transsam

iTrader: (5)

I have pulled the plastic pieces off of the seats in my Trans Am (the lumbar style seats with plastic backing - pic below). Scroll down to see the design ideas.

The problem I have run into is that the plastic isn't like anything I have run into before. When the "grain" is sanded down, it turns to a fuzzy almost lint like texture. I have gone all of the way down to 60 grit to attempt to remove this stuff. I got it about as good as I could and figured a good coating of filler primer might harden it. It worked a little, but I still can't get this stuff smooth. Is there anything I might use to smooth this out? I'm close, but it seems as though I am not getting closer. Is there a clever way to harden and smoothen this? Any ideas would help greatly. Thanks in advance!

Current seat type (not mine):


The ultimate goal is this "look" but I don't like carbon fiber, so gloss black almost metal look instead - minus the tan, ebony seats instead:

LT4vert

iTrader: (3)

I cant see your pics but I know exactly what you mean . Its doing that because its polypropelene plastic and its super soft stuff . Your gonna have to go to like a 400 grit or possibly 6-800 grit black paper to get it smoothed back out . The coarse grits are perfect for creating a surface to bond too , but it definately will not get the job done if smooth is the mission.

For what you wanna do , and the horrid adhesion properties of polypropelene plastic . Use a good adhesion promotor , followed by a good epoxy primer as a base and make sure the epoxy primer has a flex agent added . Ya know , for what you want , I would almost wanna suggest having the seat backs hydrodipped . It would be more money yes , but maybe a better long term solution .

Irish350

iTrader: (14)

yeah, your pictures are all fail lately.

i was gonna say sandable primer, then adhesion promoter

Irish350

iTrader: (14)

much more workage out of the pictures now..

so yeah, whatre you doin? wrapping faux cf vinyl? painting?

transsam

iTrader: (5)

I don't like the carbon fiber look. Going gloss black on sides and back. Gloss black on the top of the center console and the radio bezel too. Other than that, wrapping.

djfury05

iTrader: (30)

what car is in the second picture? I want to fit those seats into my car lol

LT4vert

iTrader: (3)

ferrari 599gtb ....good luck that

99345hp

Yeah, i think your going the wrong way with your paper. I would work to like 220, then adhesion promoter, primer, then paint. Sand after primer and see where its at, and use more coats if not smooth enough.

transsam

iTrader: (5)

As an update, I moved to 150 and I am on 400 now. The big problem was this plastic was eating 400 grit paper like candy. So I moved crazy on the grit down to 60. Then I sprayed the stuff with the primer. It hardened it well. I am trying to get all of the soft "burrs" off with this round of sanding. Then put another coat of primer on and move from there.

I wish I would have just put the adhesion promoter on, then built it up instead of sanding smoother and priming from there. Oh well, its coming along.

LT4vert

iTrader: (3)

Dont be afraid to run a flame over it with a propane torch . Dont touch the flame to the plastic and work QWIK jus skimming the surface , it will singe off the soft burrs .

Whistler

iTrader: (46)

Sometimes you need to bury the fuzzy plastic with a layer of primer, then sand and re-primer. As said above, don't skip the adhesion promoter or it'll be peeling later especially if your car sits outside.

pdxmotorhead

So ,, if I have the motor out, on a stand,, stripped ot a short block... why,, would I not just finish tearing it down and do a full clean on the bloc?
heck, if I pre-clean the parts a block and 2 heads is like 200 bucks to have a light pass done on both..

I get it if you aren't pulling the engine and doing the heads in place..

Just thinking.

MY_2K_Z

iTrader: (1)

I think your in the wrong thread

jlcustomz

Another thing about running torch over plastics, flame treating can take the place of adhesion promoter for getting plastics to bond. It's not actually from the heat though, you don't get the plastic hot at all. Its something in the oxidation process. Look up evercoat's instructions for flame treating plastic for their poly flex filler or google flame treating plastic.