Color-Matched Mud Guards

[jwaters943]

After getting a few small rock chips on the rocker panels and rear bumper this winter (I swear the sand they use on the roads in the winter more closely resembles small gravel) I decided to go ahead and purchase the OEM mud guards. I bought mine off ebay for approx. $70 and took them to my local trusted body shop and had them painted to match the car for approx. $130. Not cheap at $200, but well worth it IMO. Installation was simple with clear instructions and took about 45-50 minutes. The instructions call for a pivoting screwdriver in order to install the rear flaps, but I found a stubby 2" phillips screwdriver in my tool drawer that worked just find.

Anyway, I snapped a few quick pics w/ my cell phone camera for those of you curious to see what they look like.....excuse my dirty car and the small 17" wheels/snow tires. I'm not sure why there is so much wheel gap in the rear, I guess because I'm parked on an incline w/ the parking brake on.

 

[moose66]

Pretty nice. Thanks for the pictures. This will help me decide whether or not to do this myself. You are right, it is rather steep to spend $200 on them. But in the end it will be worth it to keep matter off of your car and it looks good!

 

[jwaters943]

I'm going to take some more pics with my digital camera once the car is clean because honestly I think they look better than these pics show. They fit nice and snug and flow pretty well w/ the lines of the car.

 

[jwaters943]

More pics:

 

[Ron Veenker]

Great photos! What is the location? Your neighborhood in NV?

 

[jwaters943]

Thanks!

Location: http://www.tanameraresort.com/
South Meadows area of Reno, NV

 

[BocaDave]

Re: Color-Matched Mud Guards $70, not $200!!!

Pretty nice. Thanks for the pictures. This will help me decide whether or not to do this myself. You are right, it is rather steep to spend $200 on them. But in the end it will be worth it to keep matter off of your car and it looks good!

You are seriously overpaying for your mud-guards. I bought them on the web from a legitimate source and installed them myself.

I did have to spray paint it myself, using 2 cans of spray paint from Home Depot.], and applying 3 coats of paint.

Cost was $70, for the kit pictured in the link below. I don't know if you can find it cheaper elsewhere on the web, but that's what I paid after shopping last November.

The install was a no-brainer, even for a klutz like me.

Here's the link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2009...temQQimsxZ20091229?IMSfp=TL091229189009r15860

BUT, my car is black, and it was easy to find a matching can of spray paint.

I did call a few auto paint shops, and they were willing to "give it a quick spray job" for $50 to $100 in my area (South Florida).

Go buy them. They look very nice and blend in beautifully.

Good luck!

 

[Disaster]

Re: Color-Matched Mud Guards $70, not $200!!!

I did have to spray paint it myself, using 2 cans of spray paint from Home Depot.], and applying 3 coats of paint.

BUT, my car is black, and it was easy to find a matching can of spray paint.

What paint did you use to stick to the plastic? Plastic is infamous for being hard to paint. Besides paint not sticking, it can be more brittle than the plastic beneath and when flexed, crack. There is also the issue with different expansion ratios. Plastics tend to expand and contract quite a bit...with heat and moisture...which can cause the paint to crack and flake off. It seems like the flat black mud guards wouldn't be too noticeable on a black car and I'd be more concerned with screwing up the paint.

 

[jwaters943]

I find it funny that people can spend $35-40k on a new car and then b*tch about $70 for mud guards and another $100-$140 to paint them.

In the overall scheme of things, $200 is not a lot of money. Even if they came from the factory painted I would expect to pay $150-180 for a set. I think that's about what Nissan charges for their painted OEM mud guards.

 

[Ron Veenker]

Re: Color-Matched Mud Guards $70, not $200!!!

What paint did you use to stick to the plastic? Plastic is infamous for being hard to paint. Besides paint not sticking, it can be more brittle than the plastic beneath and when flexed, crack. There is also the issue with different expansion ratios. Plastics tend to expand and contract quite a bit...with heat and moisture...which can cause the paint to crack and flake off. It seems like the flat black mud guards wouldn't be too noticeable on a black car and I'd be more concerned with screwing up the paint.

BocaD, your car is black and you sprayed the guards with what exactly? A glossy black? What paint did you use? I have a black 3.8 and was thinking I could live with the matte black OEMs. Isn't that what Jwaters943 did?

Thanks,

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[blasterguam]

I find it funny that people can spend $35-40k on a new car and then b*tch about $70 for mud guards and another $100-$140 to paint them.

In the overall scheme of things, $200 is not a lot of money. Even if they came from the factory painted I would expect to pay $150-180 for a set. I think that's about what Nissan charges for their painted OEM mud guards.

LOL....I couldn't agree more!

 

[ASHDUMP]

I find it funny that people can spend $35-40k on a new car and then b*tch about $70 for mud guards and another $100-$140 to paint them.

In the overall scheme of things, $200 is not a lot of money. Even if they came from the factory painted I would expect to pay $150-180 for a set. I think that's about what Nissan charges for their painted OEM mud guards.

I couldn't disagree with you more. There are reasons why people are rich and reasons why people are poor or just living outside their means. If you live the model of value verses cost more people would have money in their pockets. I wouldn't spend $200+ on mud flaps even though I would like to have them. The value just isn't there to justify the cost.

The reasons why most people bought the Genesis was because of VALUE. Not because of lower costs. I could have bought a 7 series or even an S class if I wanted to but the value just isn't quite there. Yes, I know both of those cars on not even in the same league as the Genesis but my point is that some people can afford much more than they buy and for certain reasons. I've saved a crap load of money living this way and I wish more people would do the same.

Granted, I've over spent on things such as dinners at swanky restaurants and most recently I over spent on a new firearm (you don't go cheap on these types of purchases) but I will save my money on mud flaps especially at that price.

To each their own....

I actually know someone who makes about $300K a year who drives an XG350,but his wife on the other hand.....

 

[Disaster]

I couldn't disagree with you more.....I wouldn't spend $200+ on mud flaps even though I would like to have them. The value just isn't there to justify the cost.

Great post. I did buy the mudflaps...for $75 bucks and, honestly, they look like $5 dollars worth of plastic and screws.

It does amaze me how people will work so hard to price shop then blow it out the window with accessories and other add ons. Should a car air conditioner cost more than a home air conditioner? Love seeing those $5000 Chevy Cavaliers driving down the street with $1500 wheels on them.

 

[BocaDave]

Re: Color-Matched Mud Guards $70, not $200!!!

BocaD, your car is black and you sprayed the guards with what exactly? A glossy black? What paint did you use? I have a black 3.8 and was thinking I could live with the matte black OEMs. Isn't that what Jwaters943 did?

Thanks,

Here's exactly what I did, and why I did it that way:

Preparation - Work in a clean, dust-free environment. If you paint in your back yard, be sure it's not windy.

1) Clean the mudguards with TSP (Tri-sodium-phosphate) - a truly industrial strength cleaner to get any traces of oil or residue off.

2) Apply 2 coats of a good quality primer spray (about 15 minutes between coats, and not more than 45 minutes). I had a spray can of Rustoleum primer around the garage and used that because it was handy, but any good brand would have worked. I think good primer spray sells for around $5 a can, and lasts a long time. Maybe I used 1/4 of a can.

3) Dry for at least 24 hours (follow instructions on can). I did it for longer than that. I baked it in the hot Florida Sun on my patio for 2 days. That's d-r-y, and probably overkill.

4) Get a good quality super high gloss spray from Home Depot or Walmart or Wherever. In truth the $1 can will work, but for automotive work I go for the high priced spread as extra insurance.

4) Follow the instructions - don't put too much paint on in a single application, and do spray past the end of the mudguards to avoid puddling. The spray I used (sorry, I don't recall the brand) let you recoat within 1 hour, otherwise you had to wait 2 days between coats. I applied 4 coats to each side, paying particular attention to the thin edges. The mudguards were fully painted after two coats, but its coats 3 and 4 that really give it a glass like finish.

5) Dry for 2 days. (Yes, the instructions say you can handle after 1 hour, but that's not sufficient drying time for a part to go on your car).

6) Clean up, reward yourself with a cool beer, and you're done painting.

In net, it took about 1.25 hours of work over several days, all the rest of the time was just spent waiting for the paint to dry.

I hope this helps.

BocaDave

 

[zimmy]

After looking at the mud spray on the bottom of my new Gennie, I realize I need to get the mudflaps as well...

But I'm not sure about needing to paint them. Do they really look that bad if kept in the original black? (My car is beige metallic). I would think they would just blend with the tires and add some contrast, no?

My Hyundai dealer gives employee pricing on accessories for the first 30 days, so it will only cost around $65 for the set.

 

[zimmy]

Okay... I put on the mud guards without painting to match. The car looks absolutely fine that way. The guards just seem to blend in with the tire well and the tires... But I still admire the enthusiasts who decide to paint theirs to match!

I'm really surprised that the mud guards aren't standard on this car... The difference in how clean they keep your car clean is incredible, and it's amazing how effective those little flaps are!

 

[Cut-Throat]

More pics:

Anyone know what kind of wheels these are? I PM'ed Jwaters, but he must not be around here anymore.

 

[scottdk]

Anyone know what kind of wheels these are? I PM'ed Jwaters, but he must not be around here anymore.

It looks like he can drive on water with those balloon tires IMO - 17" tires are way too small for a vehicle this size.

I have 17" factory wheels on my 2006 Sonata, and they look too small on the Sonata even (still a big car). I think under sizing wheels for a car makes the car look outdated by 10 years, and provides sloppier handling. Just my opinion.

 

[brielo78]

where did you buy your guards? I bought a set but they came with a weird hole that sits on the side of the skirt on the front guard that it seems odd to me and looking at yours that dont have it. I'm returning them but will like to know where did you get them. Thanks!!!

 

[Rambler16]

FYI. The mudguards for tha 2009, 2010 and 2011 will not fit the ew 2012 models. The mudguards for te 2012 are not available at this time. Hyundai has them listed in their parts catalog as TBD ( to be determined).