vinyl paint interior...?

[Insurance Izzy]

I want to vinyl paint my dash pad, glove box door, and center console interior of my 1978 280z the same brown, burnt orange, ginger color that the door cards, seats and rear panels currently are.  Has anyone tried this?  I dont want to reupholster.  I am planning on doing it myself.  I have looked at SEM Vinyl paint and there is a color code 15033 Saddle Tan that kinda looks similar.  Anyone have a spot on color code or name?  I have attached pics of my interior for referrence.

with gratitude,

@insta_datsun

[Namerow]

Parasol Paints in Toronto, Canada (www.parasolinc.com) will custom-mix a vinyl paint to perfectly match your color.  Send them a small sample of vinyl from the underside of a seat or cut from the back hem of a trim panel.  A 1/2-inch square will do.  You'll need 1 qt. to do the dash and centre console (estimated cost of US$100/qt, shipping extra).  I had them mix up two quarts the match my butterscotch seats (sourced from Banzai).  The color match was spot on, the product applied very nicely, and it has held up very well over the years (no lifting or peeling).  Parasol's vinyl paint is applied with a standard-issue HVLP spray gun.  It's water-based and the gun cleans up easily, provided that you do this right after you finish spraying).  You'll need to apply at least 3 medium coats to cover a black surface with a light brown paint.

Regardless of whose vinyl paint you end up using, you will need to be relentless in your prep work.  All traces of silicone (ArmorAll, etc) need to be removed or else you will get major 'fish-eye' when you try to apply the paint (and you can't just wipe the crazed vinyl paint off and start over again). SEM offers a pair of cleaning products for a two-step process.  Effective (if used properly), but not cheap.  Parasol offers their own line of cleaners.

Edited April 22, 2020 by Namerow

[Insurance Izzy]

Thank, this is an excellent suggestion which I will be moving forward with.  I'll post pics upon completion. 

[gwri8]

Ditto on everything Namerow said, especially the prep work.   Here is the mix my paint shop came up with and put it into an aerosol can for me.  It's SEM paint. Yours might be slightly different.

[Insurance Izzy]

WOW THANK YOU!   I would really be interested in seeing your project.  before, after or anything in between

[Insurance Izzy]

Namerow, by any chance can you post pics of the parts of the interior you painted?  

GWri8, same request, if you dont mind sharing, I would love to see the work you did and the color.  thanks

 

[gwri8]

Before and After shots with on camera flash.

[Namerow]

15 hours ago, Insurance Izzy said:

Namerow, by any chance can you post pics of the parts of the interior you painted?  

GWri8, same request, if you dont mind sharing, I would love to see the work you did and the color.  thanks

 

I'm having trouble with my photo storage software right now, but I had these pix stored separately.  They'll give you an idea of how the vinyl paint goes on.  As you'll see, the coverage is very good and I was able to transition these panels from the original black to butterscotch without any  issues.  The third photo, taken in natural sunlight, shows you just how good the coverage really is (and the paint is quite durable, too).

IIRC, it required at least three coats, maybe four, to cover my black trim pieces properly.  The hard-plastic panels are pretty easy to clean and prep.  It's the soft-vinyl pieces with the faux 'quilting' that take so much effort -- made even more difficult in the case of the shock tower covers because they won't lay out flat for either cleaning or painting.

BTW, these pix just show that parts lying on the grass after the paint coat was applied.  I had them hanging vertically during the actual paint application.

Unlike gwri8, I used an HVLP gun to apply the paint.  Nothing too difficult about this.  The vinyl paint is water-based.  It mixes, pours, and sprays very easily. 

You need to manage the overall process so that you can spray all the parts, coat by coat, in a steady rotation without any interruptions.  This is partly because you need to clean up the gun right after you stop.  You do not want the vinyl paint to cure inside the spray gun.   I sprayed all of my hard plastic parts on one day, then did the soft-vinyl pieces on a separate day.

One final word of caution:  There are some interesting fumes given off by this paint during the spray application.  You won't smell them, but you will certainly feel them.  Make sure you have good ventilation.  And use a good mask.  Your spray gun is not the only place where you don't want this paint to cure.  

If I can fix my photo software, I'll post a few pix of the soft-vinyl pieces on the weekend.

[Insurance Izzy]

WOW!!! great work! That looks really good.  What year is your Z?  I am in a 1978 280z.  Based on your pics, our colors looks very similar.  They might be the same.  I think the color they created for you is spot on. 

 

I actually want to paint my center console and dash.  Do you know if the paint mixture they made up is strong enough to paint areas that are frequently used?  How has it held up since you painted it?  thanks 

[gwri8]

Mine is a 77'.  As far a durability,  I have had no problems with paint on panels or vinyl, especially since they are positioned vertically.  I don't have any info as to horizontal pieces that could attract more contact like the console, but I would think that since there is no protective coating on the paint and it is just sitting on top of plastic,  It might be more susceptible to scratches and such. Don't know really.  The original panels have the color infused into the plastic and since that will be the color underneath scratches may not show readily.   One thing I can think of though is that the paint may have too much sheen or gloss for a dash IMO.  The first time Mr Sunshine show up at just the right angle you may need stronger sunglasses..

Edited August 6, 2020 by gwri8