Interior trim painting-help
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From: peoria, Arizona
Interior trim painting-help Ok after doing a search, I know this topic has been beaten to death but I want to know what the proper way to paint the interior pieces. I'm going to paint my center console radio bezel, speaker grilles, and possibly where the door handle and window switches are if i can do it right. What is the correct order of events, including what specific grit to use. Im not looking for sema quality, just something that's going to last a long time. The interior is black, and I'll be doing a nice deep bright gold. And what is wet sanding?
well there is nothing wrong with trying it yourself, you will probably have to re-do it a couple times to get it right. But first things first you will need an adhesive promoter. Take the pieces off that you want to paint. Get some medium grit sandpaper and scuff up the pieces. Clean them off really well with some water with a few drops of dawn. Then spray it a few times with the adhesive promoter. After it is dry to the touch use some sandable primer. You will spray a few coats of primer and then you can wetsand it. For the primer i would use 800 grit. Basically wet sanding is just that, you take a spray bottle with a few drops of dawn, take some wet sandpaper and sand the product.
After you are satisfied with your sanding of the primer you will need to wash it again with some soapy water and dry it with some microfiber towels. Then the painting can begin. Use some nice even strokes and try not to spray too much in one place or it will run. After you let it dry for about 30-60 minutes you can wetsand it. For the first few times i would use 1000 grit paper. For the final coat i would use 1000 then 1500 grit to make it nice and smooth. When you are happy with it let it dry for about a day or so and then re-install it.
The next question you need to answer is if you want to clear coat it, while clear coating is great for making sure the paint doesnt peel but it makes it really shiny. Also the best clearcoat you can get is out of a paint gun, not a can, so it is up to you. The process for wetsanding clear coat will depend on how you apply it.
After you are satisfied with your sanding of the primer you will need to wash it again with some soapy water and dry it with some microfiber towels. Then the painting can begin. Use some nice even strokes and try not to spray too much in one place or it will run. After you let it dry for about 30-60 minutes you can wetsand it. For the first few times i would use 1000 grit paper. For the final coat i would use 1000 then 1500 grit to make it nice and smooth. When you are happy with it let it dry for about a day or so and then re-install it.
The next question you need to answer is if you want to clear coat it, while clear coating is great for making sure the paint doesnt peel but it makes it really shiny. Also the best clearcoat you can get is out of a paint gun, not a can, so it is up to you. The process for wetsanding clear coat will depend on how you apply it.
Here is my bezel done solely with rattle cans. Sorry for the finger prints and smudges. I just put it in when I took this picture. It's high gloss black with multiple layers of clear.
A family freind did it. I can find out his method and let you know. It took him like 20 minutes and it looks AMAZING. It looks so pro.
A family freind did it. I can find out his method and let you know. It took him like 20 minutes and it looks AMAZING. It looks so pro.
Damn that does look awesome.
When i did mine, all i did was get some "degreaser", which i just got from work. Sprayed the pieces and cleaned them up, wanted to get off all the grease from the ArmourAll Wipes i use when cleanin up the dash. Then i just sprayed the pieces with the color i wanted, sprayed a couple coats & then hit them with a couple coats of clear. Let em dry and installed them a couple hours later. They held up well. I just didnt wanna go through all the sanding and everything at the time, so just went that way.
When i did mine, all i did was get some "degreaser", which i just got from work. Sprayed the pieces and cleaned them up, wanted to get off all the grease from the ArmourAll Wipes i use when cleanin up the dash. Then i just sprayed the pieces with the color i wanted, sprayed a couple coats & then hit them with a couple coats of clear. Let em dry and installed them a couple hours later. They held up well. I just didnt wanna go through all the sanding and everything at the time, so just went that way.
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That's one of the few interiors i've seen with that much interior paint that didn't look too ricey. That looks VERY nice. It's definitely one of the only colors that looks good.
But also it is something I think you should try yourself. There really isn't much to paint - people just make it look like **** by using bright *** colors.
But also it is something I think you should try yourself. There really isn't much to paint - people just make it look like **** by using bright *** colors.
I painted a few pieces in my car pewter a few years ago. After it with 400-600 grit I used primer filler to get rid of the texture then kept wetsanding then primer filler till I got it where I was happy with it and painted it. I now am redoing the interior and the pewter pieces for the most part are gone. If you're looking to paint the soft dash pieces at some point I recommend SEM vinyl paint/dye and get the soap and prep too that they sell. They can custom mix any color that you want too 
Here's what it used to look like
and as it looks now...still in progress....ignore the ugly off-orange shift boot
Here's what it used to look like
and as it looks now...still in progress....ignore the ugly off-orange shift boot
Last edited by Flamin' bird; Nov 19, 2008 at 08:32 AM.
those look awesome. where did you take them to get painted? a regular auto painter?
i like how you painted the guage cover (dunno what its called). came out really well. now about that shifting boot.. 
I painted a few pieces in my car pewter a few years ago. After it with 400-600 grit I used primer filler to get rid of the texture then kept wetsanding then primer filler till I got it where I was happy with it and painted it. I now am redoing the interior and the pewter pieces for the most part are gone. If you're looking to paint the soft dash pieces at some point I recommend SEM vinyl paint/dye and get the soap and prep too that they sell. They can custom mix any color that you want too
Here's what it used to look like
and as it looks now...still in progress....ignore the ugly off-orange shift boot
Here's what it used to look like
and as it looks now...still in progress....ignore the ugly off-orange shift boot
those look awesome. where did you take them to get painted? a regular auto painter?
Its all new leather. Cost ~$900 front and back for the leather only. Million times better quality then what GM puts in. Car only has 27k miles, so the foam is still perfect. Originally I had the cloth seats.
Yeah I know the shift boot is going to go by the time spring is here. The gauge cover.....that plate behind it I bought from Speed Inc if that's what you're talking about. They seemed to be the only place I could find that piece. I'm sure someone could fab something up though
You might as well go to a junkyard and look for ebony pieces. Your not going to paint anything better that the stock ebony pieces. Im in the process of sanding and painting my ebony pieces smooth and gloss/satin black. Its alot of work and very time consuming. If you want good looking pieces with paint, plan on spending a large amount of time prepping, sanding, masking, painting and waiting. Its probably a cheaper option painting and I don't mind spending the time to get my interior how I want it but for you it would be better to just replace your pieces, Maybe the right junkyard would let you exchange the pieces for a small fee. Good Luck
