Seeking Interoir Paint Help

[GrandAm]

I searched but coulda get my question answered.

Im looking into painting pieces in the interior of my car.

what exactly do i need?

like sandpaper

primar

spray paint?

and does anyone have pix of a red painted interior

[GrandAm]

or clear?

[bandit307]

I would suggest for Plastic pieces to use a paint called SEM Color Coat (flexible paint). Its give a great finnish and has yet to fade on me or peel.

But make sure you go through the steps. This is how i did it there may be a better process but here you go.


For plastic

Step 1: Pressure wash all your plastic pieces get as much shit off them as you can.

Step 2: Use TSP (Trisodium Phosphate) Found at your local hardware store, Takes off all the grease and armor all and other protective products from the plastic. Use a slightly abrasive pad(Dish Spounge).

Step 3: Spray with a plastic prep sealent. One coat should be sufficent.

Step 4: Spray with Final color coat. Remember several thin coats will have a better outcome then one or two heavy coats.

Step 5: Let set for 2-3 days to fully cure before reassembly for best effect.


For Vinyl

Step 1: Same as step 1 for plastics.

Step 2: Same as step 2 for plastics.

Step 3: Spray with Vinyl pain of your choice. ( i used Duplicolor Vinyl and Fabric Paint)

Step 4: Let Fully cure for 2-3 days before reassembly.

I did not use a clear coat for anything in my interior figured it would just be too glossy. But that is intiarly personal preferance. Just be sure to do the prep work take your time and take apart everything if you can instead of masking usually a better outcome this way.

This is an example of what you can expect if done properly. My interiorer is not fully complete but its a work in progress.

[98_gee-tee]

i sanded everything smooth, primered, sprayed 3 coats, and cleared 3 coats

[Martyr]

I just cleaned mine with dawn, airbrushed them with an enamel based white, clear coated , and stuck them back on after a couple of hours. I haven't had any problems with peeling. I haven't painted the vinyl yet though.

[GrandAm]

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/7/web/511000-511999/511025_75_full.jpg

this is what i wanted to do. what materials will i need?

[red98grandamse]

. theyve already told you a couple times over what you need. get some sand paper, get some spray paint, primer and clear coat. remove the pieces from your car and clean them really ****ing good. At this point you begin to use your brain and read what bandit told you to do stepwise. How hard is that to comprehend??

[Wednesday_13th]

Make sure you clean it damn good to, because when i did it with my 98, it cracked like crazy, and i had no clue wtf i was doing, it looks nice, but now i have to sand off the paint and do it over because...well...its not "that" good, all i painted was the easy to remove center console type peice......its like the border around the guages/radio/climate controls......easy to remove, just pops off for 98s

[bandit307]

this is what i wanted to do. what materials will i need?

If you didnt notice i told you what to do and what you would need. I know thats what you wanted to do in the pic. if you lookied at the picture i posted i did even more than that. my interior didnt have any black or white to begin with. thats all HOME MADE. now open your eyes read and post pics of your progress.

stop asking the same question over in a thread when people are telling yo what the hell to do.:pissed:

[taisgod]

hey BANDIT, i notice u dont tell him to sand any of hte pieces, just a personal preference?

and for the white vinyl piece u painted on your door, did u just mask it all off around the vinyl piece or does that part come apart too?

[bandit307]

I didnt sand due to personal preference. With the plastic prep sealent you do not need to and without sanding you still get a bit of the original plastic texture the slight bumps through out.

Yes the door panels come apart there have been a few threads that cover it step by step on taking it apart and the best ways of putting it back together.

[tkoch2]

as far as sanding your interior goes, to get it perfectly smooth, you will be spending a lot of hours on it. To get a car to look really good you will have to sand the parts like 4 times with different grits of sand paper. If the surface isn't 100% smooth you will really notice it when it comes back from paint.

[BlackDragon]

That red interior is sweet.

By my count, there are 20-25 interior pieces in the front seats alone (including the driver's door panels that you can't see).

There's a lot of time spent there.

And if you look close at the A pillar and the compartment under the center console, you'll see that the grey is still showing through (needs one more cote to completely cover).

If you're going to the trouble, make sure you end up with pieces that look like they were molded in red.

I was thinking of doing that too, only doing it in Maroon, to match the body paint. I just don't know if I want to spend the time and trouble of working on the panes of a four-door. I may just do a piece at a time.

[Shad0wguy]

I don't know if I was just lazy. But for my interior, all I did was clean the pieces with some dish soap and let air dry. Sprayed a few coats of Krylon fusion spray paint, and topped off with 3 coats of clear. Looks great, but I don't know about the longevity as I only did it a day ago.

[tkoch2]

i think it is more personal preference as far as sanding or not. sanding everything smooth will completely change the look of the interior of the car. i dunno, just my opinion, but i think it looks really good, if you're willing to put in the effort

[Dave C]

Originally posted by BlackDragon
By my count, there are 20-25 interior pieces in the front seats alone (including the driver's door panels that you can't see).

You DON'T have to paint every piece that can be removed. Instead, you should pick certain pieces to paint that would "flow" with the interior of the car. For example, why would someone spray paint two red dots on the console up toward the windshield (the covers for screws to hold the dash in)? And who would want a huge white piece right in the middle of the windshield that reflects in the sun and makes it hard to see (the front defroster)?


Originally posted by BlackDragon
And if you look close at the A pillar and the compartment under the center console, you'll see that the grey is still showing through (needs one more cote to completely cover).

Why? That piece in the center console is black rubber... And the beige next to the A-pillar is also rubber, probably not the best idea to paint something that flexes so much. I guess you could try using dye on it, and if you do let me know how it turns out.

[BlackDragon]

Yeah, I was thinking the A-pillars were overkill.
I think I'll start with the vents and center console, then the vinyl band on the doors.

After that, we'll have to see what will work.
Doing the interion in the dark Maroon will be more sutle than Victory Red, so I might be able to get away with more. We'll have to see.

[Dave C]

^ sounds like a good plan. definately start small first, to see if you like it for sure. are you planning on painting the center console the whole way back to the arm-rest? and I definately like the body-matching interior paint the best...

[Xeiros]

Originally posted by GrandAm
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/7/web/511000-511999/511025_75_full.jpg



Mines very similar but on a 96-98 model. I took mine one step further and colored the badges on the outside of the car as well. Since I've got a black car, they stand out a little more now.

As everyone's said, clean these pieces quite well. I didn't sand mine, but it wouldn't hurt. Just don't paint on a cold or very humid day.

[Martyr]

Heres what I have so far.

[Martyr]

I don't remember who posted a pic about doing this but I thought it looked really cool.

[Big Joe]

^ looks good so far.

[Dave C]

looks good Steve :thumbup2:

did you polish them and file out the inside of the vents a little, too?

[Martyr]

Originally posted by Dave C
looks good Steve :thumbup2:

did you polish them and file out the inside of the vents a little, too?

I polished them but didn't file the inside of the vents, Wish I would have thought of that. I just forced em back together. Almost sharded myself in the process.

:fart:

thanks btw

[taisgod]

i started doing the vinyl on my passenger side door. i didnt know how to take the panel apart so i masked everything off, took 2+ hours to do that. i havent taken the newspaper and tape off yet..i probably will on monday so im gonna let it cure.

[Martyr]

Hope it works well for you. What kind of paint are you using?

[taisgod]

im using dupli color vinyl and fabric paint. the same kind that was recommended in this thread.

[Neal]

Questions regarding this cause I may be doing some Interior Paint work.

1. When sanding down, im guessing it has to be smooth... REALLY smooth?

2. I went out to my '03 Grand Am and looked at the parts, how do I get some of them out? I figured out the window button panel but gently lifting it out but im wondering about that leather/whatever it is that is against the door. Maybe some other parts people recommend painting? I really dont want to wreck anything.

3. Personal question, kinda opinon based. Would Lime Green look good in the interior? Its already black.

4. DUMB QUESTION yet im still new to the interior and material world, is vinyl the stuff thats kinda mushy? And plastic is the tough shit thats like the window button panel/door handle.

5. Do I sand first then pressure wash and TSP? or Vice Versa?

Ok sorry about dumb questions yet I really dont want to make any mistakes.

[TA^Guy]

Originally posted by Dave C
You DON'T have to paint every piece that can be removed. Instead, you should pick certain pieces to paint that would "flow" with the interior of the car. For example, why would someone spray paint two red dots on the console up toward the windshield (the covers for screws to hold the dash in)? And who would want a huge white piece right in the middle of the windshield that reflects in the sun and makes it hard to see (the front defroster)?
Dave I agree. I think painting every little nick-nack they can remove looks tacky. I mean why accent something that is there to hide a screw? Or why accent the glove box door, forget where you put your driving gloves maybe?
Originally posted by taisgod
i started doing the vinyl on my passenger side door. i didnt know how to take the panel apart so i masked everything off, took 2+ hours to do that. i havent taken the newspaper and tape off yet..i probably will on monday so im gonna let it cure.
If you remove the masking tape/paper right away while it's still wet you'll have less of a hard edge later on. I know you have it masked around the seem so it's no big deal. But if you were say masking off stripes it's just something to remember.

[gilbert383]

how do you get the trim peice around the stereo that has the peice that goes around the ignition off? and how do u get the peice surrounding the shifter off? is it a hard process? i think i'm just going to pain the vent rings...the ring door handle ring....the peice around the stereo and the peice around the shifter...maybe the tweeter peice.... and maybe the little cubby hole at the bottom of the door

[bandit307]

The trim piece around the stereo just pops off, its held in by trim clips. You will have to remove the indicator ring around the ignition first. Then you will need to disconect the cig. lighter along with you 4-way's and ETS. Then insert your key into the ignition, put the car into drive or 1'st so you can pull the trim peace out of place.(be sure to set the parking brake)

The piece surrounding the shifter is also just held in by clips, pull firmly and it should come off.

The vent rings are held in by clips within the vent that you will have to pull inwards to release the vent ring.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g267/bandit307/zzz1006a.jpg
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g267/bandit307/zzz1005a.jpg

The tweeter covers just pull off, but IIRC the bottom of them are tucked under neath the door panel.

As for the pockets at the bottom of the door panels, They are held in by plastic rivets which will have to be melted or chiseled off. Then either riveted or glued back into place. The door panel must be removed to do this.

If all done right your interior could look something like this.
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g267/bandit307/car1012.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g267/bandit307/car1011.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g267/bandit307/car1010.jpg

[ChaunB3400]

Did you dye your interior?? Looks nice

[Gagt518]

Did you dye your interior?? Looks nice

Yeah he dyed it

[GA_GT1]

that looks sweet dude, props