Protege1.8L

Is there any type of specific paint that I need to use to paint my interior trim? I bought two kinds of the same brand Plasti-Kolor from ADVANCED AUTO PARTS STORE. The kinds I bought are Engine Enamel, for the plastic interior parts and Vinyl Color, for the vinyl interior parts. A couple problems that I could not find answers to by searching were...The term "vinyl" is thrown around soo loosely, what exactly is it (in terms of what on the Protege?) My Protege is a 1999 ES 1.8L. I figured I could probably paint most of the things with the engine enamel because it is so universally strong and sticky. I will be checking out other types of paint too though, such as though mentioned in previous posts, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
THANKS
-James

hihoslva

I'll answer - as long as you promise to SEARCH next time!

This has been covered a LOT on the forum.

Basically, everything that is "squishy" or feels "padded" on the interior is vinyl (like probably your dashboard). Hard surfaces are plastic (like most of the trim bezels and such).

For the vinyl, you really need to use a vinyl dye. Paint will not do well, because of the flexibility of the parts.

For plastic, I (as always!) recommend SEM Bumper Coater and Trim Clear. By far the best stuff for ANY painting of plastic, IMHO. Look for it at body shop supply stores, or go to a body shop and have them order it for you. It's about $8 a can, but worth every penny. Pick the color you want, then also get a can of Trim Clear for clearcoating afterward.

The stuff has an awesome finish - not very glossy, and it has awesome adhesion. I've had my interior plastic done for almost 6 months or so now, and it has yet to peel, crack, or even scratch. The stuff kicks ***.

For pix of what I painted, check this link: http://www.protegeclub.com/forum/sho...&threadid=8327

You'll have to ask around for the vinyl dye - maybe try some shops that specialize in vinyl work - like convertible tops, interiors, etc, and see what they recommend.

~HH

Protege1.8L

Thanks for the help hihoslva! Nice interior!!!!
-James