My '03 Sunfire has interior parts that are textured and I'm going to get them painted. Should I sand them smooth or just rough them up?

TY for your time.

 

It's up to you if you want it smooth or if you want a stock looking painted interior.

Or are you asking which would be best if so it they are about the same either way.

Personally I would sand it smooth.

 

I would suggest sanding it smooth, I think it would come out better if it's sanded smooth before being painted. I sanded mine down and I have no regrets. Although, it did take some time. I guess it's all in the prep work.

 

Pinoy: That interior does look good. Can you tell me what proces you went thropugh to get that affect.

i assume you sanded it but i have had a couple of places tell me that they need to prime it with something and then sand it et etc . They sand that simply sanding iut will not work.

Is there a "how too" page on this process anywhere?

 

I'm in the process of painting my stuff now. I sanded with like 60 grit then went straight to about 400, not sure, it just says fine on the paper. I'ts smooth enough after primer. if you have a spray gun or access to one, i'd say use it. I used spray paint the plasticote stuff from pepboys. the number of color coats i had to use i can't really say, i did a lot of wet sanding till i had a nice finish before the clear. I always had something wrong with the color coat so it needed sanded. Spray cans SUCK sometimes. once its good color. keep clear coating till you feel its good. You need clear coat. Some people dont' like the shiny look, but its the only way to protect the paint. I should have some pics by the end of the week

 

Here's what I did:

I sanded down the texture with a 600 grit wet sandpaper, then followed it with a 1500 grit wet sandpaper, I know it's a bit high, but I just wanted to make sure that there are no textures left. I sanded the trims in a bucket of soapy water.

I did not use a primer, instead I went straight to painting the color of my choice. I painted it with a spray can - by plasti-kote (school bus yellow, super enamel about 2 light coats and 3 thick even coats) and then I covered it with lacquer clear coat made also by plasti-kote (with 5 coats). I just have to warn you lacquer and enamel don't mix, but here's how you do it.

make sure the enamel (in my case school bus yellow is dry- overnight preferrably) then apply the clear coat in very, very thin layers, until you know that the layer you are working with is all clear coat, from then just apply two or three more layers of not so thin evenly coats.

I found out the hard way that they don't mix, because the yellow paint started to crack when I applied a thick coat of clear coat initially... Ohh..also I did not have to wet sand any of the paint, even the clear coat, I was surprised that It came out so smooth, even when you look at it real close there's no orange peel(must be the lacquer...Im not sure...I'm no paint expert).

I bought the paint online ... if you need the specific paint I use let me know... I just have to look for my receipt.

one more thing, don't be in a rush to put it back in your car, even if you wait a couple of hours drying time, I had to wait over night to make sure the thick coats are real dry and hard. I had an experience when I waited a couple of hours and it felt like it was dry and hard but to no avail when I put one back in the door trims, it got smooshed on one corner...so I had to sand it again and do the whole process, just be patient.

Hope that helps...sorry for the long message.

 

i just finished the guage bezel, and that really gave me lots of problems. I can't get the clear as smooth as i'd like it without it running. Oh well, it looks good for now. I'll probably have the pieces painted professionally when my exterior gets done.

 

I just dont like the whole painted interior thing. I had a friend that had an interior job done on his 94 T/A and I guess for what it was it looked nice. It was good work and all, just semed to ricey to me. I like the original sports car interior look my self. I'm not saying not to do it, I just have never been able to appreciate that look for some reason.

 

i dont' get how its ricey. As long as you don't over due it. my interior is all gray, its kind of boring

 

Don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with looking at it at a show or something like that. Just the way I am (maybe old school) I like the original look with a few select aftermarket guages and a roll cage in the car and that's about it. But I don't have a problem if someone wants to try to be diff.