L-body grey/gray dye for interior plastic

[Clay]

This is old info, but Im reposting it here since this is a good place for it.

You can call this a dye, you can call it paint, or what ever you want. The manufacturer, SEM, calls it dye.

Im sure lots of people have heard of SEM interior dye/paint. Its made for flexible plastic/vinyl and even carpet/velour (according to the label on the can). It also works on metal (bare or painted), as I found out yesterday.

So, here it is:

for L-body dark grey use SEM 15303 Graphite
for L-body light grey use SEM 15183 Warm Grey

These are darn near perfect matches to the factory colors.

Ive used both in my GLHS and my GLHT, and the color match is as close to spot on as Ive seen out of a rattle can! and it seems to go a long way. Ive only used 1.5 cans so far and have about everything I need covered.

Clay

[rare_ram]

Thanks for this post. I will be needing this info soon.:hail: Where can SEM be found?

[GLHS592]

I found mine at the local auto paint supply store.

[DC Turismo]

Along with these, you can also look into factory repair manuals within the index for 'Paint' and it gives you the exact PPG and Dupont paint codes to have a local auto or paint store mix you that color to spray all of the parts with a gun. Just did it with a center console in my Sundance and it turned out nicely.

Now Clay, or anyone who knows, does the darker gray you refer to also work for the 89 CSX interior?

[rbryant]

How many cans would I need to redo the rear sail panels in my GLHS?

Thanks,

Rich

[Clay]

If its an Omni I think one would do it. If its a charger it might take 2. Probably have a lot of the 2nd can left, but they are big panels.

[Marcus86GLHS]

".....Ive used both in my GLHS and my GLHT......."


Clay great info thanks. I am curious as to one other aspect of your work.

The plastic trim pieces on the Omnis (top of the doors, C-pillar trim, etc) have very shallow "grooves", or "graining" that give each piece a unique texture. In the past, these parts that I have seen dyed/painted have this graining almost totally smoothed over due to the thickness of the coating filling in the fine lines of the graining. Once filled, the parts dont look correct.

Question: how does this texturing compare (before and after) on the work you have done? Is it possible to post a close-up detailed pix of one of the finished parts? thanx.

[Clay]

Yeah, Ill see what I can do. The c-pillar trim is done, so that is probably the best option. Especially since I put the upgraded door panels in my GLHT which are all one piece. ;)

From what I remember the grain was still visible, but I try to put one multiple thin coats and not just one or two heavy coats.

clay

[spoolinhard]

The PPG interior code for the light grey is A3, or 33537

[Marcus86GLHS]

Clay: great, pix would be of help if you can share some.........sometimes, due to bad discoloration/fading it is necessary to apply 2 or more light coats to give a consistent appearance color-wise, but, by the time this has been achieved, those very shallow graining features are filled, which kinda defeats the objective of making a looking-like-new part.......if i could find a dye/paint AND a process to get these parts new-looking w/o ruining this graining i would proceed.

[GLHS592]

If Clay can't come up with pics, I'll take a close up of the same parts in both of my cars. I've redyded my Shelby Charger's interior plastic and haven't touched my GLHS's. I really couldn't tell that my graining was changed much at all in my Shelby Charger.

[Clay]

I should be able to get some pics tonight, as long as I remember. But, Im with Kevin, I dont remember the surface texture changing at all when I sprayed these.

clay

[minigts]

I've done the "dye" which I like to call paint. It looks great on and applies well. All the little places you would want to make sure are colored will be. I applied a clear coat to keep mine protected a little longer. The ONLY thing I would make note about is the wear.

I painted my arm rest and cleared them with multiple layers of clear and they are starting to wear through. Granted, I drive my car all the time and always use them, but after about 2 years I'm going to have to redo them. I think I'll be able to get away with a light coat and a couple layers of clear. If you are doing this for the first time, be sure to thoroughly clean whatever. I used rubbing alcohol and a toothbrush.

But I've painted all my stuff the dark grey, I guess graphite and it looks SO much better. I picked up some graphite seat belt clips, so soon enough I'll get the door skins changed and have an all dark interior.

[jonnyb]

Mark - I have to unload my glht out of my trailer to go and pick up the rt I just bought. Maybe while it's out I'll take a drive over and we can look at the ones in my glht compared to your glhs ones.

I'm with Kevin and Clay though - I could not see any noticeable difference in the graining of the plastic after it was painted on most of the pieces. Only on the door panel tops where I changed the color from maroon to gray could I see a slight difference, and that was because I had to spay 3 or 4 coats to get a nice uniform color that closely matched the other interior parts. On parts like the b and c panels though, I only sprayed two light coats and they look awesome!

[CSX321]

FWIW, I used those SEM colors a few years ago when I did the interior of my '87 CSX, and they were a very close match. I scrubbed the parts with acetone and a "between-coats" sanding pad, then gave them 3 light coats of color and 3 of clear. It didn't seem to fill in the grain noticably.

Note that there are a couple of pieces (center console comes to mind) that a type of plastic (ABS I think) that is soluble in acetone. Use rubbing alcohol or something on those instead. The console, in particular looked very nice after painting. The darker SEM color was a nearly perfect match for it. I had a hard time telling where I had already sprayed!

[rbryant]

I went to the paint shop and they had a sample page with painted strips on it that they gave me. I went home and cut them out and put them against the stock pieces.

I agree with the Warm grey being spot on but the graphite looks too dark and I almost wonder if it has a blue hue to it.

Does it look lighter when you paint over a large surface?

-Rich

[Clay]

well Ive used the graphite on my 86 GLHT, on the steel dash panel by the windshield. When I painted it, I had a hard time telling where the new paint stopped and the old paint started, so that right there tells me its pretty darn close ;)

I stripped the same steel panel in my 87 GLHS down to bare metal, and painted it as well. It looked great when it was finished.

[rbryant]

well Ive used the graphite on my 86 GLHT, on the steel dash panel by the windshield. When I painted it, I had a hard time telling where the new paint stopped and the old paint started, so that right there tells me its pretty darn close ;)

I stripped the same steel panel in my 87 GLHS down to bare metal, and painted it as well. It looked great when it was finished.

Ok, sounds good.

Samples are often hard to judge things by anyway so I will trust you!

-Rich

[Clay]

I will trust you!

Ohhhhhhhh I so have to quote this so I can show the wife!!!!!!!!!! :evil:

[rbryant]

Ohhhhhhhh I so have to quote this so I can show the wife!!!!!!!!!! :evil:

Yea well you haven't done anything to break my trust yet..... :love:

-Rich

[Dusty_Duster]

Anybody know what colors are used for 93-94 P-bodies?

[Polygon]

Do you know a good dye for a gray '89 GTC interior?

[rbryant]

I painted the sail panels on my GLHS with the warm grey and it worked great.

I was skeptical but it really turned out nice. Just like spray paint but it is actually more forgiving since the dye drys out the runs much better.



I used the SEM soap and then painted.

Be careful to get everything completely dry or the dye will bubble up where the water in the seams... I was able to wipe it out the seams carefully and respray and it still worked great but I was more careful with the other panel and it worked much better!

Now to try the dark grey wheel well covers.

-Rich

[Clay]

Good to know Rich! I need to do the same on my warm grey panels.

So the color looked good?

[Marcus86GLHS]

can anyone w/ re-painted glh/glhs plastic parts post some really good close up pix for us wanting to do same? thanx guys.

[Clay]

oh yeah!!! I completely forgot about that Marcus. Tell you what, Ill try to remember (again) to do that when I get home. Wish me luck on the remembering part, fell free to kick me if need be! ;)

[Clay]

Ok Marcus, here you go. 4 pictures of the same panel. This panel was painted probably 6 months ago, and has sat in the garage ever since, never installed. It was a blue panel, so it has more coats than I would use on an already grey panel. The grain of the panel still shows up wonderfully.

http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/photopost/data/736/medium/GLHT-panel1.JPG

http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/photopost/data/736/medium/GLHT-panel2.JPG

http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/photopost/data/736/medium/GLHT-panel3.JPG

http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/photopost/data/736/medium/GLHT-panel4.JPG

Larger images can be seen in my gallery here:

http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=736&ppuser=19

[GLHS592]

I'm sorry too. I meant to take pictures if Clay didn't. Since my camera sucks in low light, I couldn't get any that showed the texture.

[Marcus86GLHS]

THANKS CLAY!

wow, you were right sir, that panel looks perfect-a-mundo.

so i am gonna need what? SEM 15183? and a professional spray gun? do you thin the paint or spray as-canned?
where did you purchase the paint?
anything else i need to know?

come spring i am gonna do all the top plastic trim in my car and hope it turns out as nice as yours, thanx for the assist.

[Clay]

all you need is to find the paint. My local NAPA carries it.

I painted those panels straight from a spray can. (you can buy the paint to spray in a gun, but when the results come out that good, why bother!) Just clean the panel very well, degrease it, and spray it. I actually took window cleaner and wiped everything off. Took some lacquer thinner on a lint free rag and wiped the panel down, then sprayed at least 3 coats of the SEM warm gray over the panel.

pretty simple, with great results. The stuff seems to hold up well too. That panel had been laying in the garage for 6 months or so and was pretty dirty. I wiped it down with an ammonia based window cleaner with no signs of any paint lifting.

[Marcus86GLHS]

CLAY so r-u saying i can purchase SEM 15183 in a rattle can at NAPA?

thanks again.

[Clay]

yup! Rattle can baby!

[Marcus86GLHS]

thank you very much for the great info.

btw last year i had the pleasure of inspecting a one-owner 1988 omni "america" with like 7,000 miles on it, silver w/ silver interior and this car was garaged its entire life, rarely driven, owned by a 75 yr old lady who passed away like at age 90-something and her son was selling it....

all of the top plastic parts were yellowed, big time. but this car was a true cream puff in every respect (originalaity factor was a 100/100) so i am convinced that no matter how well one could care for one of these cheezy l-bodies you are gonna have to deal with yellowing on the plastic interior trim.

[Clay]

my one owner 87 GLHS was the same way. I purchased it from the orginal owners who kept it in a garage year round, and took great care of it. Almost all of the interior plastic is yellowed. Its in great shape, but yellow. Its on my to-do list for the spring.

[jonnyb]

CLAY so r-u saying i can purchase SEM 15183 in a rattle can at NAPA?

thanks again.

Mark, you my friend definitely have A.D.D. :p

Don't you remember talking to me on the phone when I was about to walk into the store to buy the rattle cans for my blue glht? I told you that the NAPA in Tolland (the first place I went to) only had one can so I drove to Sherwin Williams auto paint in Hartford to get 2 more cans? I hung the phone up to go in and buy the paint and then called you back after I bought them. Two phone conversations on the topic of SEM rattle can paint and you don't remember?!?!?!?!

Man, I wish we didn't get this darn snow storm - I would drive the glht down to the holiday party tomorrow so you can finally see the resto of the interior pieces in person. Maybe you should come up tomorrow after the party and I'll pull the glht out of the trailer for you to take a look at it.

JonnyB

[Marcus86GLHS]

Jonny thanx yes i do recall that telecon but what i did not recall was the paint code being this SEM 15183, sorry.....A.D.D. yeah i for sure got that buddy.

i'l be seeing your car before i do mine so that will be great.