# how-to interior trim painting part deux



## sethwas (Apr 30, 2002)

So,
First I'll show the pics and then I'll explain.


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## sethwas (Apr 30, 2002)




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## pearsont74 (Oct 1, 2002)

Nice job Seth!!!! looking good


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## faithandfame (Jan 25, 2003)

that looks really good... cant wait until you have the write up posted!


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## sethwas (Apr 30, 2002)

Ok,
Here's the deal.
I was getting tired of the stamped leather look to my pieces underneath the silver paint, but that wasn't the main pressing isue. My drivers side window switch panel had some runs from the first time I did the interior so I decided to re-do it. Also the HVAC and screw cover by the HVAC are smooth plastic and the surround is stamped. I wanted it to look more uniform.
However I wanted to re-do it correctly. So I bought at Canadain Tire some scratch filling primer. You can see it in the top picture. 
I used that with some 320-600 grit sandpaper and of course the silver and clear rim paint.
The rocedure is this. Scuff the pieces to get an adhesable surface and then spray the primer. Then sand, and then spray again. The paint fills in the cracks and then leavs a really good surface for the paint to bond to. The armor-alled plastic is horrible for even duct tape to stick to (I'll explain in a minute.).
Repeat until the desired smoothness or impatience for the real paint gets too much.
The primer eats up sandpaper so unless you wet sand have a lot nearby.
This all but eliminates the hassle of sanding down the stamp. Just fill in the cracks.

Now on to the center console. I felt that the interior didn't exactly feel complete with just the door handle surrounds and the window switch panels. Some members pait the map pocket, and I would have too, but I didn't want to take apart the door.
So I went on to the center console.
Some members paint just the shifter surround, but that wasn't enough for me. It also looks incomplete because its this colored square in the center of another color interior.
So I decided to paint the whole darn thing.
I did learn this though. The paint scratches. And I use my center console to hold things like change, keys, amy cell phone or digicam.
So I didn't want the paint to be flaking off.
What I did was mask off the spot underneath the e-brake, not paint the screw cover under the e-brake, not paint the ash tray cover in the rear under the armrest, and not paint the 'dish' under the ash tray under the radio.
However it would be really difficult to mask off the dish and make it look 'clean' and not cheap. So I figured to break up the monotony of silver I'd leave the whole dish unpainted and leave the shifter surround unpainted too to give it a design. As you cans see in the final photo. So now everything is painted along the sides and top, except for that rectangle of area. And its clean because Basically you paint the entire front part of the center console, and just tape off vertically the dish and not worry about anything else. Then plop down the unpainted center piece and the lines match up. Regualr masking tape won't stick to the plastic. Even when I scrubbed with soap and water. So I used duct tape for the bulk of the masking ans used masking tape just to get a sharp line at the edge where the paint meets the unpainted.

And now a synopsis of each photo:
1) The cans of paint I used. Note the french lables.
2) Primed and sanded pieces. Could have been primed and sanded again, but I wanted this to be done in an afternoon.
3) A closer shot of the primed pieces.
4) Pieces after last clear coat. Note areas masked off.
5) Closup of smoothened pieces after paint.
6) View from drivers seat. Note unpainted area under e-brake.
7) Closeup of view from rear seat.
8) Side view of front of interior, noting trims that have been painted and trims left without paint.
9) A closeup of the center shifter surround 'design' implement.

All in all this cost me $20. $5 for 3 cans of paint, and $5 in sand paper half of which I didn't use.
I did the usual, Kept coating light coats of silver every 15 minutes until I ran out of paint. Same with the Clear (although I used the same clear can from the first project since I had abuot a half a can left).
It took me one afternoon to do. 
15 minutes to remove the pieces.
then 1 hour of sanding drying and priming. About 45 minutes of this is letting the paint dry.
Then All evening painting and dryig the rest. 
Then 15 minutes to put them back in and clean up the area.

Seth


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## 1CLNB14 (Apr 30, 2002)

Looks really good!


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## sethwas (Apr 30, 2002)

Ha,
Its funny, I posted the pics and immediately wrote the writeup, but by the time I corrected my spelling and hit the post button there were responses. 
Thanks.

Seth


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## pearsont74 (Oct 1, 2002)

wow....Im amazed that you have this much time to do this writeup.


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## nitestridar (Jun 29, 2002)

Looks Good Seth


I am going home to repaint mine afterwork now...

Mine has been painted for 8 months now but i have been scratching and burning it .

I will post pics as well


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## go4broke44 (Jan 14, 2003)

seth, do you think the duplicolor filler primer would work as well? i sanded alot of my pieces, but im painting my whole interior, like EVERYTHING, gonna be all gray and black. you cant sand the doors though, or that middle piece of trim on the dash, because its wrapped in vinyl. i painted them already, but you can still see the leather print, and i want them to be smooth, like fiberglass. which reminds me, i need to post my pictures! haha


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## sethwas (Apr 30, 2002)

Yeah,
I'm pretty sure it would work.

Anyway some 'driving impressions':
Well the lighter color really brightens the interior. And the light and dark areas like the 'dish' and under the e-brake give it some character. Its no longer monochrome, it has personality (or something...). It looks waay better than stock. Now it has that Audi 'environment' thing going on. Or was it ambience...
My only concern is longevity. I get the feeling it may flake off.
Otherwise its super smooth and looks so much better than the stamp plastic and the non-painted center piece. The other silver paited pieces looked out of place, but not anymore.

Seth


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## nitestridar (Jun 29, 2002)

i have seen bad results when primer was used..

I did not use primer and the only problem I had was myself screatching it with a tool 

otherwise it has held up great with no flakes


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## sethwas (Apr 30, 2002)

Just noticed,
If you look at the 8th picture you can see my blaupunkt components. More importantly you can see how the 6 1/2" mounts in the door. Its actually higher up than the grille so your speaker is pushing through the plastic doorpanel.

Seth


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

You know, that duplicolor wheel coat is the best stuff. That color is awesome. Check out what I did last week with the leftover paint:


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## rios (Jun 10, 2002)

lol, that last pic is the idea i had for my cell phone


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## sethwas (Apr 30, 2002)

/\
nice

Seth


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## Pretty White (May 6, 2002)

> I did the usual, Kept coating light coats of silver every 15 minutes until I ran out of paint. Same with the Clear (although I used the same clear can from the first project since I had abuot a half a can left).


And thats the key. Most people are not paitent to use lots of light coats. Thats why it runs and looks fucked up in a lot of cases. You did the right thing!


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## octane (Aug 14, 2003)

*My two cents...*

Looks nice! 

I'm doing the same in my interior, with metallic blue paint. 

First time I did the center console trim, I screwed it up royally because I was in a hurry. I eventually had to redo everything because I "smudged" the paint that hadn't dried yet. 

I can't stress this enough: If you're going to do it, let it dry COMPLETELY before you put it back in your car. If it takes a day or two (depending on outside temperature, etc, this is possible) to get really solid, then so be it. You'll feel like a moron if you try to put it back in your car when it's still a little tacky, because you'll almost certainly screw up the paint, and you're back at square 1.

Anyhow, I learned the hard way. It's not hard at all, though, as long as you take your time.


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## sethwas (Apr 30, 2002)

True. 
THis is important to everyone who lives in a humid area.
People in Southern California where its dry can just wait overnight.

Seth


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## CHI-B14SENTRA (May 1, 2002)

Nice I like, wanna do it for me


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

hehe, you gotta wait for winter to do anything like that around here


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## phreako (Mar 4, 2004)

anyone have any pictures of paint jobs where they used primer and such? as described in the previous thread by NissanTuner? just curious to see if they really turn out professional looking.


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## samo (Apr 30, 2002)

Phreako, this is a pic of Sean's interior (1CLNB14). His was painted professionally, using PPG buildable primer and custom PPG 3-stage pearl white paint with lots of flex. In person it's extremely glossy and the finish is very tough.


























Ignore the hideous factory door inserts... they're long gone.


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)




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## NYSTYLEZ78 (Mar 7, 2004)

the only thing i want to know is where the arm rest came from and i think the paint looks great but i am anoyed with my car because i have no arm rest help please and i have another question do you know how to paint the ac vents or how to take them out to paint them


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## 7875 (Apr 3, 2003)

NYSTYLEZ78 said:


> the only thing i want to know is where the arm rest came from and i think the paint looks great but i am anoyed with my car because i have no arm rest help please and i have another question do you know how to paint the ac vents or how to take them out to paint them


STYLEZ- i'm looking to find out about that too, but periods are strongly encouraged here on the forums. :thumbup: 

seth- verrrry niiiiiice :fluffy:


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## sethwas (Apr 30, 2002)

Thanks,
The armrest is OEM, just get one from your dealer. 
As for the a/c vents, unless you want to take your whole dash apart there's nothing you can do. Sure you can mask and paint on the dash but that's sloppy.

Seth


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## Something Funny (Nov 1, 2003)

how did you get that piece that is around the HVAC knobs out? i pricked with it for an hour tryin to get it out.


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## sethwas (Apr 30, 2002)

Once you remove the trim ring (one screw between the hazard and defroster) just unscrew the radio assembly and the HVAC assembly and you can just pop it off.

Seth


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## Something Funny (Nov 1, 2003)

sethwas said:


> Once you remove the trim ring (one screw between the hazard and defroster) just unscrew the radio assembly and the HVAC assembly and you can just pop it off.
> 
> Seth


gee< i guess even the simplest things are sometimes difficult


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## dry (Oct 21, 2002)

nice write up, seth, I took the pieces I want to paint out of my car today, sanded them, now I just have to wait for it to stop snowing to paint


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