Interior and Upholstery Painting my plastic dash questions...

[limp]

Going to paint my 83 ( blue ) dash black.. I thought about doing it in Graphite or very dark grey, but I want to keep it simple...
Its been 25 years since I did my Dodge parts and they came out very nice and still look like new...
#1 question.... It seems like I washed them with warmish water and dawn soap multiple times to remove any grease, dirt and Armor All.....
Again its been many years but I remember using some plastic prep ( spray can) to soften and prep the plastic.....
I want to say that I believe the paint store told me to just wipe the plastic down with lacquer thinner to prep it?? Has anyone done that????
#2.. Is the plastic paint ( like SEM) the best to use?? I see that Rust Oleum has some " plastic" paint also??
Whats every one used????
Thanks for any ideas here....

 

[91AOD5.0LX]

I cleaned my interior first with a dawn soap and water mix then used the SEM prep spray then SEM color spray when I did mine and It came out perfect.
There are separate prep sprays and paints if I remember correctly for the plastics and vinyl parts though. Double check that but I think I remember using sprays specific for the material I was painting.
Oh and I also rubbed the interior down with a damp “Mr Clean magic eraser” before the prep spray. That worked wonders! Those things are amazing!

 

[limp]

#3 question I forgot....
What is everyone using, Flat, satin, semi, or gloss? TY again

 

[limp]

Oh and I also rubbed the interior down with a damp “Mr Clean magic eraser” before the prep spray. That worked wonders! Those things are amazing!

Did you do this to your softer material, like your seats? Or the harder plastic like a dash?

 

[91AOD5.0LX]

Did you do this to your softer material, like your seats? Or the harder plastic like a dash?

The softer areas. Seats and door panels.

 

[91AOD5.0LX]

 

[91AOD5.0LX]

That’s the paint I used. Doesn’t indicate what the sheen is. Looks Flat or eggshell to me. Definitely not gloss. I got it from NPD but mine was titanium gray. SEM black is also
Available. It says good for plastics and vinyl.
Perhaps it was the prep spray that was plastic and vinyl specific?

 

[General karthief]

Don't use lacquer thinner on plastic/vinyl before painting, or at all, it is porous and takes a long time to evaporate, if it ever does.
JMO.

 

[Potomus Pete]

I think laquer thinner would eat it. I did my Jeep inside complete with SEM and if I had to do it again I would get the primer on it first. I cleaned it up and sanded with 1200 paper and it scrapes off with pressure. Not bad, but not good enough for me.

 

[limp]

The softer areas. Seats and door panels.

My seats and door panels are white.... While I am not a big " white interior" person, I think it might be a good color for here in Florida... Its a vert..
the carpet, dash, WS surrounds and the bottom of the door trim is blue.... Pretty fugly...
My new dash pad is black, dash will be either black or graphite, graphite carpet.... Kee;ping the seats and door panels white....

 

[Mustang5L5]

the panels I painted, I would scuff them up with a scotchbrite pad and then put some gloves on and wipe them down with alcohol right before paint.

Actually quite impressed with how well it held up in high wear areas.

 

[89notchDude]

I used some orange degreaser then hit it with a scotchbrite. Next I wiped up all the scotchbrite/plastic dust with some alcohol. Did about 2-3 coats of SEM landau black. I was happy with the results.

 

[limp]

I used some orange degreaser then hit it with a scotchbrite. Next I wiped up all the scotchbrite/plastic dust with some alcohol. Did about 2-3 coats of SEM landau black. I was happy with the results.

Looks good... That " sheen " looks just about right to me....

 

[jz88vert]

Going to paint my 83 ( blue ) dash black.. I thought about doing it in Graphite or very dark grey, but I want to keep it simple...
Its been 25 years since I did my Dodge parts and they came out very nice and still look like new...
#1 question.... It seems like I washed them with warmish water and dawn soap multiple times to remove any grease, dirt and Armor All.....
Again its been many years but I remember using some plastic prep ( spray can) to soften and prep the plastic.....
I want to say that I believe the paint store told me to just wipe the plastic down with lacquer thinner to prep it?? Has anyone done that????
#2.. Is the plastic paint ( like SEM) the best to use?? I see that Rust Oleum has some " plastic" paint also??
Whats every one used????
Thanks for any ideas here....

After dish soap ibuse gray scotchbrite and denatures alcohol and sem came out very nice or lmr paints pretty good also. Vinyl prep sprays waste of $ u dont need it

 

[chrlsful]

? some say primer, others prep spray, & both (but nobody neither)...?

 

[limp]

Here is the dash still wet from a scrub down .....
I found some cracks I would like to address..... Thought about using some fiberglass gel, but without cloth it never seems to hold well and using any cloth might make it too large and in the way...
Any suggestions?

 

[General karthief]

Where are the cracks?
Most can be repaired from the back with a plastic welding technique, that way the repair is hidden.
check the utube for videos.

 

[limp]

Where are the cracks?
Most can be repaired from the back with a plastic welding technique, that way the repair is hidden.
check the utube for videos.

I ended up using the Baking Soda, Graphite, super glue mixture method...... worked good

 

[nickyb]

I painted my blue armrest with black trim Paint from lmr, it's holding up great even in this Vegas heat,and it matches the original interior plastic.