Repainting the Interior, going through with it tomorrow (Sunday) Options

[Hym3n]

Just thought I'd make a topic for this. Bought the supplies today, and I'm going to be painting.. well.. everything I feel like tomorrow on my interior. Here's the details on what I have incase anyone is curious:

-Spray paint: Premium Rust-Oleum Hammered Silver (I'm not sure that this is what I thought it was in Home Depot, but if it turns out like the cap feels, then I'll be more than happy.. its a kind-of textured feel, and it'll make for a very original dash)

-Clear coat: American Accents Clear Top Coat (..generic)

-Liquid Sandpaper: Easy Liquid Sander (..generic)

-Rubbing Alcohol: Eckard.. brand (..generic)

And, I have a digital camera, but it's not in my posession at the moment, so I'll have pics up as soon as I can!

-Brian

This post has been edited by Hym3n: Nov 15, 2003 - 11:04 PM

[Supersprynt]

Your painting the whole dash...i'd use flat finish and not glossy because your going to get blinding sun rays in your face.

[Hym3n]

I'm just doing the same parts most everyone else has been doing, not the black top vinyl part. If it does turn out to be too reflective though, I'll definitely repaint it.

-Brian

[Hym3n]

GAH! Can't get the following pieces off:

1) Driver side shifter panel. The piece where the carpet connects to the center console.

2) Passenger side shifter panel. Same, but on passenger side.

3) Center box. Took out the 4 "big" screws, still doesn't want to pop out. Could only manage one of the 6 "small" screws out, but I don't believe those are going to help it come out at all.

4) Passenger side main air vent. The primary vent on that side. Pulled at it longer than anything else, and eventually decided to just pull it really hard.. bad move. A small metal clip fell onto the floor. Fortunately, its still in place and blows air.. so I think I'm giving up on that one unless anyone has better ideas?

5) Cigarette Lighter Panel. PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME. There are two plugs, one white rectangle, and one yellowish L-shaped piece. I CANNOT get the L-shaped piece off. I will not pull it out because it.. well.. just doesn't want to come off. Ideas?

If anyone can help me with any of these parts, it'd be greatly appreciated.. because I really don't want this to look half-assed. I'm also interested in painting both the driver and passenger side controls (door lock and power windows), as well as both speaker grills. How can I take these off? Do I have to take off the door? If so, how do I take off the door?

Thanks,
-Brian

This post has been edited by Hym3n: Nov 16, 2003 - 12:29 AM

[hollandceli]

5.) you should be able to wiggle the "L" shaped wire off w/ a little effort, it comes off just be patient.

As for the rest, especially the passenger air vent, i couldnt get off either.

[Hym3n]

Awesome, thank you.

I JUST finish painting and letting the pieces dry. And I'm saddened to say it looks like ****. I think I got the wrong kind of spray paint for this kind of job, and after it dried it looked pretty nice, I was satisfied. So I sprayed the clear coat on, and now its all leathery, it's dry (doesn't get on your fingers), but it shifts and makes wrinkles. I put the few pieces I was able to take out back in, and I'm trying to smooth it all out, but it tore in one place, and simply doesn't look good in other places. I was unable to spray all of the air ducts, but I can re-do that anytime. I'm hoping it comes off fairly easy, and since it shifts around as-is, that shouldn't be much of a problem.

Fortunately, I'm in TX, and right now it's actually pretty warm, so I'm going to let it sit in the sun in the car for a while, hoping that it bakes in or something and makes it look better.

Wish me luck.

-Brian

[Ghost]

I've read that perhaps using a SMALL amount of paint thinner will get rid of that leathery texture that is upsetting you.

[Akimbo]

4) Passenger side main air vent. The primary vent on that side. Pulled at it longer than anything else, and eventually decided to just pull it really hard.. bad move. A small metal clip fell onto the floor. Fortunately, its still in place and blows air.. so I think I'm giving up on that one unless anyone has better ideas?

Man, if you see my profile, I can't get that bastard off either.

[Hym3n]

Ghost, I got some tips from others and I've decided to sand down what I've already done and re-do it from a different approach this time. Should be in a few days, maybe tomorrow if I can find the time.

Akimbo, man, your interior looks so good.. just one piece left lol.. good luck!

-Brian

[aaronc222]

The passenger side vent is nasty. It took me hours to figure it out. I had the glove box and all surrounding pieces out before I figured it out. I'll take it out tomorrow and post a pic of it to give everyone an idea of where it's clipped. Basically it has a clip at the bottom that is stubborn as h#ll. I have to take it out anyways because I'm redoing the interior from silver to a dark blue metallic.

As for the painting. The best approach is to sand things down with 400(or so) grit sand paper, primer(let dry overnight/6+ hours), sand lightly(not really removing the primer, just scuffing it up), paint(let dry overnight/10+ hours), clearcoat(let dry overnight). It takes longer this way, but it will look better. And don't be afraid to sand a piece down and redo it if it doesn't come out right. Also, be sure to use light coats(almost a mist), waiting 10-15 minutes between them.

I've done my car and helped my friend do his 95 coupe in a color change paint(he's on the board, but I don't know his s/n). Not to mention our other friend the paint/body guy who showed us how to do it properly.

[neoklis]

The best interior i have ever seen is on doggy ' s car. Check him out and you will see what i am talking about.
I plan to paint parts of the dash board dove grey this weekend. I made leather seats in that color and they look great but they dont match the dash very match so i am making this move to compensate.

[Hym3n]

Yeah, doGGy's car was actually what I was looking at when I decided to go forth with this project. His car is everything that mine wants to be.. and then some. From what I hear though, all of his work is custom, so it'd be difficult to make anything of ours look as good as his lol.

-Brian

[flipside97LTD]

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=7]Hey man! I know how it is getting those pieces out... It takes a lot of patience but they do come out. I did a similar interior paint-job on my Celica and it's been doing fine for months. You said that your painted pieces looked fine but, then after you cleared them it became shifty? It might be that you used a clear that attacked the original spray paint. The clear might have been made for a different kind of paint. Here's my advice: 1) Make sure all of your pieces are EXTREMELY clean... I mean SOAK EM in Alcohol if that's what it takes, cuz dude, ANY armor-all or oil from people's hands will ruin it. 2) Use a spraypaint made for plastic. I used SEMS Plasticote Silver. 3) Make sure your clear is compatible with the paint. 4) Try using a product called BULLDOG Plastic Primer that's made to prep plastic for paint, as well as alcohol. I know it's a major pain dude but when it's done, it'll look hot! Tomorrow when I go to work I'll look at what I used and give you the actual names of the spraypaint, clear, and primer. Can't wait to see it when it's done!

[Ghost]

That is the bad-assedest (ehh?) interior paint job i've seen on our celi's before man, NICE.

[Akimbo]

Holy hell! That rocks!

[doGGy]

[Akimbo]

I'm going to do a two-tone now with my interior, if you notice my interior shots, you'll see that it is a jewel green metallic color. I was going to have my friend accent some peices (door handle peice, window switch peice, any other ideas?). Now what color do you think would look good with the green? I was thinking of doing it in silver, except I wish the main peices were silver and accented in green.

[Simmo]

Here's some old picture of my interior. (No more wires showing )

Simmo

This post has been edited by Simmo: Dec 14, 2003 - 6:04 PM