Scratches in the interior, dont know how to fix it ! Options

[NaderG]

I have tons of scratches all arround my interior ( vinyl and plastic parts) , so how do i fix it ?

[95CelicaST]

replace it. You can't really do much about it unless you want to take everything out, sand it down, and then paint it. If you want it like stock you will have to just replace it. Go to a junkyard, look in the FS/WTB section here, go to the local Toyota stealership, etc.

[NaderG]

well it would be impossible to find a good interior in a junk yard because usually thats the first thing that goes ! , buying it from toyota dealer !!! that would cost ALOT !!!!! can't afford that much , sand it and paint it , i already have painted parts in my interior and i have to say they are not as scratch resisitant as i thought ( even wth clear coat) ........... so it is unrepairable ? how about covering it with fiberglass ? does it come in black ? how relaible is that stuff ? does it get scratched easly ?

[supradog1]

take your celica to the dealership and ask them who dose the refurbishig of interiors for there used car lot... there is usaly someone they hire to come in and do this type of work... the interior people some how sand/ retexture and die the plastic panels to there original color and texture and you would never know thay were refinished when its done!!!

[NaderG]

Thats very interesting , but they might tell me that they will do it for me so that they can rip me off !! , and IF they tell me , how much do you thiunk it would cost me ? i just got an estimate for reupholstering my leather seat and the guy asked for 1300 !! , i think the car is more than worth the money , but i dont have that kind of money , i am just a college kid !

[supradog1]

Thats very interesting , but they might tell me that they will do it for me so that they can rip me off !! , and IF they tell me , how much do you thiunk it would cost me ? i just got an estimate for reupholstering my leather seat and the guy asked for 1300 !! , i think the car is more than worth the money , but i dont have that kind of money , i am just a college kid !

it never hurts to try and find out what thay charge... it may be more resonable than you think...

[bman]

im in the process of bondo'ing, sanding and re-painting - if you take your time and do it nice it will be pretty scratch resistant

...and to think it all started when i wanted to remove the led hole on the driver side vent

[NaderG]

im in the process of bondo'ing, sanding and re-painting - if you take your time and do it nice it will be pretty scratch resistant

...and to think it all started when i wanted to remove the led hole on the driver side vent

Could you describe the process inwhich you do your work ?

[bman]

sand em down nice and smooth... its alot of work. i usually sit and listen to the yankee games while sanding

a good test is to close your eyes and run your finger across the piece your sanding and check for ANY differences - if you have deep scratches you can fill them in with a liiiiiitle bit of bondo - then sand that down and do the finger test again until your happy with it

painting is the easy part... 2 thin coats of primer

3 or more fairly thin coats with the paint of your choice. I'm using rustoleum metalic silver. It looks amazing when the sun hits it. I've painted the center piece to my liking so far and no scratches/marks even after removing the piece a few times

[DSToyo]

^that sounds like a pretty good idea! id try that before buying anything, is that paint for plastics tho?

btw....red sox ftw!

[bman]

no it was for metal actually... but you could/should use plastic paint. I couldnt resist the metallic look though

it came out fine, for what its worth

[brthrurik]

testors aerosol model paints are great for this kinda thing, and the come in metalics gloss flats and even pearl colors... a little more expensive but well worth it imo.

[DSToyo]

primer or no primer? with the testors...

[NaderG]

i painted my Dash trim peices in the same method using testors spray and i also used clear coat to top it off , the results are nice but i am still waiting for long term results beforei decide to spray my entire interior ! , i was wondering i there was any product that would treat scratches without the need for painting the whole thing , it is extremely time consuming and i a busy college student lol , so any suggestions ?

[njccmd2002]

i have used heat to trim the scrathces. Like a soldering iron, but be very careful not to melt...

[NaderG]

Heat ... hmm , well i found a kit out there in auto stores that use some sort of gel that turns into vinyl with heat , combined with a heat iron and some papers that grain the gel into looking like the interior .. it seemed to complex for me cause i am not all that good ... just wondering what kind of shop should i take it to ....

[calgarygts]

try using a heat gun on a low setting for scratches in the interior plastic. Depending on the scratch it can actually make the scratch dissapear!! Good little detailing tip I picked up last year.

[njccmd2002]

yup, it actually makes it better, i have toned donw my scratches a lot....

[NaderG]

Thats great ! now i dont own a heat gun and i dont want to buy one , i am student and every dollar counts , can a hair dryer on high setting work ?

[njccmd2002]

for about 10 min, then the fuse kicks in and you have to wait for it to cool, then its on to repeat the cycle again..