Painting interior trim

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Westislander

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has anyone had good results painting their interior vinyl trim pieces? I would like to change my blue interior to black. If the results are going to look half-assed I would rather get new panels
 

crpntr78

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I painted mine black from blue as well. The only trouble I've had with the paint is it scratches off in places, like at the window roll up handles. Friction from your hand wears through.
 

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Never seem to last, at least for me
 

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I was looking at a product like Color Bond that claims to chemically bond to the trim to prevent peeling or rubbing through
 

bucket

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With proper prep, SEM vinyl/plastic paint holds up very well.
 

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Sem paint needs adhesive promoter used to actually stick. Otherwise it easily scratches off. But some properly done trim seem to eventually rub off as well.

But a lot of newer oem interior trim is painted as well with similar long term results. At least I have seen a lot of 99-2005ish gm trucks with dashes that start wearing down to black in a lot of places
 

bucket

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Sem paint needs adhesive promoter used to actually stick. Otherwise it easily scratches off. But some properly done trim seem to eventually rub off as well.

But a lot of newer oem interior trim is painted as well with similar long term results. At least I have seen a lot of 99-2005ish gm trucks with dashes that start wearing down to black in a lot of places

I've had no troubles with it even in high wear areas. And that's without using adhesion promoter. If done right, it can still get scratched off, but it will be taking plastic with it.
 

rpcraft

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The key to painting is prep. Get yourself some TSP, some gloves, and take them out in the driveway and take them apart all the way, then clean well with water and dawn dish soap. Once you get that far then take your water bucket and mix up the TSP as instructions include on the box and wash it up and then clean it again. After they are dried up go get you some proper paint prep solvent and wipe them down well and be sure and wear some nitrile type gloves to keep your greasy hands off the plastics and stuff. Paint with some good interior/plastic adhesion promoter and then lay on your paint.

It's a pain to do right, but if you do it right and follow all those steps you can usually get a really good finish that is durable, and for high wear areas, like arm rests and what not I will usually get some flat clear and put it over the paint in layers. I like my stuff to look clean but not necessarily shiny so that is why I turn to flat. I also seem to feel it layers up better without the risk of running or causing a drip.

Hope that helps some

Oh also, TSP is Tri Sodium Phosphate. Good for etching and cleaning hard to clean surfaces, like concrete, metal, and plastics that lack a lot of tooth. I'd use some red scotch brite with that for generating a surface with as much tooth as possible.
 

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Just my tidbit. I'd go with a flat black, not a gloss black. The gloss shiney black looks like a cheap rattle can paint job IMO. Maybe it is just that, an opinion, but I've never liked the gloss black painted interiors but have really like the flat or dull black.
 

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I'm a big fan of paint it black and put it back, so I definitely agree on flat black to start with. But that is just because I am not into shining and polishing things, lol...
 

legopnuematic

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On my 76 I used the 2x rustoleum, found a color that matched the OE saddle color perfectly. I scrubbed them with soap and water then right before I painted them wiped them with some denatured alcohol. Light coats and let fully cure before reinstallation.

This is how it has held up with a year and a half of daily driving.
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It hasn't worn terribly considering that these door panels had completely sun faded and become brittle and turn into dust. The areas where it has fallen off is where the plastic underneath has come off.
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I also did the dash pad cover, same prep method, has held up excellently as the plastic isn't degraded
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bucket

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Just my tidbit. I'd go with a flat black, not a gloss black. The gloss shiney black looks like a cheap rattle can paint job IMO. Maybe it is just that, an opinion, but I've never liked the gloss black painted interiors but have really like the flat or dull black.

SEM Landau Black has that "just right" amount of gloss. Like factory.
 

78C10BigTen

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On my 76 I used the 2x rustoleum, found a color that matched the OE saddle color perfectly. I scrubbed them with soap and water then right before I painted them wiped them with some denatured alcohol. Light coats and let fully cure before reinstallation.

This is how it has held up with a year and a half of daily driving.
You must be registered for see images attach
It hasn't worn terribly considering that these door panels had completely sun faded and become brittle and turn into dust. The areas where it has fallen off is where the plastic underneath has come off.
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach

I also did the dash pad cover, same prep method, has held up excellently as the plastic isn't degraded
You must be registered for see images attach
Im diggin your roadkill sticker! I have one on my square too. My favorite show
 

86Apache

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has anyone had good results painting their interior vinyl trim pieces? I would like to change my blue interior to black. If the results are going to look half-assed I would rather get new panels

How badly worn are they?

On my 86 C10 they were worn bad. Cleaned em good, sanded off the loose vinyl, hit them with a light coat of rattle can bed liner, duplo I think it was, gave em a very light sanding to knock the grit down a bit and rattle canned lightly over that. Certainly not factory but looked fine and wore well.

I plan to do the same with my "new" 82 K20.
 

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