Getting Interior Trim Painted
 

One other thing I could use a second opinion on....

I took my Boxster to a local auto body and paint shop to get an estimate on painting some of the interior trim. Shopping around for new pieces painted to match my exterior really starts to add up. I had the Seal Grey paint code and was ready to have em do it. This all started with the peeling door pocket lids. I wanted to get the door pocket lids, rear center console, front center console, air vents, door handles, interior mirror panels, etc. painted seal grey to match my exterior.

When I took it to the shop they said that they couldn't do it. They said that the pocket lids weren't strong enough plastic and had a texture to them that would cause problems. I said I could get everything unassembled, deliver it to them in pieces and they pretty much sent me on my way.

Do you think he's right or do you think that it just wasn't worth their time to paint a few interior pieces? Seems like it would be an easy job to me. A lot easier than painting a whole car. Or are they right and if I want interior trim to match my exterior paint do I just need to shell out the cash for new parts?

If anyone can recommend an auto body shop in Austin that would do this for me please do tell.


Thanks

It doesn't sound like a very good shop, they shouldn't turn you away because you want to do something unique. Find a new shop.
You can buy some of those parts painted on eBay, so you may consider looking there, also if you have an air compressor, and a paint gun you could just spray the parts yourself. It is not like painting a whole car, so you could just do it in your garage.
Also, I am not sure on the armrests, you may have to remove the fabric from them first to be able to paint them. But they won't be very comfortable.
I look forward to seeing pictures when you are done! :cheers:

Nope, you can definitely paint the door bin covers. Here's a shot of mine. All you have to do is first completely remove the soft touch film from them. Run the covers through the dishwasher, and then you'll be able to rub the film off easily with your fingers.

To take the covers off your car, just flip the lid to the up position. You will then see 2 hinges. Poke the plastic pins out from the hinges with a hole punch and pull them out with needle nosed pliers. The rear hinge has a spring that you need to remove too. That's it.

http://i12.tinypic.com/4zyofpu.jpg

That's pretty sweet looking! I want THAT!!! But in Seal Grey. Did you paint them yourself or have them painted? I found an auto spray paint that matches pretty close to the Seal Grey that I used to paint my headrest windscreens. Turned out good with a few coats of clear coat. I was afraid to use it on the armrest lids because I thought the constant contact with my arm would eventually wear them down and look booty.

^ That looks great! :)

I am curious what is the sticker on you fuse panel, and what is the Porsche bag in front of the shifter?

Thanks.

@Rick3000: That's not a sticker on the fuse panel. It's a print indicating that it is the fuse panel, and came OEM on the car. The things in front of the shifter are my Porsche driving gloves. I don't normally use them when I drive, but occassionally do because my wife got them for me for as a present. :)

@TimAustinW: No, I did not paint them myself. Bought all the painted pieces from either Ebay or Bumperplugs.com. They have held up well for more than 2 yrs. now, and are very durable, as they are all clear coated. I'm sure any body shop can paint them for you though. Good luck!

i painted all my pieces silver as well. not hard at all, just take your time, and do light layers.
heres a picture of mine. i will eventually cover them all up with carbon fiber.

http://i24.tinypic.com/34g634w.jpg
http://i24.tinypic.com/ng36lt.jpg

I've never had anything painted at a body shop (well nothing that wasn't covered by insurance). I wonder which would be cheaper. Getting them painted or buying new.

From Bumper Plugs...

Boxster Side Vents (986) $279
Rear Center Console $379
Painted Non-Smoker Package $149
Front Center Console $279
Upper A/C, NAV trim $129
Lower A/C Trim $129
Lower Console Batwing $129
CD Storage Surround $139
Ignition Rosette 986/996 $149
Hazard Surround $149
Fuse Panel Painted $159
Body Color Dash Trim for $239
_________________________________
$2308 (yikes)


And I didn't see a painted door trim option for 986 or painted mirror triangles. A lot of that cost I'm sure is just the base price of the trim pieces themselves. It sure seems like it would be cheaper to have someone paint the trim you already have.

[QUOTE=djomlas]i painted all my pieces silver as well. not hard at all, just take your time, and do light layers.
heres a picture of mine. i will eventually cover them all up with carbon fiber.

It looks great in the pictures! What type of paint did you use? Did you have to put a primer down first? What kind of prep work is involved aside from just disassembling the pieces? Have you had issues with it scratching or scuffing?

I say leave them silver. Looks good. I'm not a big fan of the Carbon Fiber. But that's just my opinion.

Had some of my interior parts done through the dealer at delivery.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-1/613352/porsche-interior.jpg

Mark.

I did my interior parts myself too. You can usually find individual pieces on e-bay also if you want to buy one part at a time. ;)
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...h/IMG_3580.jpg

Those are DJ's PORSCHE driving gloves. He uses them to smack the other drivers across the face when he challenges them to an auto-duel. LOL! Just kidding. :D

Cheapest route is to do it like djolmas, and just paint yourself. With me living in NYC, and having my car in a parking garage, that was not an option. Eric at bumperplugs does really high quality work (my painted center console and bumperettes look flawless), but they do come at a price. The other pieces in my car, I got mostly from Ebay, at very cheap prices. You mostly only see these on ebay painted in silver, however. Otherwise, send your parts to a bodyshop and have them spray it.

This gives me confidence as my windscreens turned out pretty nice.

So that's three people who have done the painting themselves. Methods? Did you use an automotive spray paint like what you might buy at Pep Boys. Did you add a clear coat? Any problem with the pieces being tacky once they dry? Did your interior smell like spray paint?

I know, so many questions. Thanks Guys! I'm getting excited :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

Tim,

Here's info on DJ's painting process :

http://986forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12957

Nick

I also painted a bunch of interior trim myself.
I painted the door handle covers, the oval airbag buttons, the 2 side vents, the center console, the two pieces with the switches on either side of the radio and the batwing piece at the bottom of the center stack.
I ordered paint from expresspaint.com. Type in your paint code and pick how you want it- I chose spray cans. I bought clearcoat at the autoparts store.
Sand and prime before you color coat.
Except for the side vents, none of the parts are that expensive. So if you screw up just buy a new one.
I'm thinking of doing the wind screens.
Oh yeah, my car is Arena Red so I painted everything to match. Interior is a somewhat faded black.

Regards,
derb

How much was the paint?
How much did you get out of the spray can?
I would like to see some pictures, I have never seen anyone paint there batwing. :D

Found my old post on HOW TO.
 

I just copied it and now I'm pasting it in here for you.

Okay, for starters, this isn't something you can rush. And if you have no experience using spray paint, don't even attempt this. Last thing I want is a load of hate mail sent to me because someone screwed up there door cover lids. Read the paint instructions like you normally would when using any spray paint from a can. So here it goes.

1) Remove your lid covers(of course) you will need some needle nose plyers. There are 2 sets of steel rods on both sides that you will need to remove. Make sure not to loose them and the metal sleeves that they slide into. There are 4 sets of sleeves per door lid. Put them aside for later.

2) You will want to clean the lid covers as best as you can from any type of armor-all or cleaner/polishes you may have used on it in the past. For me, the quickest and easy way to do this, is to place them in your dish washer. (I know it sounds crazy, but it works) use some Cascade Complete, not allot, about half of what is normally needed. This will de-grease and pull out any cleaner/polishes they were used in the past that may have soaked into the plastic. Make sure to use a high temp heat-dry cycle. Set it for your smallest load. When it's done, you will notice the rubber-like surface has started to peel off. Don't panic! That's what we want. You can start rubbing it off using your fingers. It should peel off like latex paint. After you have as much off as possible(preferably all of it) you can start sanding.

3) I used a medium grade sand paper to start. You will want to remove any access rubber-like paint that is still remaining. Keep sanding until it is all gone and then use a fine sand paper to make sure it is nice and smooth to the touch. Make sure to get all of the edges and smooth out the curved ones too.

4) Paint I used. (1) Can of Grey Primer - Color Place(Brand Name) or any automotive sandable primer will work. 1) Can of Artic Silver Paint - Dupli-Color(Brand Name) Truck, Van & SUV. Paint code T229 Silver (M). Looks exactly like PORSCHE artic silver when your done. 1) Can of Rust-Oleum(Brand Name) Crystal Clear Enamel Paint. All purchased at your local Walmart, except for Dupli-Color Silver Paint. I found it at Pep-Boys.

5) I found it best to lay the lid on a spray can cap at an angle because of the contour of the lid. This way you will avoid over spray on the curved surface. Spray 1 light coat of Grey primer down. I let mine dry for 1 hour before looking for any surface imperfections. If you see any, use your fine grade sand paper to smooth it out. Repeat this step until you no longer see any surface imperfections thought the gray primer paint. I used 2-3 light coats of primer per lid.

6) You are now ready for your first shot of silver paint. I used several light thin coats of paint, instead of 1 or 2 heavy coats(again, use common sense) allowed for 1 hour drying time between coats. I used 3 coats of paint and make sure you get those curved edges.

7) Last, after letting it dry for 24hrs. you can apply the final clear glossy coat. Again, used several thin coats instead of 1 or 2 heavy coats of paint. This will keep the paint from chipping/peeling off and it makes it look like that factory glossy finish. I used 3 thin coats. Let dry for another 24 hrs. before handling and installing.

8) Re-install the round metal sleeves into the holders of the lid and re-install them onto your door using one steel rod at a time. Then your done. Paint should cure in the next few days and should not be leaned on or used as an arm-rest. Hope this helps everyone!

This is awesome! I've been combing the web for L6B5 Seal Grey! Figured I'd have to special order it or settle for closest match by eyeballing it. Thanks for the link! :dance:

for an 11oz spray can it's 24.95 per can. $10.95 for the Clear Coat

I did mine myself. These guys http://www.automotivetouchup.com/ will match your color exactly, from your color code on the door, mix your paint and ship it to you in spray cans. I ordered two cans of basecoat and four of clear. Honestly, I could probably do the whole job again with what I have left over (which I may have to do this winter because Mrs Grizzly scratched the ash tray with a bracelet :mad: ).

It's not hard to do at all. Remove the pieces you want to paint. Remove the soft touch junk as Boxtaboy describes. Scuff everything with a 400 grit paper. Clean it all really well to remove any wax, grease, dirt, dust, etc (this is the most important step so clean, clean, clean, and then don't touch it with your hands again). Lightly and methodically run a tack rag over everything before each coat to remove any dust. I like Sherwin Williams self etching epoxy primer. It comes in spray cans at auto body suppliers or a Sherwin Williams store. Hit everything with a couple light coats of primer. Let the primer dry and shoot a few light coats of basecoat, until you're satisfied with the color and coverage. After the base dries, spray four to five medium coats of clear and let everything dry really well. You're done! If you want to get real fancy, spray enough clear to allow yourself to wetsand the finished product with 2000 grit paper and buff with polish. This will eliminate any orange peel or dust nibs you've gotten in the finish.


EDIT: Geez Spyder, you must've posted that while I was typing my abbreviated version. I could've slept for another 20 minutes ;) .

Here's mine, done at home...

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...1/DSC00190.jpg

Here is another web site for the car color matched paint. Seal Gray.
http://expresspaint.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idProduct=4476&idCategory=38

That is a great, but I wonder how much you get out of the aerosol can to make it worth $25? :confused:

That's why I buy the Dupli-color automotive spray paint. It only cost like $3-$5 a can. I use Metallic Med Gray FM225? I think and painted my bumperret covers. No one can tell the difference. Color looks identical and is cheaper by the can. I'm not sure if that is the right number, but I can check when I get home.

I don't think they make Dupli-Color in Ocean Blue Metalic though.
If they do, I'll do my bumperettes, vents, etc. that way.

Sorry, I thought someone here was asking for Seal Gray? They might make a color close to your car color. You just have to experiment. Other wise just use one of the web sites mentioned.

Yep that was me. I just ordered everything I needed from expresspaint.com. I got three cans of Seal Grey, (1)Primer, (1)Clear Coat, (1)Wax & Grease Remover, Sand Paper and Tack Cloth for about $130. Which may be more than Dupli Color but hey it's a lot less than buying the prepainted pieces, cheaper than having them painted by an auto body shop, and if all turns out well, the satisfaction of saying "I did it myself". I'll start with the pocket lids and if all goes well I'll move onto the console pieces.

I'll go home tonight and take a "before" shot and in a couple of weeks I'll post the results.

Thanks for all the advise everyone! I'm stoked.

Any Pictures?
 

Just wondering how your project turned out? Any pictures ?




"I'll go home tonight and take a "before" shot and in a couple of weeks I'll post the results."

ok guys, so i went ahead and painted my trim pieces also. for the most part it turned out pretty good. the pieces turned out really good after i put on the enamel. but then two of the pieces i thought didn't have the gloss i wanted along the edge so after about an hr i sprayed them again with the enamel and ! the gloss went away. it seemed like the enamel ate into the paint and now its dull.

can you guys give me advice at this point to retain that gloss finish? should i wait a few days to let it dry and enamel it again or do i need to put on the base coat again and then enamel again?

thanks for your help in advance.

could you post a couple pictures?

never mind, the post, I'm an idiot, i used a non gloss enamel !!! grabbed the wrong bottle when i resprayed. used correct one and have my gloss shine again :)

I've had my car for many yrs now, i don't know why i didn't try this sooner. its not hard just need patience, but the result is great! for $20 my interior looks quite different. going to attempt the center console soon :)

Post some pics when you are done!

I don't know if I should say it but anything from a spray bomb will dull in a year or less. Bodyshops use a catalyzed clear and this will last years and years depending on it's quality. It can be buffed and waxed as well. Spray bombs are fun and simple to use as no compressor or paint gun is needed but the exterior is clear coated for a reason. Enamel, lacquer and urethane can be clear coated ( not acrylics) so you can get a pro to clear them as a last step before reassembly.

Oh and prep is EVERTHING!---" cleanliness is next to Godliness"

ok i will. i initially used engine aluminum but it came out kinda gray and did not match the aluminum door handle. so i stumbled across a dupli color volkswagon oem aluminum which i figured was like porsche. did a test and it was perfect match. so now I'm in process of repainting the door pieces again. I'm going with a metallic black for the center parts, since i did not want the black buttons to stand out with the brushed aluminum. i will take pics when everything is done. might take a couple weeks.

everyone was right, patience with sanding/priming and letting the coats dry well. but its rewarding doing it yourself.