has anyone tried to paint their interior panels a different color? I have total gray interior and i want black. already changed the seats next is the headliner and carpet. but i dont want to have to buy all new plastic panels.

Any recommendations on which brand to buy and where to get it?

I need something obviously that will last a while and won't easily chip away in the suns heat.

Any suggestions would be great thanks.

 

my was gray and i painted it black with dupicolor vinyl and carpet paint...sanded the interior down with 360 sand paper to get all the armor all off and came out nice did it a year ago and still lokks the same... pics on my cardomain

 

use SEM interior dyes...they are by far the best. As long as you clean all of your parts really good before hand to get rid of all the oils and grease from them you will be fine. You don't even need to sand them which is good if you want to keep the texture of the plastic.

 

thanks guys i was afraid i would be laughed at haha.

Any recommendations for what to clean the plasitc with before i paint it?

i got tons of stuff in mind jsut curious what you guys think

 

I painted mine 3 months ago. Came out really good, I cleaned with 409 and used 2 coats on part I never touch and 5 on sills. Changed out seats and carpet. Havent done door panels yet. Still wondering if it is worth it or just sell and buy panels.

 

Most guys will recommend Krylon, but I've heard better things about SEM.

 

is there a clear coat i can use or is the paint on its own good enough?

 

I wouldn't clear unless you want it to be REALLY shiny

 

good point thanks

 

This is what worked - at least for me
1. Lightly rub all the pieces with steel wool. (I guess you could use sandpaper if you have really bad sun spotted areas- just make sure to do it evenly to not ruin teh texture on teh plastic)
2. Wash all the parts with water and standard liquid soap
2. Spray the panels with SEM plastic/vinyl cleaner. Spray per directions. Some people skip this step, but yes it does make a difference.
3. Spray with SEM choice of color. Use per directions. Youd be surprised at the color selection- they are right on with GM colors.

Just be sure to constantly clean the nozzle while spraying, because the buildup makes it spit. The cool thing about sem is that its really hard to make the paint run even if you are a terrible painter. Its almost like a powder that you brush evenly before it settles and dries.
I panted mine last summer. I live in Fresno california- it gets like 100 degress here easy. Check it out. . The center console, gauge bezel, door plastics, and the kick panel are whats painted with SEM in this pick. Really good finish, and has lasted thus far.

 

Where do you buy this SEM cleaners and the paint ????
Because I want to change mine from red to gray.
Thanks

 

im glad i found this post. my panels are tan and i hate it. I want black all around. Where do you find SEM paints?

 

When I did my T-top conversion on my 4th gen, some of the parts were badly sun faded. I took the A pillar moldings, Sail panel moldings, and the molding on the T-tops and cleaned them well with windex. Then I painted them with the Vinyl & Fabric paint. They came out really nice. You can't tell they are painted. It's so close to factory. I took one of my old moldings with me to match the cap with it. Just make sure it's warm with low humidity. I did one late at night it was cool and damp. The paint wouldn't adhere to the plastic. It would peel right off. Cleaned it, repainted it, and it came out great. I saw after I was done that they have adhesion promoter wipes and cans. You might want to try using that. Good Luck

 

SEM materials set the standard.
I used they're products several years ago,
with good results. At that time, they had
a primer, which softened the surface slightly,
so that the color actually penetrated the
surface. Much more durable & scratch resistant.

If you can't find the products at local suppliers,
(auto parts, or auto upholstery suppliers), check
with mail order suppliers Year One, or Classic Industries.

Good luck.

 

I used the SEM paint on all my interior, and it turned out great.
I also used the SEM sandfree to help it adhere better to the plastic.

My interior was blue to start with, and I changed it to the graphite color.

Here are some pics.



I also bought some new door panels that were light grey to start, but I wanted them to match everything else. So I did these too, old color on the left new on the right


----------
Oh this is where I bought it from
http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/sem15303.html

The local store around where I live wanted $15 a can. I needed 5 cans so it was cheaper to buy it online, and pay the shipping charge.

 

Used Sem on my interior, this stuff is so easy to work with, just make sure it's really clean and then clean it again

 

cdoyle, where did you get the new door panels from? Im wanting new panels and seat covers for my camaro. thanks

P.S yes i bring the dead back to life! search bar ftw

 

i think he meant new to him.

 

Correct.
I got them out of a 91/92 RS I believe.

 

I have before and worked great as long as you use the right prep materials. just painting wont last. i used SEM products, get the the Prep plastic vinyl and adhesion promoter and the color choice and your set..

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/inte...ic-carpet.html
Here's a step by step thread on Interior Painting.This thread should have been a STICKY a long time ago.