How to paint interior pieces, I said I would do this. so i did. Options

[MaskedMan]

Ok here is a basic run through of how to paint interior panels. I will most likely go more in depth later on.

First, you will need to remove whatever pieces of the interior you'll want to paint. I will show you using the center interior pieces.

Step 1. Clean/Prep.
Clean off each piece indivisually and wipe them off until dry. This will remove any dust and debris from being painted on and creating an uneven surface. You may lightly wet sand the piece to better ensure you have a smooth surface, however that is not neccessary. You can use an alcohol based cleaner, but I simply used water and made sure they were clean.

These are the pieces I chose to paint. They were already previously painted silver, but I felt it needed a change.


Step 2. Primer/tape.
You will now primer all your pieces. The purpose of primer is to make a good bond between the piece and the paint. If you do not primer your pieces, the paint will easily chip or peel off. You may need to tape off some parts you do not want primered/painted, or just simply remove them. Parts such as vents, cigaretter lighter, and clock can easily be removed by clips. But parts like the dimmer knob will need to be taped up if you choose to paint that piece above the steering column. When you have all your parts ready and clean, then your ready to spray on some primer. When you primer, be sure to get many good thin coats on there. If you put on thick coats, you may cuase run lines. Thick coats will also not dry for a long time. The key is to allow proper drying times. You should have about 2-3 coats or until piece is fully covered.

I had to first sand off the clear coat, before I could primer or paint them. Clear coat doesnt like to be painted on. This picture shows the part sanded and ready for primer.


Here are the pieces primered and ready for paint.



Step 3. Paint
After your primer layers are fully dry, you are then ready to paint. You can use any type of spray paint you find at your local hardware store or Autozone. When spraying the pieces, try to keep the can about 8-10 inches away from the pieces. This will help the coats from going on too thick. Coat they piece about 3-5 times depending on the desired look. Again, use many thin coats to fully cover the piece.

Here is the first coat of paint. Notice that it is not fully covered yet. That is ok. This is just a base coat and you do not want to go too thick with it. You'll have more coats to be able to cover up the entire piece.


This is the paint I chose to go with this time. The color is called Storm Grey.


Here is a picture of one of the pieces painted next to the primered piece


Here are both of the pieces finished and ready to be installed on the car again


Step 4. Clear Coat (optional)
After you've completed painting your pieces, you can now clear coat them. I chose not to clear coat my interior pieces this time around. I find that the clear coat will actually dull the color of the paint if you find your paint too shiney.

Step 5. Reinstall parts.
Make sure that all your parts are COMPLETELY dry. If not then you risk leaving finger prints imbedded onto your pieces and will have to start the whole paint process over again. I've messed this up before when i rushed it. It's not fun sanding all your hard work off, so just be patient.

Step 6. Enjoy.
Look at your interior and admire your work. There may be paint fumes for awhile, so please drive with your windows down and allow freshly painted parts to vent until you feel you will be ok .

(ok I notice I don't have any pictures of the redone interior, but I finised so late that there was no sunlight left, so I haven't even been able to see my new interior yet either. Pictures will be up later)

[mrgrape]

how do u take off the passenger side vent? near the door

[kerosene]

how do u take off the passenger side vent? near the door

that was a pain in the arse, i will admit it...its the same thing as the drivers, but the bloody bugger is hard to remove for some reason... you just gotta work it... make sure you dont crack it though otherwise you will be F***ed