The Oldsmobile Connection

[DrRansom442]

Prior owner of my car started replacing the interior. they bought a 83 for parts and swapped over most of the parts. However, neither car had pristine plastic pieces. I have assembled almost everything to finish up the interior. I have a few consoles (mostly parts of, but I think I have 2 complete and the one in the car), I have a Coverlay dash cover, a junkyard gauge bezel and all the pillar/roof trim pieces. I want to redye all the "plastics" to insure its 1) clean 2) matches 3) holds up to everyday useage. I read through the recomendations in my Fisher body manual. It indicates that Rigid or hard ABS requires no primer, but as my pieces are used, they tend to have oil and mildew stains that I do not know if they will completely clean up with Prep-Sol and I'd be worried that these stains may bleed through, so can I prime these surfaces? What do I use? The book also says that the seat backs should not be dyed, mine are pretty sun bleached and I'd like to refresh them, any ideas? Last but not least, is there a better means to identify "plastic", rather then take a sample and burn it to see if the smoke is black or clear?

[Brianritchie21787]

Quote: I read through the recomendations in my Fisher body manual. It indicates that Rigid or hard ABS requires no primer, but as my pieces are used, they tend to have oil and mildew stains

Quote: The book also says that the seat backs should not be dyed, mine are pretty sun bleached and I'd like to refresh them, any ideas?


What do you plan on dying it with?

The brand "Dupli-Color" makes a wide variety of aerosol paints that all work on a wide variety of plastics, vinyls, simmulated leathers and fabrics. I've seen this stuff used on tweed and plush seats, as well as oe carpets and it comes out great, although one place i would avoid using it is on an old fragile headliner, as the chemicles could break down the adhesive and cause it to sag. Im unsure of it but this could be the same case for your seat back.

I never had to primer anything to do my door handles and dash board, but for prep I had to wet sand the plastics because of all the armoral i used in the past, this made the medium more "pourus" and helped the coating stick firmly. just make sure its super smooth to prevent textures in the paint and dont rush it by applying too much pressure to the sanding block/paper whatever you use. When your finished use regular dish soap and water to cleanse the plastic.







Good luck,

Brian

[88 Coupe]

Hi DrRansom442, hello everyone,

http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=1440&itemType=CATEGORY

Regards, Norm

[DrRansom442]

Brianritchie21787 wrote: Quote: I read through the recomendations in my Fisher body manual. It indicates that Rigid or hard ABS requires no primer, but as my pieces are used, they tend to have oil and mildew stains

Quote: The book also says that the seat backs should not be dyed, mine are pretty sun bleached and I'd like to refresh them, any ideas?


What do you plan on dying it with?

The brand "Dupli-Color" makes a wide variety of aerosol paints that all work on a wide variety of plastics, vinyls, simmulated leathers and fabrics. I've seen this stuff used on tweed and plush seats, as well as oe carpets and it comes out great, although one place i would avoid using it is on an old fragile headliner, as the chemicles could break down the adhesive and cause it to sag. Im unsure of it but this could be the same case for your seat back.

I never had to primer anything to do my door handles and dash board, but for prep I had to wet sand the plastics because of all the armoral i used in the past, this made the medium more "pourus" and helped the coating stick firmly. just make sure its super smooth to prevent textures in the paint and dont rush it by applying too much pressure to the sanding block/paper whatever you use. When your finished use regular dish soap and water to cleanse the plastic.

well I was going to clean all the "hard plastics" with Prep-sol and the vinyl with the apropriate "condtioner" (don't really care about brand - I've seen several on the shelves), we have a local PPG dealer, if they do not have the right shade of blue, I was going to have it mixed...as their primary business is Autobody supplies, I'd only assume they have the vinyl dye too. I dunno maybe its me, I'm no body man (or upholster either), I think I'd feel more comfortible using a primer to ensure the finish doesn't have any "bleed through" of contaiments that may not be removed by Prep-sol, that may come through the paint. After all these are well used pieces, some have grease and mildew...I'll clean them best as I can first, but I can just see some of it sticking onto the parts. Any ideas why Fisher/GM would suggest against redying the seatbacks?

[DrRansom442]

although one place i would avoid using it is on an old fragile headliner, as the chemicles could break down the adhesive and cause it to sag. Im unsure of it but this could be the same case for your seat back

my headliner was replaced already, so I won't be touching it at all, the seat backs on buckets are hard plastic (well any G-body I recall, because the 87 was a bench and it had hard plastic too)...then again body manuals cover all models. maybe they mean soft vinyl or cloth backs...its written as "painting of soft seat cushion and seat back trim cover assemblies of vinyl construction is not approved by factory"

[Brianritchie21787]

Quote: I think I'd feel more comfortible using a primer to ensure the finish doesn't have any "bleed through" of contaiments that may not be removed by Prep-sol, that may come through the paint.

ok so Priming the plastic sounds right if its as bad as you describe. If you want to prime the plastic you'll need a flexable Primer, its out there i've seen it. But as for the vinyl im not sure what you would need, ive never had to prime vinyl. theres probably somthing out there.

Quote: "painting of soft seat cushion and seat back trim cover assemblies of vinyl construction is not approved by factory"


i think were getting the "seat back trim cover" confused with the seatback,

I googled "seat back trim cover" and got pictures of the trim on the back of the seat, and to the sides around the seat controls (if applicable). so i think your seatback should be paintable if the manual doesn't say otherwise, and if your seat back trim cover is somthing other than vinyl (mines metal) then that should be paintable too. Vinyl is technically supposed to be dyed.

hope that helped

Brian

[DrRansom442]

[quote="Brianritchie21787"] Quote:
i think were getting the "seat back trim cover" confused with the seatback,
I googled "seat back trim cover" and got pictures of the trim on the back of the seat, and to the sides around the seat controls Brian

so we are talking the hard chrome plated plastic pieces around the seat pivot and the plastic-chrome piping then? That would make sense to not try and dye/paint that

[Brianritchie21787]

im pretty sure, i would check your body manual for a glossary and look for seat back trim cover just to clear things up

[DrRansom442]

Brianritchie21787 wrote: im pretty sure, i would check your body manual for a glossary and look for seat back trim cover just to clear things up


hey brilliant!!! I should have thought of that :blush: