Need help. Interior door panel paint, dash pad paint?

Putting my convertible back together, and of course, I could not stay on the lowest budget just get it running thing.

So what is the best/least expensive way to paint the door panels, and dash pad to make them look best. I am doing black on everything. Dash pad and panels are already black. But faded.

Also, what about steering column, and painting it, in the car. It is scratched up through the years.

Not building a show car, just a driver. Let me know what works for these.

 

Vinyl parts....pad and door panels use SEM Landau Black...couple of light coats......key key key key.....proper surface preparation...must be absolutely spotless and oil free......do a search here and you will find the step-by-step process.....as for the column...remove from car.....scuff with red scotch brite, prime and then use HomeDepot Krylon Satin Black.

 

Thanks George. I searched and searched and could not find anything so that's why I posted this one.

I'll order the SEM. I saw that, and wasn't sure. Now I know.

 

Marhyde is another brand that works great on vinyl, available at most bodyshop supply stores. Cleaning is essential with any vinyl paint.

 

Marhyde is another brand that works great on vinyl, available at most bodyshop supply stores. Cleaning is essential with any vinyl paint.

 

What do you use to clean the vinyl parts before painting?

 

Some have mentioned simple green.

I use Purple Power diluted, let dry and then wipe with a lightly dampened cloth with lacquer thinner.

 

I bought a product at at a body shop supplier. May have been by SEM that was a pre prep cleaner for vinyl. You guys with black are lucky. No research involved.

 

Yea no research. But still big pain when you change whole interior color.

 

See if you can find a body shop that will sell you a bit of the actual SEM stuff for prep, it works fantastic. Super clean it with simple green or spray nine and toothbrushes or something like that, scrub that thing until you are sure it is spotless...then rinse with warm water and let dry. Then SEM has a two part process with their own cleaner, again scrubbed with bristlebrush of some sort, then rinsse and let it dry. You can repeat that too. Then you use their vinyl prep just before actually spraying, it softens the vinyl for good adhesion.

I can get you part numbers but stuff I have is many years old now.

Can't stress this enough: Multiple LIGHT coats of color. You want to keep the grain looking nice, first pass or two won't look great but avoid the temptation to go heavy on the coats.

Sorry if you know all this, but if you do it right it will last a very long time so take the time to do it right. The dash is in front of your face every time you drive...:laugh:

 

yeah try my 72 off white interior. I have about 5 different cans of off white vinyl dye here, they even tried to color match it and was the worst of the bunch (got $$$ back on that one though)...LOL Luckily only need to do a few small pieces as front part is black, the sandalwood interiors would be brutal...

 

You can use the SEM soap for cleaning. The tube will do like 25 interiors... I'm not kidding. Then follow the instructions closely on the adhesion promotor. Some require painting while it is still damp. You can find the bulldog at about any auto supply place as well. I think it works better on the polypropylene plastics .