need help with fiberglass

[IceManFX]

hello all,

hre is the idea i want to do.. i dont like the grey hatchback plastic in my black celica... i want to paint it all black... now i have some scratches in the plastic.. should i glaze a ffiberlass resin over it and then paint/clearcoat it
'
also i want to to make a fiberglass floor instead of that grey carpet and that cardboard board taht is over the spare tire.. i want to have that sleek black look

would vinyl work?

what kind of paint should i buy... im gonna take a drive to home depot tomorrow prolly

also i have a prefab box with 2 12 kappa perfects.. i want to cut the box to get 2 singles 12s sand it down... take carpet off of it.. and coat it in fiberglass and paint it black.. could this be done.. im a beginer when it comes to fiberglass but im patient breakingup the box and contouring it with fiberglass i will ahve more placement options in my hatchback


thanks
~Eddie

[Mistrimeat]

If you've never worked with fiberglass before or have little experience with it, I wouldn't recommend taking on a project of this magnitude. Its harder than it looks, especially when it comes time to bondo and smooth/contour everything. At least get someone to help you. I helped a friend make a custom gauge pillar pod from scraps of other pods....it was a b!tch to say the least. It ended up weighting like 10 lbs it had so much bondo on it.

[2000whiteGTS]

of the things I have done to my interior so far, I would have to say that the worst part by far was painting the trim pieces on the dash. I couldn't figure out what was going on, because the paint kept lifting over and over. So after 5 times of painting, sanding, repainting, I went to a shop. Turns out the paints I was using had different kinds of thinner in them, and each layer made the one under it lift off. So I finally wised up and they gave me some vinyl spray, which went on the first time, no problem. I am afraid to make them shiny because of the reflection on the windshield, but they look kind of dull. So just be careful when you go and paint things yourself, make sure you talk to the paint shop, tell them what you need, and hope it doesn't chip off in your trunk.

[Mistrimeat]

Originally posted by 2000whiteGTS
of the things I have done to my interior so far, I would have to say that the worst part by far was painting the trim pieces on the dash. I couldn't figure out what was going on, because the paint kept lifting over and over. So after 5 times of painting, sanding, repainting, I went to a shop. Turns out the paints I was using had different kinds of thinner in them, and each layer made the one under it lift off. So I finally wised up and they gave me some vinyl spray, which went on the first time, no problem. I am afraid to make them shiny because of the reflection on the windshield, but they look kind of dull. So just be careful when you go and paint things yourself, make sure you talk to the paint shop, tell them what you need, and hope it doesn't chip off in your trunk.

You mean pieces like the door panels and the actual dashboard? I didnt know you could spray paint them at all...I was told they had to be dyed with a special paint that would endure the flexing and wear-and-tear or normal driving. Also I was told regualr spray paint would scratch off easily...

[chameleon]

Mistrimeat, you are right to be cautious about painting these parts, but it can easily be done if you use the correct supplies. They make interior paint that is formulated specifically for painting plastic peices like this, so ask your local automotive refinishing supply store for interior paint. Since our Celica's are new vehicals, the plastice interiors are made with an injection molding process that has a silicone release agent to make the panels pop out of the mold. If you paint over these peices, the chemicals in the paint will react with the plastic and cause the silicone to rise to the surface, which will make the paint lose it's adhesion and peel off. To prevent this from happening, you need to first prep the part with a water based primer. Since the primer is water based, and not chemical based, the primer will not attack the surface and will form a barrier between the plastic surface and the paint.

I am in the middle of redoing my entire interior white/purple. The water based primer I used was Transtar Bond-Tec adhesion promoter/prep wash. The paint I used for the parts I painted white was made my SEM. I am still working on the purple because it is a color that no one makes in an interior paint, so the automotive supply store is trying to reformulate and exterior purple paint to change it into an interior paint.

[Mistrimeat]

Originally posted by chameleon
Mistrimeat, you are right to be cautious about painting these parts, but it can easily be done if you use the correct supplies. They make interior paint that is formulated specifically for painting plastic peices like this, so ask your local automotive refinishing supply store for interior paint. Since our Celica's are new vehicals, the plastice interiors are made with an injection molding process that has a silicone release agent to make the panels pop out of the mold. If you paint over these peices, the chemicals in the paint will react with the plastic and cause the silicone to rise to the surface, which will make the paint lose it's adhesion and peel off. To prevent this from happening, you need to first prep the part with a water based primer. Since the primer is water based, and not chemical based, the primer will not attack the surface and will form a barrier between the plastic surface and the paint.

I am in the middle of redoing my entire interior white/purple. The water based primer I used was Transtar Bond-Tec adhesion promoter/prep wash. The paint I used for the parts I painted white was made my SEM. I am still working on the purple because it is a color that no one makes in an interior paint, so the automotive supply store is trying to reformulate and exterior purple paint to change it into an interior paint.

So you're saying I could paint the dash with interior paint as long as I used water based primer? I know our dashes are made from a different material, its not relly plastic so to speak. Not really sure what it is, but it seems poreous unlike plastic.

[chameleon]

Yeah Mistrimeat, if you are planning on painting anything in there, just be sure to use a water based primer.

I never heard anything unusual about our interiors. As far as I know, it is your typical vinal/plastic. It looks just like any other plastic peice to me, but I could be wrong.

[2000whiteGTS]

Originally posted by Mistrimeat


You mean pieces like the door panels and the actual dashboard? I didnt know you could spray paint them at all...I was told they had to be dyed with a special paint that would endure the flexing and wear-and-tear or normal driving. Also I was told regualr spray paint would scratch off easily...


I will be the first to admit that I know very little about anything to do with cars or paint. I am just trying to let you know that I went ahead and tried painting the trim pieces on my dash (the ones that surround the radio and guages) and had a horrible time with it due to my ignorance about paint. After several attempts, not to mention severely gouging the plastic while using a thinner, I swallowed my pride and talked to some people at a paint shop about it. It's surprising how many people I had to talk to who are supposed paint pros, before I found one who knew what was happening. I didn't even know there was such a thing as vinyl paint, which went on fine, and flexes as it needs to. I can only advise that you seek professional guidance before taking on anything that may potentionally ruin pieces in your car. That's all I can offer

[Mistrimeat]

Originally posted by 2000whiteGTS



I will be the first to admit that I know very little about anything to do with cars or paint. I am just trying to let you know that I went ahead and tried painting the trim pieces on my dash (the ones that surround the radio and guages) and had a horrible time with it due to my ignorance about paint. After several attempts, not to mention severely gouging the plastic while using a thinner, I swallowed my pride and talked to some people at a paint shop about it. It's surprising how many people I had to talk to who are supposed paint pros, before I found one who knew what was happening. I didn't even know there was such a thing as vinyl paint, which went on fine, and flexes as it needs to. I can only advise that you seek professional guidance before taking on anything that may potentionally ruin pieces in your car. That's all I can offer

Well the center console and gauge bexel plastics were super easy to paint, they are just plain old ABS plastic. I'm talking about the rest of the interior and the dash, which is a different type of plastic and gets more wear than the center console.