Bold colors can add unmistakable character to your car.
Now I have been seeing for quite a while that painting a car interior is a pretty common request. The motivation for the color change can range from restoration to retain a car's value to building that dream show car. What ever the reason, it has to be done properly with patience and time to ensure that the finish will last you years and will look authentic with a quality job. I have also seen a lot of tutorials that leave out major details in the preparation that can be the difference between a incredible paint job that adds style and character to your vehicle and a fading and cheap looking paint job with chip marks everywhere. So I have provided an accurate guide to painting your car interior. Remember that preparation is key so read carefully and happy painting.
Instructions
1. Know what you want! know what color scheme, pattern and finish. If you are investing the time and effort to paint your car be sure you have a rough idea how it's going to look.
2. Remove all the panels, plastic components, pieces, knobs. Everything you want to paint will be easier to prep and paint once it is removed from the car. If it cannot be removed and has to be painted while in the car, use painters tape and plastic bags to seal off all the areas you don't want to paint. If the panels you remove are attached to wires and other electrical components make sure the battery is disconnected.
3. Now it's time for preparation, this is the most time consuming part but it is also the most important. Correct preparation is the difference between a quality paint job and one that is fading and chipping.
Get the pieces and with some lacquer thinner clean and scrub all the pieces you want to paint. This will remove all oils, grease, armor all, dust and dirt from the surface that will damage the finish.
4. Apply the prep gel onto the pieces and with the scouring pad rough up the surface of the panels. This will promote better adhesion between the primer and the surface of the panels and plastic components. Thus preventing any unnecessary peeling.
5. Next is the primer, whether you are using a spray gun or a rattle can, spray the surface in rows. For example spray from left to right, or up to down. Never spray in circles, this will leave some areas with too much primer and other areas with not enough.
6. Once the primer is dry it's ready for paint. Make sure you get paint designed for car interiors and that are designed to be heat resistant. Once again whether with a spray gun or rattle can, spray in a back and forth motion. the paint will be dry to touch in about 5 minutes and dry to handle in 15 minutes. After about 5-7 minutes of the first coat spray another coat. In all have no less than 4 color coats, this will ensure that the paint will last a while.
7. The paint with be fully dry in 48 to 72 hours. Once it's dry spray a coat of clear coat to add UV resistance in the paint on the panels. Let the clear coat dry and reinstall all the panels back into the car.
