Painting a Soft Console

[srwilson]

I ordered a SEM color chart. I'm hoping something will match up well. We'll see.

[rjkoop]

This is the one I used for the seats and console.

lt. buckskin 15093

Was really close. Can't believe how well it covered the grey strip on my seats that the PO used instead of the proper tan color.

Before...


Afterwards I wasn't able to tell which seat was grey (sorry, no pics yet)! Crazy good stuff.

[srwilson]

Wow Richard. You had me all jazzed up to see the After pic and then I scrolled down to - - -,words! Dang you left me hanging there a bit. Good build up to your next post.

Seriously, Thanks for taking the time to respond. Definitely plan on checking the stuff out.

Oh and I'd like to see the After Picture too!!!

[rjkoop]

Ask and you shall receive...

Here are a few after pics for the seats and console.

[srwilson]

Wow, Richard that looks pretty darn good. You're right, you can't tell which one had the gray panel. Was the console already tan color? As far as I can tell the color match is pretty good too.

Thanks for the pictures! Very much appreciate it!

[rjkoop]

Looking at old and new pics I just realized how I can tell... The crease in the seat! Other than that I really had no idea when I was done. Actually changed the driver's and passenger's seats bottoms and didn't even know it.

[srwilson]

OK, so I ordered and received a new "Soft Touch" (black the only color available) lower console from our friend's @ AutoRicambi (thank you Mr. Csaba) and a can of SEM paint (tan).

As a test, since I was concerned about how the paint would hold to this "soft touch" material, I wiped down an area with degreaser and did a test paint.

What I found was after the paint had dried for 24 hour it was VERY easily scraped off with my thumbnail. When I pushed in on the material the paint simply cracked and flaked off. I also painted the Radio Console and my Shifter Boot and it seemed to hold just fine on those two items. So I don't think it's an issue with the paint since it held tight to the vinyl.

Has anyone successfully painted one of these "soft touch" consoles of dashes? If so what was your procedure? How long has it lasted? any issues with cracking and flaking?

I had absolutely no issue removing the painted area. It simply scratched away.

I would say the material is closer to a synthetic rubber than a vinyl.



Thanks,
-Steve

[nibbes123]

Hey Steve where did you pick up the mats?

Nick

[srwilson]

Hey Steve where did you pick up the mats?

Nick

Hey Nick,

Picked up the carpet set from a guy on eBay. He told me he had them for several years and found them while cleaning, his car long gone. Anyway they're quite unique with that dark border and I really like them.

There was a paper with the set and I've attached a picture if you're interested.

[srwilson]

Talked to the SEM product Tech Support today about the adhesion of their SEM Color Coat paint on a rubber based material such as the "soft touch" consoles. I was told that the paint is not recommended for use on any rubber or synthetic rubber material, that the material is simply to flexible, and the paint would crack. This is exactly what I found first hand.

So for all you would be painters out there thinking of changing the color of a "soft touch" console, that is rubber based, you might want to make other plans. Just sayin'

As for me, I guess I'm warming up to having a Black "soft touch" console. Not what I had planned, but...

[SLOSpider]

When I worked for the car dealers there was a mobile guy that came around and repaired all of our used cars seats, dashes, door panels ect. Look in your yellow pages or google for a Vinyl Repair guy and he should be able to dye that without it scratching off.

Like:

http://www.leatherandvinylrepairlouisvi ... index.html

http://www.fibrenew.com/markets-we-serv ... er-repair/

[srwilson]

Yes, I think the issue here is with the material being painted; it's rubber, not plastic or vinyl. The thing with rubber is it stretches. Vinyl and plastic, while flexible, doesn't stretch that much and therefore doesn't have the same issue holding paint as rubber.

I'm sure your right; someone somewhere has a process that could do the job, but I've already spent close or better than $300 on the console and paint.

This console appears to have a fiberglass base, then a white coating of some type (I guess to give the rubber a base to adhere to), then over-molded with a synthetic rubber to give it its soft feel. While it looks very nice and I think will last as long as I'm around, just one touch and you can feel the difference between it and vinyl.

At this point, if I were set on a color change, I would just go buy the tan plastic console and be done with it.

As it stands right now I've not heard from anyone that has painted one of these consoles with either a good or bad report. So maybe I'm the only one...

Thanks for the input and tips!!