Interior Color. Questions....

[WithoutOnline]

I just attempted my first panel and I did it with Plastidip. I don't like it. Because I'm covering so much I don't think it's good for that application. I dropped a bottle on it and it peeled. It's not going to hold up in my car if it comes off that easily. Anyone have any recomendations. I want to do it myself and would prefer it not be permanent. At least removable but not removeable with a finger nail! If it has to be permanent so be it. Any thoughts......

[BootyDC316]

Are you painting door panels?

[WithoutOnline]

door panels, the panels in the back and some of the dash. I'm starting in the back. I picked up some stuff from krylon called fusion but I'm going to wait for more feedback before I do anything.

[BootyDC316]

I just painted my door panels today actually, well.. one of them, lol. It was a pain trying to get the passenger side panel off, the screw was shitted up. For the vinyl I used paint from Advanced Auto Parts, it's called Plasti-kote Vinyl Color. It works pretty well, looks good and after a scratch test, didn't scratch, sets well. For the plastic parts I'm using Plasti-kote Ultra Enamal, it dries fast... I even used it to paint my rims the other day. You could easily paint over the Vinyl spray to make it another color if that is what you mean about being permanant. Hope that helped.

[Parker]

hey without, where did you pick up the fusions paint from? i've been looking for it but cant seem to find it at any of the krylon dealers

[WithoutOnline]

BOOTY - I thought about using the plasti kote but they didn't have the color I wanted but it sounds like it might be worth trying. Let me know how they turn out. What colors are you doing? Maybe a pic when you're done.
PARKER - As far as the fusion goes I got it at auto zone. I'm a little leary about using it just because I asked the guy if they had it often (if I do the whole interior which is the plan I'll use alot) and he didn't seem to confident and they only had 2 cans. I'd hate to use the 2 and not be able to find more. Have you used it before?

[eckoman_pdx]

I've seen that Krylon Fusion everywhere, Schuck's, Autozone, Ace Hardwhere. Just keep lookin, it's out there, cuz I see ton's of it everywhere I go.

[superbluecivicsi]

if ur gonna paint the plastic parts of ur interior with krylon paints, you should sand down the parts with fine sand paper first, then paint, then clearcoat (optional). the paint stays on so much better. good paint for plastics and dye for the interior can be bought at http://www.g2usa.com/ . its expensive, but the quality is worth it.

[eckoman_pdx]

Here are a few good posts on interior painting.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t13328.html
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t23362.html

Here is the 3rd, I didn't have to site addy, so I just copied and pasted the info out of a file I had it saved under.
How to Paint interior parts
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Beginning:
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First take off pieces you are painting, if they can't come out, then it will really be a pain, you'll have to mask off the inside of your car and paint them while they are inside the car.
If your dash or parts are slightly pliable or soft, then use vinyl paint.

Take the pieces and wash them with soap and water, use dish soap detergent..this stuff is powerful and will strip away wax, and grease and stuff. Anyways, since you are planning on painting the interior, I hope one of these helps.

Sanding:
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Next, gently sand the parts with 600grit aluminum oxide sandpaper to rough them up a bit..be gentle, no need to use lots of force, if the parts have been coated with armour-all...or any products like that, then this step is especially important. ANOTHER option, and one that most bodyshops swear by are ScotchBrite pads, you need the dark-reddish brown scotch-brite pads (autobody grade), use these to scuff up the surfaces real well, you can find these at autoparts/hardware stores in the paint sections or by the sandpapers.

Cleaning:
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Next you have to clean the parts of fingergrease and dust, etc… ideally you should go and buy a liquid solvent designed to remove grease and dirt, this is used by bodyshops..you can buy at paint supply places, and better hardware/autoparts stores.
However…for smaller parts, isopropyl alcohol should suffice, now wipe the parts down with the alcohol real well and let the parts air dry.

Adhesion:
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Spraying paint directly onto plastic is sometimes not good enough, a step many people skip is the primering process. Plastic needs a plastic primer to ensure your painted interior parts will stay that way for a long time, and help the paint adhere to the surface. Don’t use a grey, autobody primer, use a plastic primer which usually sprays on clear,

In a well ventilated and preferably warm environment, 70deg F , spray on adhesion promoter following directions on can (steps vary, some say spray on the adhesion then spray a coat of paint while it's still wet, others say wait till it dries)





What type of paint?

Remember, there are different types of paint… some are enamel-based, others are laquer based, others are latex based. You want to use the same paint and clearcoat and not mix and match different paint types, or you can get very poor results. Soft, or vinyl-like surfaces need a flexible latex paint or dye, automotive paint will not work well on these applications..they will chip and flake off. Harder plastics commonly used in car interiors, such as ABS plastic can be painted with standard auto base paint and clearcoat.

A paint ‘system’ is always an trouble-free way to go…. This is a family of paint products all designed to work with each other… usually it includes latex or auto base paints, plastic and regular primers, clearcoats, etc all together… SEM is a popular example of a paint system. Ask questions, try to find a autoparts place that has a dedicated paint counter, ask them questions and you will get good advice for your customizing projects.

For all interior painting a FLEXIBLE clearcoat should be used if possible..this has a flex agent in it and will help keep the paint from flaking..this is especially important for areas that are hard plastic BUT subject to slight bending/pressure (soft plastic/vinyl should never be painted with auto base paint).

In conclusion, if you have used a product such as “armour all” on your interior parts, a product called a ‘fisheye remover’ may need to be added to the paint and be necessary to prevent the paint from ‘fisheying’ or ‘orange peeling’… if you’ve ever painted something and had it bubble up, that is what I am talking about..the pores of the paint cannot breath due to the oily armour all product…fisheye remover can prevent this. Even after taking all the above steps, when painting my Sunfire dash, I had this problem… when the product was added to the paint, the problem was gone.



Painting:
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Once dry, position parts for maximum spray, sometimes you might want to prop them up on top of something to make sure you get good coverage..and apply a thin coat on all the parts from a good distance. Don't spray too close to the parts and use short, overlapping strokes from side to side. Overapplication will result in
running, uneven coating. The key is to apply lots of light coats slowly building up the paint, not trying to coat everything in one or 2 coats.

Before you apply the final coat, use a floresent work light, or make sure the parts are under strong light... you'd be suprised upon closer inspection areas you miss, and corners that need more paint, etc.... sometimes to get a good coat around corners, it may be necessary to turn parts over once dry and do a coat around the edges with the part upside down.

Once parts have dried for at least an hour or two, or overnight, apply clearcoat to non-vinyl painted parts, clearcoat, unless specially designed... isn't usually meant for vinyl painted parts, you could apply some armour-all to shine up the vinyl parts after they have been dry for a few days. Clearcoat will help protect the paint from scratches/scuffs, etc.

And most importantly, take you time and don't rush...these are the steps I take and it's worked great for me, hopefully it will work for you.

PS - I also buy a 'tacking cloth' it's a sticky cloth and it's used to wipe down the parts in between coats to remove dust and lint that settles on the paint...get it from paint shops, or the hardware/autoparts paint section.

[BootyDC316]

WithoutOnline - I'm painting the door panels red and white. Humidity is a bitch though, so as soon as I get them in I'll try to get a pic taken, I'll try! But the paint does work really well

[BootyDC316]

Update:

The weather is messing me up! Anyway, I went to Walmart and picked up some Krylon Fusion, it covers well too. I painted over the panels with that. Well after the heavy down pour, went outside to put the panels back on, but I totally forgot about the screw that messed up. It's scraped... and a screwdriver doesn't even fit in the screw. So anyway... I can't get the screw out, so I can't put one of teh door handles back on without it falling off... Anyone know how to remove a stripped screw??! I think I'm gonna cry

[WithoutOnline]

I've been using the krylon fusion as well. I figured if it came out bad I could always re-do it. Anyway, that stuff rules! I've got quite a bit done and I've taken a bunch of pics so far. Once developed I'll post them. As far as the screw I have no idea. Maybe try and drill a hole into the middle like you'd do with a bolt. Just a thought. Post some pics of your interior when you get a chance, I'd love to see what it looks like and how it turned out.

[BootyDC316]

lol, I got a hand saw, some clips and a drill, and worked on that sucker today for about 3 hours. I sawwed the end of the screw and the tip of it, and drilled right through it, lol. Worked like a charm. I'm still in the process of painting it, I might work on the dash and steering wheel soon. So when I clean it up a bit, I'll post some pics.

[WithoutOnline]

I'm glad you got the screw out. 3 hours! That must of been a pain. Well I was going to start putting my panels back in today but ran into a slight problem..... I got broken into for a 3rd time!!!!! I tried to install an alarm and it took forever and I'm still not finished!!!! The doors are secure and at this point thats all that matters. I'll work on the keyless entry later. Anyway I should be back on track in a day or 2. I look forward to seeing some pics...

[TheNotoriousMogg]

Originally posted by BootyDC316
I even used it to paint my rims the other day.

ewww dude FYI...that's gonna chip and look like shit, you should get them powder coated