How to paint plastic interior trim.

[ajakeski]

We're painting the interior trim for GLHS #659 so I figured I would take some photos and share the process.
No, I don't get any kick back from SEM.
I've had good, long lasting results using their products, so that is what I am advocating here. Plus it is available at any decent automotive paint supplier and online almost anywhere that sells automotive paint.

This process can be used to paint hard plastic parts and soft vinyl parts like armrests and door panels. You could even touch up the vinyl on a seat if need be.


Step one:
Wash each part with soap and water.

Step two:
Prep each part with a red scuff pad and a prep additive. I like SEM scuff and clean #38338. It has an abrasive in it to help scuff the part as well as cleaners to get any residual gunk off the part. Rinse off the parts with clean water and allow them to dry.

Step three.
Once the parts are dry, lay them out in preperation to spray. Clean the parts with a prep solvent. Again I use a SEM product, Plastic and Leather prep #38353. It's made for soft parts so you don't have to worry about melting anything.
Spray it on and wipe it off with a clean cloth.
Allow to dry before moving on to step four.

Step four:
Spray each part lightly with adhesion promoter, like SEM #39863. This product is also made for plastics, so it works well and doesn't eat into the base material.
Allow the adhesion promoter to flash off.

Step five:
Spray on your color. SEM Warm Gray 15183 is a dead on match to the original gray used in most '80's Mopars. I haven't had to match red or any other color, so you're on your own there. Your paint supplier should have a color chart you can compare to.

Several light coats to achieve coverage is better than a couple of heavy coats. Thin coats will dry, flex and adhere to the plastic better than heavy coats. Heavy coats may fisheye, or dry with an uneven finish.

The paint will be dry to the touch in a few minutes.
Allow the parts to fully dry for a day or two and they should be ready to install.

If your panels have spots that need repair, like dry, flaking areas. Scrape the loose plastic off, fill and finish with a light weight body filler.
You can retexture the panel with several light coats of chip guard. Trial and error here, so spray on a test panel to get the correct look before spraying the actual part.
Once the texture is dry, you can prep and paint as outlined above.





The armrest, top of door panel and pillar trim were all painted. The seat and door panel vinyl are original.

[T-Bohn]

Nice! Thanks for the write up and the item numbers!

Subscribed so I can find it again!

[Haibach boys]

SEM color coat is definatly the ONLY way to go! i dyed the maroon seats (i got free) turquoise for my 66, and its been 2 years and still going. its all about the prep!

[Keito]

This needs a KC or at least sticky.

[BoostedDrummer]

Will this stuff work for the dash as well?? I might get a new dash since mine has a crack going through it on the pass side :/

[supercrackerbox]

Should work great on the dash I'd think, although it would be a darker color grey than the Warm Grey shown above.

Of course, a light grey dash might actually look pretty cool.

[ajakeski]

http://http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yourautotrim-store_2208_80581019

I haven't painted one, but from their chart, 15873 Slate Gray looks close.
Or 15053 Granite.

[Reaper1]

Nice! Subscribed even though I'm doing custom finishes on my parts

[BadAssPerformance]

Awesome, Need to make this a KC article!

[89ShelbyGuy]

I painted my molded a pillar with the slate grey from sem, this was for my 89 shelby daytona with that grey/blueish dash color..the slate grey is just a tad bit to light...you need to darkin it up just a bit for a perfect match. just a FYI for anyone trying to match that color.

[ajakeski]

I see there are a lot of paint questions lately, so I'm bumping this thread.

[glhs399]

Can you fix the pictures?

[ajakeski]

Can you fix the pictures?

Fixed.

[WLKivett]

Subscribed so I can find it again

[supercrackerbox]

Quick question: Those of you that are using a clear coat over the panels, what are you using?

[markus]

Thought I would add my experience here also. I decided to change the color of my plastic interior panels to the darker gray of my shelby charger's dash. I found that SEM 17013, midnight black, is a near perfect match for the darker gray. I also covered my headliner in a dark charcoal fabric and didn't want the light grey against it. Now I'll inform you, this stuff is extremely thin, and it took 5 cans at $14/can to achieve a decent coverage over the light colored panels. That's two shelby charger side panels and two sun visors. That wasn't even the hatch piece or the rear piece with the carpet on it. Now before I go further I will tell you I am very unhappy with the end result and will have to redo it all. It is peeling off like skin on a sunburn and I haven't even installed them yet. The slightest brush takes it off. Now, in defense of the product, I did not use the SEM brand cleaners and prep products. The paint store didn't stock them and convinced me to use their brand prep products and adhesion promoter that "did the same thing". I can't say it would have tuned out better had I ordered the SEM prep product because I don't know, but it couldn't have been worse. My advice here is if you're going to use the SEM paint, order thier prep products and hope for the best. And if you're covering with a darker color, it's going to take a lot of it. For the metal headliner retainer pieces, I used rustoleum trim and bumper paint, charcoal gray 260861. Since I ran out of the SEM paint before I got to the rear hatch plastics, I painted them them with the rustoleum too and it seems be tough as nails. Color is a match to the darker grey also and it was half the price of the SEM paint, which is why I bought it for the metal pieces to begin with.