Hi all,
there have been many interior threads going around recently with some great restoration advice... advice that I wish I had read a year ago before I started screwing up my parts with the wrong paint. I have not gone too far, so I think the situation is savable, but any help on what to do next would be appreciated.
　
I am going for a charcoal grey interior. I found a grey interior junkyard truck and bought the A pillars (mine were bad), and the kick panels with floor vents (I wanted to add the vents). I scrubbed these parts with dish detergent and painted them with aerosol cans of Dupli-Color Vinyl and Fabric paint. Their charcoal grey is just a tiny bit lighter than the Ford grey interior plastic color.



This is the paint I used:

Paint - Vinyl and Fabric | AutoZone.com

These are the only parts painted so far... and luckily these are not high wear areas and the underlying plastic is very close in color. Everything ~else is a calico cat. Truck interior is tan, junkyard dash pad is black, and the front door panels are green. I wanted a pair of front door panels without the chrome trim so they would match the rear door panels. Green was the best I could do, hopefully the little cleats (unique to the green door panels?) for the stitched style arm rests won't show if I put molded arm rests on it. Or maybe file them off?
　
Anyway... now that I know better I shall proceed using the recommended SEM brand preparation solution and paint on all of my off-color pieces. But what should I do with what I already painted?

-- scrap them and start with un-painted parts?

--paint over them with whatever SEM color I buy?

--Leave them but perhaps add extra coats? (and try to color match the SEM paint?)

--Leave them and apply a matte clear coat of some type?

This is not a show truck, so it does not have to be absolutely perfect, but I want it as good as I can get it as far as a shade tree restoration project. It will also get used regularly once it is done, so it must be durable when finished. Any advice would be appreciated as well as experiences good or bad with the Dupli-Color vinyl paint. Thanks

 

So, if I read your post correctly, the only issue is that the grey color is lighter than you wanted. I would just repaint with the SEM color. What do you have to lose?

You may find that no aftermarket color is exactly a right match for the factory color but once you paint everything the same color it would not be noticeable.

 

I agree. Paint everything with the same paint.

 

No, the issue is not the color, I actually really like the Dupli-Color charcoal. If I thought it was good enough I would just keep going and paint the whole interior with it like I originally planned... The problem is the Dupli-Color stuff isn't nearly as durable and won't adhere like SEM over the proper prep solution. So the parts that I already painted are going to be limited by the quality of the bond between the plastic and the Dupli-Color film. Then there may be an issue with how well the SEM layer bonds to the Dupli-Color layer if I paint over it. I am trying to decide if I should start over with different un-painted parts or if I can paint over the ones I have, or leave them and proceed by painting the remaining parts with color matched SEM.

 

If you didn't prepare the panels as the SEM products would then you do have a probable problem. I think I'd see if you can get the new paint to come loose by applying the SEM prep. Or, better yet, call SEM. I have and they are very helpful.

 

Thank-you. That is excellent advice. I did not know the prep solution might be able to remove the paint. Glad to hear SEM folks have good customer service, I will consult them before going any further. Any idea how much prep solution and paint I should buy to cover the crew cab interior?

 

I really don't have a good idea on how much prep solution. The soap goes a long way and it is a big container, but the spray adhesion promotor will probably take a couple of cans or more on a crew cab. But, SEM might know that as well.

 

After a bunch of reading and phone calls I learned a few things:

1) The prep solution is detergent. It won't remove old paint.

2) The adhesion promotor will soften the substrate and make the paint stick better, but isn't designed to remove paint. It is designed to be generally compatible with most plastics and paints, and should not have a stripping effect.

3) The Dupli-Color stuff is a comparable product to the SEM, with varying opinions on which is better. Most say SEM, but some say Dupli-Color has improved in recent years while SEM has deteriorated in quality, making the Dupli-Color the paint of choice. Duplicolor Vinyl Dye vs SEM Vinyl Dye

4) All agree (regardless of the paint brand) that the result will only be as good as the preparation work.


That being what it is, I think I will continue with the Dupli-Color paint, but obtain the recommended detergent prep solution and chemical adhesion promotor for my remaining off-color parts.

 

Always good to make enlightened decisions. I think you have a good plan.