Hi guys, as stated in previous threads, my hole car is apart, doing some wicked progress. One prob I have is that, although my inside plastic panels are very solid with very few cracks and tears, they are very faded, scratched and just look plain damn ugly. There is no place anywhere where I can find any panels in perfect shape (nor in a full same color set). I know no one here who could give me any advice on restoring these.

Can plastic panels be restored? I don't believe sanding would work because it's an uneven surface, paint would just chip off and make a mess. So, is there something nice I can cover the panels with perhaps?

ANY opinion or answer will work for me, I just don't know what my options here are.

 

Just redid all my panels with SEM interior spray paint. 3rd car I've used it on and it holds up great if you follow the directions for prep, etc.

 

Really? Yeah, I'd definitely do it by instruction. So you're not getting many chips or peel offs yet?

 

SEM is more of a dye than a paint. As long as you follow the instructions you will be fine. The main thing is that the piece you are going to color must be clean! All oils and residues must be eliminated.

Here is their website : http://www.sem.ws/product.php?product_id=190

They have a lot of colors so I'm sure you could match up your interior pretty well. There is also a supplier search to see if someone in your area carries these products.

Another company is Bryndana. They make a product called "colorbond" and is used for automotive interiors. I have heard a lot of good reviews with this product. This product is also like a dye but it molecularly bonds to the plastic making a pretty permanent coating. It also sprays on thin so you can still keep the normal grain appearance through the color. You can use it on vinyl and plastic, and I read a review where someone recolored their black seats white and you couldn't tell the difference. They don't have as many colors to choose from as SEM, but you should still be able to find something you like. I think they are a little more expensive than SEM also. Here is their website:http://www.bryndana.com/

Those are probably one of the two best options. STAY AWAY from any of the aresol paints, like Krylon fusion, etc... No matter what you hear about them from anybody they will not last as long as dyes and will chip, scratch, and peel down the road. that is just my

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/inte...its-would.html
Just thoght you'd like to see this if you have not

 

http://www.vhtpaint.com/products/sfID1/7/sfID2/25

I used this to convert a few tan peices to black about 4 years ago. It works amazing. I cleaned the peices with acetone then sprayed the dye. Later on when installed in the car it looked great and matched up to the original black panels. You also don't have to worry about scratches or peeling because it isnt a paint, it actually penetrates into the plastic and when you scratch it, the scratch will be just like scratching an unpainted panel, the old color does not show up.

 

Hm, lots of good suggestions. I really took all of these seriously. Here's a question about the color dyes, for those who have used them. Some of my panels have light to heavy scratches on them, so after doing all the prep and applying the colors, do the scratches pretty much fade away or do they still show?

I Really like the idea of covering the Panels too like RS REAPER showed me in that link. The only things is, it probably adds a bit more weight to the car.

Can anyone post pics of Results they've had with SEM or VHT paints or any other ideas?