How to match interior paint color on 83 C20

[tucsonjwt]

How do I match the interior paint color for my 83 C20? I just need one rattle can for limited touch up. I see no sticker in my glove box - just a note about weight ratings in the glove box. I found a tag on the carpet which says "Almond", and the headliner trim I want to repaint looks similar to the carpet color. Does it have to be mixed up special?

[RandyP]

http://www.wheelskin.com/sem-15000.html

One of them close? Usually interior pieces fade so quickly, it is hard to get an exact match. PPG used to make interior paint/vinyl dye, but I have been unable to get any for a while now. We can mix "interior" colors, but to be honest those SEM spray bombs do a good job.

[westofb]

I agree about the fadding making it hard to match, I recently redid the interior on my 75 and could not find anything that was eve close to matching my existing parts, so I bought 4 cans of interior vinyl spray bomb paint, and repainted everything, old parts as well as new, so now everything matches perfectly. The secret to using this stuff is good prep work, thoughly clean everything with soap and water, after they dried, I used a grease and wax remover (smells alot like keosene in my opinion), then apply the dye in 2 or 3 light coats. The parts will look as good as new!

[RandyP]

Yup, and after you think you have it clean, clean it again. Then, once more for good measure. Then clean it again. Final step before shaking a can, clean it a little more.

When doing all the interior parts, I always wash it first with lacquer thinner, this will remove any paint that is barely holding on, but usually removes all the paint. Gives you a good base to start cleaning.

Don't forget to clean it one more time for Uncle Sam. Then clean once more for Tony Hayward. Then a final time for Mother Earth.

You get the point

[westofb]

Exactly, your biggest enemy to getting the dye to stick is Armorall or others like it on the market. They contain silicone and will make paint/ dye want to "fisheye", spots where the silicone caused the paint/ dye to flow off of it like water does on freshly waxed paint. Laquer thinner is okay to use, but don't soak the parts with it, it may eat up the plastic, just use it sparingly. I would apply it in an area that is not to noticeable first (like on the area of the door panel covered by the arm rest) to see what affects it has on the item your cleaning.

[tucsonjwt]

I figured as much. Is there a color chart for GM OEM interior colors? I see charts for the late models, but not for our square bodies.I'm sure I could get a local paint store to mix some up if I had the correct color chip.
My A pillar pieces are much lighter than the headliner pieces on the top of the windshield and the top of the rear window. I used a can of SEM paint to spray the edges of the dash around the openings (defroster vents, around instrument panel, around VIN slot, etc.) since I was changing the color from dark brown to camel (closest light color on sale at the time from Accuform). I wiped the painted areas down with alcohol (didn't drink any), then used their vinyl prep spray. Seemed to work out OK, but I covered most of it up anyway, so who knows how it will hold up. The coverage was excellent over that dark brown.
That SEM is a little pricey for my beater (like $20 per rattle can), but I guess I will spring for another can from the local paint store and spray all of the parts. Hope one can will do it.

[tucsonjwt]

I am posting the color difference - A pillar trim vs. headliner trim. Also, my cracked passenger side A pillar trim and my clumsy attempt to save the trim - sheet metal epoxied to the back to stop the flexing on the long crack - maybe bondo putty next? Should fit right in with my beater style truck. Plus a shot of the Accuform camel dash cap.

[RandyP]

The PPG color chip books never gave interior color chips on the trucks, just the cars. It would list out the interior codes and names and give a PPG formula code.

[ray_mcavoy]

Hi Guys,

I ran into the same thing trying to find a color code for the interior on dad's 77 GMC. My local paint store can mix SEM Color Coat but said they didn't have any way to scan & color match it like they can with the DuPont & Nason paints they sell. So I e-mailed the SEM tech support and they gave me an address where I could mail a sample for them to match.

We happened to have some spare door panels that were the same color so I used one of those for the sample. I cut the sample piece from an area that's normally hidden behind the trim insert so it wouldn't be faded (or ruin the panel). About a week after mailing the sample off to SEM, they e-mailed back a color formula.

[tucsonjwt]

Just a thought, do the GM part numbers molded into these plastic parts have anything to do with the color, or are they just the part number for the part without color? Seems like GM would have to keep track of the different colored trim parts in their inventory somehow. I know current GM OEM parts have different colored parts identified by unique part numbers.