Painting interior trim
 

My car is guards red with a black interior and console. Years of wear have made the center console look dingy and generally crappy with lots of small scratches and scuffs in it. I'm going to pull out the console to install a short shifter in a few weeks and figured while I had the console out I would sand and paint it either silver, or a gloss black, and possibly also hit a few other parts of the interior (black insert above interior door handles, facia around stereo, etc).

What products have others used to do this? What have your results been?

I elected to go with guards red and have not regretted it. I bought it off of eBay already painted.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e/P1120459.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...e/P1120456.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ps5a363fd3.jpg

I'm starting on this project as well. Here's the advice I received on the DIY Forum:

http://986forum.com/forums/diy-project-guides/47348-painted-center-console.html

I'm planning to go with Alumalook to match my brake handle and shift knob. Apparently Testor's "Diamond Dust" is a good match.
Alumalook Spray Paint - Rennlist Discussion Forums

ChuckW - That Guards Red console looks sexy as hell! Thanks for sharing that, I was going to go with silver, but now I'm thinking red console, and keeping everything else black. That's a great looking interior you've got there. If you don't mind me asking, how much did it cost to have the steering wheel redone with the red stitching?

Thanks. I had the steering wheel done in Poland by www.carsdream.com. At the time it was $250 plus another $50 for shipping it there. I have had four steering wheels done by them including the one in my Tundra truck. The turnaround time is anywhere from four to six weeks (being on the right coast yours would be quicker). I had the wheel thickened, and recovered in leather with the red stitching.

Also, regarding your installation of a short shifter. I did a lot of searching on the subject. If you elect to go with a short shifter, I would go with an OEM 997 short shift console. I ended up putting a regular 997 shift console in and got a little less shift throw and a lot smoother, less notchy, shift.

where did you pick it up on ebay? My center console is black...i don't mind keeping it black...maybe I should do a sand and respray on it...

I had mine done body colour by a local body shop

http://i48.tinypic.com/2agokrq.jpg

I bought it from this vendor. He sell on eBay but I bought it directly from him and not through eBay;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/97-04-PORSCHE-986-BOXSTER-CARRARA-WHITE-CENTER-CONSOLE-/220548973445?hash=item3359be4385&item=220548973445 &pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr

His direct email is trieullionaire@gmail.com. He charged me $350 delivered. The paint was perfect. He only uses new OEM consoles. His support is top notch. You have to remove all of the pieces from your console and transfer them to the new painted one. Not that hard.

I looked at what he is selling on eBay and he doesn't have any consoles listed. It may be worth and email to him to see if he has any.

If I had ordered a painted rear center console when I bought the car new it would have been a $715 option. Doing it this way it was $255 after selling my stock one ($350 - $95).

Here is a link to my thread when I first installed it. There are several other posting with different color consoles.

http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/27035-just-added-painted-console-photo-included.html

Are center console materials all the same - if you got the base model or the leather interior? Or do they wrap the center console too?