert here. Are you saying I can't even use the compressor with a paint gun to paint the house with latex paint? Aizah! That would not be good as I don't want to pay someone $20k, yes $20k, to paint my house.

Here's a pic of my CX5 GT I just brought home. I think red roof rails would looks pretty nice. I'll talk to a couple paint shops. I'm still undecided whether to do the hitch or rails:

Personally, I think it looks too nice to spoil it with roof rails, no matter what the color!

 

[erhayes]

I agree and specifically told my dealer no roof rails as I didn't like the looks and didn't really have a use for them. Seems my dealer had almost all his new CX5s with RRs. If you don't need then I wouldn't get them. JMO. Ed

 

[bmarsh]

Well I'm not a paint expert here. Are you saying I can't even use the compressor with a paint gun to paint the house with latex paint? Aizah! That would not be good as I don't want to pay someone $20k, yes $20k, to paint my house.

Here's a pic of my CX5 GT I just brought home. I think red roof rails would looks pretty nice. I'll talk to a couple paint shops. I'm still undecided whether to do the hitch or rails:

Love the color (same I plan to get). I can see black rails to match the black trim, but of course it's your car! What do I know, I want chrome rims

For painting your house check out renting a paint rig from an equipment rental place. I did that years ago and had good results. And the airless slayer will get more paint on your house too!

 

[tibimakai]

I have it too and I want to remove it.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

I like my roof rails as it; however no way would I have put silver roof rails on my car, I think it looks bad in general. It is off color compared to anything else on the car imo.

 

[Surfsup]

I think if they were red, it would blend. I wish I could photoshop it first though...!