Painting Plastic Interior Parts/Dash

[royster]

Several members have painted their dashboards and interior parts, and I'd be interested in knowing the best preparations, paint and tips for a long-lasting interior paint job. I have had limited success with door panels, but now I'm ready to take on painting the dash. Currently brown, I want it paint it black. And I'd like to do a job that isn't going to chip, peel or flake.

Open to all experiences. I appreciate your inputs.

[geezer101]

I've used VHT vinyl spray in satin black and it has never failed. The trick is getting the trim part super clean first, then laying the colour spray down in really light, even coats. It will look nasty if you go in with heavy coats and I think that is the reason why most vinyl re-colours flake off. Instead of penetrating the trim it builds up as a thick coating and doesn't anchor to it properly. Treat it like you would spraying anything else with a rattle can - lay a coat in one direction, then go across it. The last time I re-coloured some trim parts was a while ago - dash pad and cloth inserts on some door trims. They too were that awesome poo brown that Mitsubishi is famous for and didn't tie in with the sports seats I'd fitted (sorry about the picture quality, old pics and scans...) -

http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/i351/geezer1011/RB%20Colt%20hatch%20project/RBcolt09.jpg

[crvtec90]

Ive used duplicolor vinyl and fabric paint with great results. And yes prep is the key. Use whatever cleaner/degreaser recommended by the manufacturer of paint youre using and take your time.

[pennyman1]

kleen strip sells a spray -on adhesion promoter in a spraycan for automotive paint- once you clean the parts with trisodium phosphate cleaner (same as you use to remove wall paper paste from plaster walls, it will remove silicone found in vinyl dressings), spray it on then your color.

[Lem Forder]

This guy has a good rep in the BMW resto community. It looks like he may be all BMW now, but it can't hurt to ask. He was real responsive when I asked for some help in the past. But, that was years ago. Not sure what he's like these days. http://www.creativeoptions.info/index.php/sample-levels

[royster]

Well, after two weeks it seems I got good results, as in "durable". My sincerest thanks for all the input. With the experience from the console project, I'm ready to tackle the dashboard soon.

As well, this experience has helped in my professional life, since I have fiberglass doors to paint. I will most assuredly use TSP before priming with a good primer.

[pennyman1]

definately use TSP on those fiberglass doors - guarenteed they used silicone as a mold release