Painting Plastic

[HornetGT141]

Hello guys,

I have seen many pictures of people painting the plastic parts of the removable parts of the dash board and around the vents, etc. I was wondering what type of paint you use for that and do you have to prime it and everything? I'm looking to use a silver/white for my car's interior even though it is red outside. I'm thinking white would look better and different. Anyways, help with the paint would be awesome.:cool:

**EDIT**
I posted in the wrong section, I meant to post in the "Appearance Modifications" section, sorry.

[bp's97GAGT]

Krylon Fusion....no primer required

[HornetGT141]

Awesome, someone else just e-mailed me that brand suggestion too. Two referrals for Krylon, thanks! :D

[97mintga]

krylon, make sure you sand though, my buddy painted the interior of his eclipse and he didn't sand it and it looks like crap.

[inferno]

like chris said sand it use something like 320 grit. u really are just buffing the surface

[cruzking88]

ive found that krylon fusion to come out with a terrible finish. if i were you i would go with an actual automotive paint.

[TorquePower]

Nevermind.

[little00GT]

i used a dupont centari( single-stage automotive paint) it has clear in it already so it shines nicely and u dont have to be a perfessional to put it on just if u do use it make it look wet not dripping but wet. heres her cardomain page to show ya, its on the 6th page i think.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/651209/6

[quadkid]

Ive had good luck with spray paint, done the right way. Just get a good coat of primer on it, shoot even light coats of color, then even light coats of clear. If you follow the instructions on the can for sandpaper and drying times you should be alright.

[HornetGT141]

Thanks for the tips guys, I'm planning on doing this sometime during spring break. Now I just have to figure out how to get those vents out. I searched on here for the method of getting them out but they just won't seem to budge. Hmmmm

[sleeper_se]

hey just an idea that might take some time but couldnt u just tape off with rosen paper the stuff u dont want to paint and they just spray what u do want painted? do u think that would work or not
cause i dont really want to take the time to disassemble everything

[nuke's se2]

I'm going to be swaping out my stock mirrors 04(sides) for the old style 2 post. I'm going to have to paint them to match my body color, any one have photos of their own experiences?

[praasch]

Originally posted by sleeper_se
hey just an idea that might take some time but couldnt u just tape off with rosen paper the stuff u dont want to paint and they just spray what u do want painted? do u think that would work or not
cause i dont really want to take the time to disassemble everything

no no no, don't do that....that will just create a big mess....take each piece out that you want painted, and then do as other people have said...sand lightly to scuff the surface, primer, then paint....make sure that you prep the plastic properly....the finished product will be that much better....

but whatever you do, don't paint the plastic pieces in your car...take the time and get them out of the car....

[jgorb]

how do you go about getting the glossy look with the interior paint? if i used the krylon paint would i need a clear coat to make it look glossy or would the krylon give it that look its self.

[theFALLEN]

im pretty sure you would have to give it a clear coat, well, several clear cotes. Krylon most times comes out with a waxy finish.

[jgorb]

yeah the krylon does come out with a waxy finish, i tried the painting on small part of the door panel

[VanishingImage]

After doing my center console like 3 times I figured out 2 ways of how not to do things.

First off,make sure the surface your painting is CLEAN. No wax,no dirt,oil,etc..... Paint,kind of up to you on this one,any will work fine,Duplicolor,Krylon,etc... The main thing you want is some kind of plastic prep stuff called BullDog. It helps paint stick to plastics. This stuff goes on after you have everything prepped(if you sanded,primered and/or wetsanded) then use paint. This stuff leaves the surface nice and smooth and actually helps with gloss look when the paint is dry. I HIGHLY recomend if you doing big stuff. Not really neccessary for small stuff like trim pieces like vent rings,door handle trim,etc.. More like on speedo clust bezel,center console,etc...

[Gojira138]

Bump for the noob. Ok i have seen and looked in alot of these threads for answers but i can not rest yet.

What is the best paint? Krylon or Dupli-color? I am doing the vents and other plastic pieces soon and i wanna do it the right way? I'm looking for the best finish possible with a near close to shiney coat for the finish. what are the methods? I got a White 03 GAGT1 just for an idea.

Hook me up.

[tenspeed]

I used the Dupli-color Mirage system. It's a color changing paint.

I cleaned everything with dish soap and a scotch pad. Just before painting, all surfaces got wiped down with alcohol. Don't touch any sufaces to be painted with bare hands.

Using the Mirage system, I laid down two base coats, three coats of color and two to three coats of clear. The amount of paint leveled the surface and and everything came out smooth.

[-grandamfan99-]

not the best pic but...

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o67/grandamfan99/Inside1.jpg

I used the vinyl paint from pep boys for the whole inside.... duplicolor i believe. If your only going to be painting lil pieces then just pop out one of your vents and experiment. (Took 16 hours to fully remove main dash part and paint right and put back in, dont suggest it to anyone :P )

The process i used is the same as tenspeed clean and sand w/400 grit sandpaper to roughen up the surface a little bit then clean again, 2 coats of primer (one light one heavy), 2-3 coats of paint (one light the rest heavy), 2-3 coats of clear coat ( one light the rest heavy).... follow the paint instructions for timing between coats. Good Luck

[Gojira138]

alright thanks for the info. Im sure I know the answer to this already but where is the best place to get the primer, paint and clear coat. Brands such as Krylon Fusion and duplic-color?

Thanks guys.


EDIT: Nevermind. I did some searching for the answer.

[golgo13]

prep with any type of scuff-all with a scotch brite pad. Cleans and scuffs material for paint.

And props to Bulldog adhesion promoter!!!

[Hobodale]

Hey I have looked all over and i cant find the answer. What is the best type of clear coat?

[Vampyrate]

Originally posted by -grandamfan99-
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o67/grandamfan99/Inside1.jpg

how do you remove the gauge cluster? i can get the top clips off but i cant get the bottom part off at all

[tenspeed]

Originally posted by Vampyrate
how do you remove the gauge cluster? i can get the top clips off but i cant get the bottom part off at all

You have to remove the top part of the piece just foreward of the steering wheel. It has the turn signal stalk sticking out of it. At the bottom of the gauge trim, there are two screws that have to be removed. Don't drop them, they are a bitch to retrieve.

[Peyman]

These are instructions for those of you that are not sure about how you should take off the dash and the vents and how to paint them. I take no responsibility for any damage you do to your own car. I made this tutorial with the help of 2 others that also painted their dash and vents, this way you can be sure it will work out for you too…here goes…


When to paint?: You should paint when there is no Humidity or very little. Make sure the sun is also out. You do not want it to be cold out side while painting for the paint will not stick well and the results will be ugly. TRUST ME.

What Kind of Paint to Use: Dupli-Color, Krylon, or Rustoleum.

Where to Obtain Paint: Walmart, K-Mart, Auto Store (Autozone, Kragens etc)

Primer?: You can paint it w/o, some prefer it some don't. It's just primer helps it stick better, but is a little rough once applied and turns out feeling rough after paint has been applied. If you can find a way to smooth it out (sanding?) then be my guest. =)

Other Tools?: Philipshead screwdriver. If you are planning to paint the airvent rings or the vents themselves you'll need a metal coat hanger (I'll explain later).



--------------------------------------------------
Painting the Main Dash Piece...
1. Unscrew the two screws above your spedometer gauges and the two screws down in that pocket below the HVAC controls (AC/Heat, the three knobs).

2. Tilt your steering wheel down and begin pulling dash out CAREFULLY. Get the left end (dimmer switch end) out.

3. Now you'll see wires for the foglights and dimmer switch. Unplug all three.

4. Pull the whole Dash Piece Out. It may take some manuevering, but it does come out pretty easily.

5. Clean your dash of oil and dust with water and mild soap. Let it dry completely in the sun.

6. If you're not using primer skip down. If you're going to use Primer then apply 2-3 THIN coats; let each coat dry first before you continue to the next coat. Sand in-between coats to get rid of roughness, and sand the last coat. (600 grit or so)

7. Here is where personal preference comes in for painting. The trick to make sure the paint does not crack or bubble is to apply MANY THIN coats of paint. DON'T spray until it's dripping wet, only spray enough to see the the light glisten off of it.

8. It should only take 3-6 coats of paint to make a good finish. It just depends on what kind of paint you get. I used Dupli-color and it took me 4 coats. Some people that have used Krylon say they only needed 2-3 coats. Let EACH coat of paint dry before you continue on to the next coat.

9. You may use clear coat if you wish. This is what gives it a nice and shiny look, and also protects the paint. You should apply 2-3 coats of Clear Coat, letting each coat dry in between.

10. Once you have finished painting let the dash piece sit outside in the sun for 2 hours or so for the paint to cure.

11. Go in reverse order puting your dash back in. Be careful when you're putting it back in. Slip the dash over your steering wheel column, hold the "Turn Signal" switch down and towards you while sliding that side of the dash back in so as not to scratch your dash (Mine got a huge gash b/c I didn't know about that lever). You'll have to fiddle with the gauges area to fit the top in.

12. Plug back in the dimmer switch and foglight wires.

13. Press the dash in firmly so the clips go into their proper spots.

14. Screw the 4 screws back in.

Now for the vents:
1. Take that metal coathanger I mentioned earlier and untwist it where the hook is so you get one long metal bar. At one end bend the metal until it forms a 'U' shape acting like a "hook" on the tip.

2. Grab a flashlight and shine it into the air vent and you should see three clips separated at 120º apart from each other. You may have to twist/turn the vent to see them.

3. Use the hook to reach behind the tab and GENTLY pull down and towards you so the clip stays popped up.

4. Do this for another tab. (don’t worry if you broke off a tab or two, the vent will still go back in fine and stay in there nice and firm)

5. Once you get two tabs just pull on the vent and it should pop out.


---Puting the Vent Back In---
6. Make a note that on the side of the vent there is a "trapezoid" looking notch. This is because the vent DOES go back in a certain way. Make sure that the trapezoidal notch fits in with the one in the dash. The piece should snap right back in


Door Handles
1. These are the easiest, just take out the two screws in the handles and pop out the handle and follow this painting guide.

[gir]

are these paints available with a metallic shine to them, or is there something that you'd have to add on to a basic color?

[Nicole]

Is there anyway we can get a few pics of people who used the different types of paints and/or different methods in the way they painted... like if you used sandpaper, used primer, used a gloss?

I'd just like to see what if there is a difference....

Thanks

[Waterfury]

I'm redong my interior as well, and I've had some bad luck with the painting. blistering, mostly. I had to strip the same parts at least 2 or 3 times. What I'm looking for is a dark metallic blue w/clear coat that is durable. Any recommendations? I don't wanna be taking them out in a couple months to touch them up. Is that possible??? How's everybody else's interior paint jobs holding up?

[Vampyrate]

i just straight up used cheap walmart paint with 10-15 coats with no other prep than cleaning. bad idea i know, but its still holding up, just need to detail the interior of the car