Interior Refreshening Project

[Duder]

For the carpet re-dying, are you painting the carpets using the SEM spray cans, or some other product? Any special prep other than thorough washing, drying, and vacuuming?

 

[MSGGrunt]

I am using the SEM spray cans. Their color coat line. I have used it before on vinyl door panels, hard plastic and carpets and have been very happy with the result.

I colored two of the four headrests today. The two I did were black and I have some observations. The headrests seem to be very porous and soaked up a lot of paint. I mean a whole can just on these two. It probably didn't help that they were originally black as well. On the next two I am going to try and shoot them with a white base coat first and see if that help with better coverage.

I am really looking forward to the leather upholstery arriving and seeing this all back together.

 

[Shadow Ninja]

Great stuff in this thread! Keep up the good work!

 

[MSGGrunt]

A few more pieces painted. This time I am changing the color of some of the black pieces to match the other tan pieces. I will color the bottom half of the glove box, but leave the top part and dash black. My leather seat covers shipped today.

 

[MSGGrunt]

The front leather seat upholstery arrive today and I am very happy with how heavy and durable they feel. The color matches the interior very closely. The only difference is that the seat covers from Lseat.com only have three center panels where the OEM upholstery has four and they do not have the "buttons" like the original leather. Not a concern of mine. The covers as they arrived vacuumed packed weighed a hefty 10 pounds. These are a lot more heavy duty than the vinyl covers I bought off eBay.

http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?p=5808801#post5808801

 

[MSGGrunt]

The plastic pieces I painted with SEMs Camel Color Coat are just a bit darker than the leather, but I would be afraid their lighter Palomino would be too light. I assume everything will take on its own "patina" as I treat the leather and the plastic pieces over time.

 

[MSGGrunt]

More to follow once I find the time to actually install the covers. Between High School graduations, graduation parties and travel for work my time spent on car projects has been limited.

 

[MSGGrunt]

SEM Palomino on the carpets resulted in a near perfect match to the plastic pieces painted with SEM Camel.

 

[DrHutch]

If you don't mind me asking, what's your process before painting?

Washington, scuff and primer maybe? I'm really interested in doing this when I get a chance.

 

[MSGGrunt]

I wash the parts that will fit in the dishwasher. I then wash them again with Dawn and hot water. After the parts have thoroughly dried and just before painting I give them a good rub down with isopropyl alcohol while wearing latex gloves to remove any trace amounts of oil that could still be left on the plastic from my hands. I like the alcohol because it cleans and evaporates quickly. I then spray them. I asked the body shop if I needed to use any primer or adhesion promoter and he told me that all that was needed was a good cleaning. The durability of the tan will remain to be seen, but I have had very good results with black.

 

[DrHutch]

Awesome. Thanks for the info

 

[MSGGrunt]

I just read the can tonight and it does state to use an appropriate adhesion promoter on plastics. It says nothing about anything to use on vinyl.

 

[DrHutch]

Just checked out the SEM website, they actually have a vinyl prep product. It cleans and acts a adhesion promoter. I might give that a try.

 

[brickborg]

That looks great- nice work.

 

[MSGGrunt]

Some of the tan interior is going back in and one of the two front seats has been covered in leather, more on that later when the second is covered. I undertook the project of going with a two tone tan/black dash after seeing a picture of an all tan interior. I like the look. Opinions? Yes, I still have to paint the right corner dash piece on the passenger's side. The leather is darker than the sun faded cloth seats, so I think everything will tie in nicely together and be a bit darker/richer in color when done.

 

[MSGGrunt]

I am very happy with the color of the SEM Palomino on the carpets.

I need to find a new shifter surround as mine is cracked.

OPINIONS WANTED: Do I keep the door sill covers black or paint them tan to match the rest of the interior? I am leaning towards tan...

 

[nel621]

Looks good. So here are my I would leave the door sills black. They get scuffed easily and you risk having the paint chip off. And what will you about the flex trim around the door openings? It never stops. Also I would have left the lower section of the steering column black just because that's me. Looking forward to the leather seats.

 

[sksmith]

Looks really nice, but Let me add my two cents.
The knee bolster on the bottom of the passenger side of the dash, I would dye tan to match the rest of the bottom of the dash. And, I would make the whole steering column surround black.
But, it still looks good the way you have it, really nice work.
Steve

 

[57plymouth]

Looks great. Keep the door sills black because of stuffing.

 

[MSGGrunt]

All good points. I will paint the knee bolster on the passengers side. I too was wondering about the steering column surround. I originally thought the split would make a good break between the black and tan, but as I look at it more and more I too think all black would look better. Thankfully I have one or two extras. The door sill covers will stay black. good point on the scuffing and I never thought about the molding being black.


The more adjustable driver's side seat base works perfectly on the passenger's side. All I had to do was switch the seal rail.