I need some help figuring out exactly which interior color I am working with and which vinyl paint I can use to give me the best match. The truck is my good friend (Romel77)'s 1986 F250 XLT Supercab diesel. (https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l-s-truck.html) The interior is "tan". He had a bad A pillar, a hacked up steering column saddle, and his dash pad is rough.

I found him a pristine dash pad but it is black, and I found a decent A pillar and steering wheel saddle but they are definitely a lighter cream shade of tan. His interior is a little darker and more olive in color. Time is running out. I am driving the truck to California in two weeks for shipment to Czech Republic and this is his last chance to get parts without paying obscene shipping costs. I have one more junkyard to check on Monday, but at this late point in the game I am thinking I should just try to color match with vinyl paint. The dash pad was a unicorn and will need to be paint matched regardless.

Attached is a picture showing the off-color A pillar against his existing interior. After more junkyard visits I can tell there were at least those two different colors of "tan" interiors, maybe even more. So can anybody tell me:

1) what is the correct name of the interior color I am trying to match...
2) what brand/part number of paint I can use to match what he has...
3) know how many aerosol cans it would take to do the entire Supercab interior if he were to want to refresh all the vinyl and trim once he gets it home?

 

Im the same boat.
ive tried several colors but none are right...
the oe dash pad doesnt match the rest of the dash ?
Or interior paint !

 

I think we need the color codes off the Cert Label to tell, and even then it is iffy.

As for how much paint, you really need to ask how much plastic cleaner, adhesion promoter, and paint. And the adhesion promoter varies by type of plastic. Unfortunately I cannot answer the questions, plural, as I've not done that much painting - yet. But, there is a thread about this somewhere, so I'll go look…

 

I would check with a local paint shop that supplies the professionals with paint. There is a shop near me that can custom mix paint and put it in aerosol cans. They also make additives to make paint flexible for painting plastic bumpers and other pieces. You could talk to them and see what they say about mixing some paint for you.

I don't think you really need anything but ordinary paint for the a-pillar piece. It's not going to flex much and won't have any wear on it.

The dash pad is a different story. I think you will need some sort of flex agent in it.

I am pretty sure they have a computer thing that could probably scan one of the interior pieces you have, and custom mix the color to match.

And don't get hung too much on everything matching. Just look inside a new car. They have many different shades of the same color in the same car.

 

Here's the thread I was looking for, but there are lots of others: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...r-plastic.html

 

That place in Gary's link has lots of different browns and tans. You would think one of them would be a close match but there is really no way of knowing without testing it.

Automotive Vinyl

 

Thanks Gary. That is a good thread. As Franklin suggested, the only way may be custom computer matching of his original trim. I was hoping there might be a quick off-the-shelf solution since that shade of tan is the most prevalent color in bullnose trucks (in my experience). One would think a "close enough" stock paint match would exist. This is something I should have been working on months ago, but I just didn't think it would be a problem. I bought the A pillar back in October and never imagined it wouldn't match. My truck is the identical tan and I would gladly give him my parts but the things he needs happen to be junk on mine as well.

 

Wow. Those are some great prices on SEM. The 15143 Sandstone or 15753 Light Oak look very close.

 

Call SEM. They are very easy to talk to and if you have the codes can tell you what paint to use. Been there, done that, love the results.

 

The code they will need is the 2nd digit of the BODY code on the very bottom of the certification label on the driver's side door jamb; it's the letter A on this label: