Interior Paint - Whats the best?

[remist17]

I need to paint my interior panels on my truck. What is the best paint?

I see summit racing carries the SEM Color Coat and SEM classic coat. Are these good?

Also what is the best cleaner to get? I have a 87 with alot of grim on the panels.

Thanks

[remist17]

any help out there ??

[bigwheel15]

I lightly scuffed the panel then cleaned it really well with acetone, then gave it a few coats of krylon fusion and it came out looking awesome. As for the SEM paints I wouldnt even hesitate to use them, great paints.

[chengny]

To do this job right the surfaces have to be cleaned right down to the plastic. Use acetone (or MEK if you can find it) and a stiff fiber brush. Remove all old paint, grime and oxidation. When done, you should be looking at just the plastic.

I was always a big SEM fan and their stuff is great. A can of plastic adhesion promoter (39863) and a can of trim black (39143) is all it takes. My trucks are always black - or they soon get that way.

If you need other than black, get a can of the color coat series. It is a bit glossier and thus less forgiving than the trim black - but still looks sharp.


If the grain finish is worn smooth on the upper parts use their texture coating (39853) after PAP and before finish color. It isn't exactly factory but matches pretty close.

Having said that, I have recently started using similar products made by Duplicolor. I have had great results with that stuff and it's about 1/2 the price of SEM.

[RandyP]

The SEM paint is good, I use bulldog adhesion promoter with it.

Clean the panels with wax and grease remover, soap and water, simple green and water, soap and water, wax and grease remover, soap and water, wax and grease remover and then maybe some more soap and water. If you missed it, clean clean clean clean clean.

[beamn7]

I'm with everyone as well on the SEM. Used it in my 85 and very pleased. Be sure to use the plastic prep cleaner as previously mentioned.

[Outlaw87]

I would recommend SEM also. I've used them for years and never had any problems other than not always finding the exact dead on color match.

The key to great results is always prep. I've attached a photo of recommended products to use for prep. It's not necessary that you use these, but if you can, i would go this route.

Like i said, it's not necessary. If all you have is the color coat than i would recommend these steps.

1 Wash the parts with warm soapy water, rinse and rewash to get all the excessive dirt and grim off.

2 Wipe the parts a few times with SEM 38353 (can be bought where you buy color coat)

3 Apply the color coat in several light coats (follow instuctions on can) until you get full coverage. DO NOT try and change the color or get full coverage in one or two coats.

This is the simplest way to do this, but i would strongly recommend that you invest on a few more products and take a few more steps. You don't need to buy everything in the picture, those are just some products avialable to help you yield better results. If you want more info on the rest of the products and what steps to take, just let me know.

[melks]

I recently repainted my interior and I'd say if your looking to keep the original grain finish I would recommend looking into Colorbond's product lineup or similar companies for a die instead of a paint. The die molecularly bonds to the plastic for a permanent finish. They sell cleaning/prep solutions in an aerosol can as well as the die for a quick and easy job.

[S10Fan]

SEM, look no further.

[andrewmp6]

Yeah i like SEM brand too,And they are right you gotta get the plastic super clean but it will stick good and last a long time so its worth the work.

[remist17]

Great thanks all...... I really appreciate all the comments.

[1425956]

Used SEM on mine and great results.

[BigMike608]

I used SEM on mine and everything came out great. I'm in the process of installing everything back. I bought the SEM color coat at my local paint supplier (English Color) for $12 per can. Cleaning and prep is the most important step. First I mixed in Clorox with a large busket of very soapy water and used a scuff pad to clean every inch of each piece and then rinsed throroughly. I repeated this process 4 times for each piece. Next I dried off each piece with a lint free microfiber towel. Then I thoroughly cleaned all pieces once again using automotive grade lacquer thinner making sure to only wipe in one direction to keep from spreading the leftover residue. After all this was complete, I let everything sit and dry for 24 hours. Once it was ready for paint I did 2 light coats of Bulldog adhesion promoter with 5 mins between coats. Finally I used the SEM color coats and sprayed 6 lights coats on each piecs with 5 mins flash/dry time between coats. I let everything set for a few days to make sure it was completely dry before I begin re-installing.

[truckfan]

this is fantastic info. was thinking about some aftermarket door panels since my paint and texture are flaking off. i think these procedures will save them. i will try to take some pics.

[motornut]

i just did the console in the 79 came out nice
washed and scrubbed with spray nine dried out a couple of weeks and rewashed 2-3 times
dried then painted

now baking in the 45C heat today,in the truck

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by RandyP

The SEM paint is good, I use bulldog adhesion promoter with it.

Clean the panels with wax and grease remover, soap and water, simple green and water, soap and water, wax and grease remover, soap and water, wax and grease remover and then maybe some more soap and water. If you missed it, clean clean clean clean clean.

Very, very good advice. The biggest mistake made in dyeing interior panels is not cleaning them properly.

The panels are made of a type of plastic that emits oil as it ages and drys out. You must deep clean the panels to remove ALL of the oil residue or the dye will react and have adhesion problems.

As mentioned SEM brand is top quality.