Painting Your Interior Trim

To get off Stereo/HVAC trim: pull out on the HVAC knobs...they pull
off........then pull out your stereo.......then on each corner of the hole
the stereo goes in, there are bolts you got to take out with a
ratchet........after you get the 4 bolts out of each corner, start to pull
out after you remove your ashtray GENTLY..... I actually started pulling
where the ashtray goes. it should start to pop off. then you unplug the
hazard button. then take out the screws (about 6 i think) in the rear that
hold the HVAC assembly/buttons onto the trim. comes right off after that.

To get off gauge surround/trim: Take out the three bolts on the top of the
gauge surround. Pop it out after you get it lose detach the trunk pop
switch. On the bottom of the surround is a little vinyl flap that attaches
to the steering column. It just snaps on and off. Its easy to get off but a
pain to get back on. just be patient popping the things back in.

Vent Surrounds: the vent surrounds pop right out. use a flat tip
screwdriver, with a soft clothe between the screwdriver and dash, so you
don't mesh up the dash or anything. then just slide the screwdriver in
between and pop them out. just be patient.

You can also do the door handles, the 2 window defrost vents (one on each
corner of the dash), and the center console (where the cup holders & parking
brake are), but I haven't done these parts yet. UPDATE: I did the door handle
trim on each side, they pop right out by using a flat tip screwdriver on the
bottom.

When you are going to get the color you choose, try and take the can out and
hold it up to something to see if the color matches up good. my local auto
parts store lets me do that. it helps, trust me. this is a big part of this
project. UPDATE: I got DUPONT Sonic Blue custom mixed for me by
http://www.paintworldinc.com and repainted my pieces. It looks 100 million
times better.

Not only do you have to be patient when you lay down the coats, you
have to have patience during preparation.
here's how you paint. BE PATIENT. that's the first thing. you'll need primer,
(if your painting plastics, get primer, paint, and clear coat for plastics),
paint and clear coat. also some 180 grit sand paper. after removing the
pieces you are going t paint, clean it off good, then dry it thoroughly.
wet sand it down with the 180 grit.

You just want to SCUFF up the plastic to give the primer something to grip.
after you do that, wash again. let dry. I do 2 good even coats of primer (i
use Brite-Touch general purpose primer in Gray, or if repainting after
sanding the previous finish down, I use Dupli-Color Filler Primer. it fills
minor scratches, etc.. very good stuff). don't hold the can at an
angle over 45 degrees, and hold the spray between 5" and 12" away (approx.)

You want just enough to get an even coat. DON'T RUSH AND LAY ON THE COATS
HEAVY/THICK, OR IT WILL ORANGE PEEL ON YOU. the slower you go, and the more
coats you do, the smoother it will come out. also, after each pass, let go
of the button. don't use one continuous spray. back and forth evenly. let
each coat dry for about 15/20 minutes. after 2 good even coats of primer,
and you've let it dry, get your paint and shake the can for about a minute or
2.i did 8 coats and i used Plasti-Kote super enamel for color on this
project, but I also use Dupli-Color paints.

UPDATE: DUPONT Sonic Blue used to repaint these pieces.
start your first coat, and remember the things i said above, same goes here. do 1 even coat. you want
to kind of "spritz" the paint on. you DON'T want to try to get it all done in
2 coats. you'll **** it up. let dry again. then so on. after every 2 coats,
you might want to adjust the piece so you get even coverage from all angles.
you can do how ever many coats you want, but between 5 and 8 coats seems to
get rich, even color
for me. plus your only "spritzing" and doing LIGHT coats, so it takes some
time. after you finish the color part and let dry, time for clear coat. I do
3 coats and use Dupli-Color clear coat. apply same as above, nice even coats. I let the
clearcoats dry a little longer though between coats, about 30 minutes. after you
finish the clear coats, let dry overnight. i put my pieces in my utility
room (furnace room). curing them up can take anywhere from 1 day to a week,
but mine were ok to handle the next day. i re-installed them the next day.
wait about 7 DAYS before polishing the pieces up with a SOFT cloth. I recommend
using 3M's mild rubbing compound, it can be found near the automotive sand
paper at Auto Zone, etc. this will smooth it up for you. an added note about
sand paper, if you are repainting like I did, and need to fill a few
scratches or anything from sanding the previous finish down, you should get
some 320, 600 and 800 grit wet/dry sandpaper along with the 180 grit i
mentioned above.

Take your time. It took me about 2 days to get everything done. this is the
way to get everything nice and smooth. good luck.

How-to Compliments of Jonny Bolt