Interior vinyl paint/dye

[GriGri 10]

Hi,

 

Anybody with some experience repainting/dying their interior (bottom dash, interiror vynil, ...) ? I saw some SEM system on NPD but it involves lots of different SEM products (soap, prep, ...)/

 

What did you guys use ? The panels are in good shape but their may be a scratch or two that could be fixed and definitely cleaning + fresh coat of paint

 

Thx

[LindenBruce 27]

I just did the rear fiberglass trim and panels for my car. I used the Laquer SEM paint and plastic prep spray prior to applying the SEM. I prefer using the laquer paint as it's thinner and reveals more of the plastic trim's grain and have been very happy with this product.

 

To remove the previous paint I used sodium bicarbonate blasting media. I then washed the prices off in by bathtub with common dish soap. Made sure they were good and dry before painting. Bruce

[GriGri 10]

Thanks, any other way to prep the surface/remove old paint ? I do not have a setup for blasting (yet)

[BuckeyeDemon 211]

Thanks, any other way to prep the surface/remove old paint ? I do not have a setup for blasting (yet)

 

i believe that's what the sem soap is for. it might have a mild abrasive in it to help clean and scuff the panel.

 

i've read of some people using HD Easy off to remove old paint (also scrub brush). I did this on a set of pillar posts trim that i had and it worked on one and not the other. i'm not sure why it didn't work on the one. it didn't appear to have been repainted at any time.

 

i tried slightly wiping an old cloth with a little thinner on my old broken pillar post to see how that worked. it did ok, but it's really easiy to start removing grain.

 

personally, i've used soap, scrub brushes and scotch brite pads 90% of the time for fiberglass/plastic. the steel parts were media blasted. someone had painted my kick panels at one time, and the paint easily removed by scrubbing (probably poor prep/poor adhesion).

[69RavenConv 288]

+1 on the SEM products but use the dye if you're doing any soft vinyl (dash, armrests, etc) Lacquer is good on everything else. I can't answer about stripping but I scrubbed everything clean with soap and used the SEM pre-treatments (vinyl or plastic). I was very pleased with the results.

 

Using the dye, I found many very thin coats brushed down with a dry paint brush (think house painting) between coats gave the best results.

[LindenBruce 27]

Also, stay away from any petroleum based solvents. I had an old broken pillar trim I was experimenting on and after about ten second of exposure to the solvents the plastic would start melting and destroyed the texture. I tried acetone, thinner, spray can carb cleaner, and paint gun cleaner and all damaged the trim.

 

I did have success with a media blast cabinet turned down to about 60psi and holding the gun six inches away from the trim. It took some time to remove the old paint but it did not damage the plastic. Bruce

[GriGri 10]

Thanks, looks like i'll be experimenting with the SEM products. Will post some before and after pics. Thanks for the help

[unfrozen1969 11]

Posts photos of the process when you get the time.

 

Thanks

[miketyler 15]

While we're on the subject of painting vinyl, has anyone repainted soft vinyl? I have some door panels that have been painted and I need to either safely remove the paint or paint over it. Any suggestions here?

[unfrozen1969 11]

I have some custom interior door panels with cracks and portions missing, can this be repaired?

[69RavenConv 288]

While we're on the subject of painting vinyl, has anyone repainted soft vinyl? I have some door panels that have been painted and I need to either safely remove the paint or paint over it. Any suggestions here?

 

As Buckeye and Linden Bruce said, removing paint from interior parts is a dicey proposition because abrasives and chemicals quickly remove the grain. Best if you can scrub it really clean with soapy water and a stiff bristle brush.

[Big Secz 26]

Simple process that has worked for me was to scuff the pieces with scotch brite, use a cloth and wipe down with a little lacquer thinner, and then hit with some rattle can paint and call it a day.

[miketyler 15]

So simply cleaning and painting over the paint on soft vinyl is the way to go? These are door panels that were painted red and I need to go back black with them.

Edited September 4, 2011 by miketyler

[Big Secz 26]

You can definitely try that. Red is one of the harder colors to paint over, but being that you are going over it in black you can probably pull it off after several coats.