Painting hard plastic

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bob7four

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Looking to change my interior from black to white. Replacement rear side panels for a 69 Barracuda vert are expensive. Existing panels are in decent shape. Can they be painted?
 
They will need a good cleaning with prep whip, then a plastic coat (it's clear) coat will help it adhere and be flexible, like the prep thats done on plastic bumpers these days, it's been awhile so let hear from others on this
 
Sanding them with 180 and coating with an epoxy primer then a 2k urethane filler primer then paint will also give a great result!
 
There are paints specifically for plastics. They bond chemically eater than mechanically.

I painted a computer case with some and I could not scratch off the paint I had to gouge the plastic.

IIRC vinyl seat interior paint is a similar chemistry.

But white on black is going to be tough
 
Id scuff them with a red scotch bright pad or 400 grit wash with dawn wipe them down with a wax & grease remover spray a coat of adhesion promoter then your color
 
I once painted a set of Dodge truck door panels with “bumper paint”. Supposedly had a flex additive in it. Worked great!
 
Bad Sport said:
Yes they can be dyed. I used VHT, with great results going from blue to black.

Surface prep is very important, clean, clean, clean, followed up with the VHT adhesion primer, then paint in a couple light coats. I think I got mine at O'Rielly's.

VHT Vinyl Dye™ -- Specialty Products
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MoparMike1974 said:
SEM plastic dye(paint) is awesome.
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cawley said:
Id scuff them with a red scotch bright pad or 400 grit wash with dawn wipe them down with a wax & grease remover spray a coat of adhesion promoter then your color
Click to expand...
Totally agree with all of these posts. I have done a lot of this. Here is what I do. CLEAN the parts first. I use a scrub brush with some Soft Scrub. If you aren't familiar with Soft Scrub, it is a kitchen cleaning product. It is the consistency of liquid polishing compound, and it works great. I keep a bottle in the garage. Get the surface wet, then squirt on the Soft Scrub and apply the elbow grease. I like to use a brush with medium stiff bristles. Rinse and repeat. Then rinse thoroughly and allow to dry. Then I wipe the part down with some pre-paint solution and a microfiber cloth. I use Pre from Eastwood, but you can get a spray can of a similar pre-paint wipe down solvent in the same section you buy the paint/dye and adhesion promoter. Then wipe the area with a tack rag. Then spray on adhesion promoter. Follow the instructions on the can for the brand you buy; likely one coat. The adhesion promoter will also tell you how long to wait before painting. MAKE SURE you use a paint/dye specifically made for painting plastic parts. Then spray the parts with the first coat of your paint/dye. This first coat will be very light. You are NOT looking for coverage on the first coat. The second coat can be a little heavier. Then spray a few more medium wet coats until you get the desired coverage. Although I totally agree that SEM plastic paint/dye is an excellent product (I have used it), I have also had very good luck with the Dupli Color brand I can get at my local parts store. Plus, that way you can buy the paint/dye, pre-paint cleaning spray and adhesion promoter all the same brand. This means pretty much zero chance of products interacting with each other in a bad way. You will have no problems if you follow instructions and take your time. Also, follow good safety procedures. wear a mask and gloves while painting. And if you do this in your garage, you'll get overspray on everything. Plastic sheeting on the floor, and covering anything you don't want to get overspray on, is a good idea. Good luck.
 
Soda blasting at low pressure can do a good job. You need to put some "tooth" on the plastic for the paint to adhere too. As long as it's prepped right, even paint that's not plastic specific will adhere like the dung who flung.
 
The SEM prep is designed to soften the plastic slightly so it has a chemical bond. This eliminates the need to sand which would cause you to loose the detail of the piece. I have used SEM many times and always had great results.
 
Thanks all for the solid feedback. Sounds like it is doable. If I screw it up it will only cost me $900 to replace them:(
 
Those panels have 2 different finishes. The top matches the door tops. The bottom matches the vinyl. Here is example of 2 colors and finishes....
1968 Barracuda Convertible back interior panels
So you'll likely use enamel paint on the top and a lacquer base dye on the bottom.
 
Funny, when i paint something and get overspray on it i can't get it off...but then there are some things
that i paint that the paint won't stay on!
So proper prep and paint are imperative.
 
ir3333 said:
Funny, when i paint something and get overspray on it i can't get it off...but then there are some things
that i paint that the paint won't stay on!
So proper prep and paint are imperative.
Click to expand...
Dude, you just summed up painting in just one sentence.
 
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