It is possible to do your own automotive interior paint, if you want to change the atmosphere and look of your interior cabin. Not only changing the interior paint will create newer and fresher atmosphere, it will allow you to do personalization work. If you are rather low on the budget, you can always do the work on your own, as long as you are careful about it. However, if you are truly clueless about the whole deal and you have zero knowledge about doing this, it is better if you hire a professional to do the work – rather than spending more money in the end because of the mistake and mess you create.
DIY Purpose
When you decide to do your DIY project, make sure that you have prepared everything and really planned out the details. Preparation is one of the most important elements in the work, so you really have to be careful about it. Don’t underestimate the process, or you will end up regretting everything – and spending a fortune to fix it up.
What to Prepare
Here are some of the important elements that you need to make:
- Time. Never ever rush things. Really take your time and plan out everything carefully. No one is chasing after you, so be cool about it.
- Paint. For the interior cabin, you will need the aerosol paint, along with adhesion promoter (plastic primer), base coat (for this, a regular car paint will do), and also lacquer – whether it is matte or gloss.
- Scotchbrite. It will be used to ‘key’ the part to remove panel shine so the new paint can hang onto it.
- Hairdryer. You will need this to have flawless finish
- Solvent based cleaner or warm and soapy water. If you use white spirit, don’t forget to wear gloves
- Soft cloth and finishing compound like T-Cut
- Vapor mask
- Tack cloth, which is optional and not really important.
Here are the things you need to do before painting:
- Remove the parts you want to paint; be careful as not making any scratch
- Clean it with solvent cleaner or warm water
- Key it and then wash it over again.
- Leave it dry thoroughly before you can paint it
Before painting, it is better that you warm the aerosol can. Warm it a bit so it will create finer and even result, but don’t overheat it. Make sure to shake it before you use it and only use overlapping and light strokes. After applying a coat, leave it around 5 minutes to evaporate well. This is when you can use the hairdryer – don’t forget to use the mask, though. Here is the process:
- Apply the plastic primer first. Use ¾ of it and leave it dry
- Apply the base coat. You may have to coat it about 3 to 8 times to get good color. Leave each coat to dry well.
- Apply the lacquer. If you choose gloss one, it will add shine. Add 5 lacquer coats and your automotive interior paint will be as good as new!
- Read Also : Choosing the Right Automotive Paint Kits