For those of you that painted interior plastic..

[DT3Ton]

Sorry to necro this thread..

A number of you have said you used SEMs adhesion promoter but there are different kinds of adhesion promoters.

I have this document called SEM training manual. Within it says to use 3836(x) SAND FREE for ABS and PVC. It says to use 3986(x) or 7772(x) for TPO, EDPM, PP and other similar thermoplastics. To tell the difference, it says acetone will melt/smear the former and not the latter. The door panels from my 79 and 84 don't seem to be affected by acetone. Problem is I can get the 3836 locally but I'm having trouble sourcing the latter two.

So specifically which adhesion promoter have you used or better yet, what type of plastic are the factory door panels?

[Robert8096]

I used SEM soap 39362 and then 39863 on my factory panels.

[TKCR]

Look at these. I’ve been using USA1 Industries for all my color dyes and prep. They have this and a few other kits, plus they sell the preps individually.
https://www.usa1industries.com/vinyl...eaner-kit.html
https://www.usa1industries.com/paint...s-protectants/

[CMACDONALD1]

We dyed this trucks interior and it turned out decent. We had new jobber door panels but they looked awful so we dyed some original ones.

[tucsonjwt]

I used SEM paint on my door panels and all interior trim. I used whatever SEM adhesion promoter the local automotive paint shop sold for that purpose (can't remember the number.) The adhesion promoter I used did not cure well, and the finish paint over it in a test patch was very rough, so I stripped it off and just used the SEM paint alone. It turned out OK.

My door panels had a lot of scratches along the top of the driver's door panel. I assume the previous owner had a watch on his left wrist and drove "truck driver style" with the window down. I sanded down that area with wet sand paper and lost the texture of the surface, but that does not bother me. I am about to repaint the door panels so I will post the completed pics soon.

I did not want to spend the $$ for an OEM style panels for my 83 Silverado, and I did not like the original light tan (buckskin) color because it got dirty too easily. I had a local upholstery shop recover the door inserts with some leftover fabric I had from the stock style recover of the seat - I did have to cut pieces of threaded rod to replace the plastic threaded studs which broke off (that was an experience.) That plastic on the plastic door panel insert is super hard to tap - just chewed up the end of the tap - so they are held in mostly by a lot of wraps of teflon tape.

[DT3Ton]

I am thinking I will either use Duplicolor adhesion promoter or nothing.

The duplicolor is cheap enough to try it. They don't specify what type of plastic it is meant to work on but they do show it being used on a bumper cover which is a thermoplastic so it should work.

Thanks for all input.

[HOTFUN]

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[TKCR]

Originally Posted by HOTFUN

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Pretty much how I do all my parts. Dawn dish soap can be substituted for the SEM Soap. I even do the Plastic Prep part twice.

Black is the only SEM color is use. All the other colors I use come from USA1, because they all match our interior colors. Sadly SEM has discontinued almost all of the colors for our interiors.

[72malibu]

I'm having a professional dye a pair of Recaro leather bucket seats and a new repro dash pad. He's using a custom mix dye that is water based. He says the "feel" of the dye he uses is far better than what you can get out of solvent dyes in a spray can.

I'm planning to dye the plastic and metal interior trim parts, and console, myself using the USA1 Industries dye and the SEM products USA1 sells. The dye professional seemed impressed with USA1's catalyzed spray dyes (the cans are labeled Seymour paint by the way), even though they're solvent based and not what he would use. I gave him my dye and some original panels to make sure that his dye will match.

I also ordered a new headliner, visors, and speaker kick panels already dyed from USA1. I was going to have the professional dye the visors, but they were becoming brittle and for the cost of him to do them versus new from USA1, he recommended new.

[HOTFUN]

TKCR

Tina, I ordered all SEM material except the paint is from USA1 what you used on the 73 GMC seat belts and they used on my new headliner. USA1 had said for our GM interior plastic pieces to use the SEM Sand Free adhesion promoter. Finally, after researching the SEM site, I chose to try a final coat of Tac Free 39643 for UV protection.

This is what I have coming in SEM products except paint.
SEM soap, Plastic Prep 38353, Sand Free 38363, Tac Free 39643.

Will give this a try. Mark

[65chevysub]

I used Krylon Fusion on my door panels, dash pad and my console. The console was tan, so completely changed color on it. The door panels are holding up good even here in the 100 degree plus temps in Az. I need to replace both door panels eventually as I accidentally broke one of the mounting holes in the drivers side. Has anyone used the door panels from LMC? I've heard they are better now than before as they are made from new tooling.

[TKCR]

I had 2 sets that cracked just sitting in the garage. They replaced that set, and the next set did the same thing. I ended up getting mine from USA1 Industries. I could never find a decent set to restore, although I’ve done a few sets for other people.