Can You Paint Plastic Cladding On Your Car

Download Article

Over time, the plastic trim on the interior and exterior of your car can get scratched and dingy. If yous want to freshen upwards your motorcar's trim, all you demand to do is employ a few coats of paint. Before you apply the paint, remove and make clean the trim then the paint volition adhere to the plastic. In one case you're finished, the trim on your vehicle will look similar information technology merely rolled off the lot!

one
Remove the plastic trim from your auto if you lot tin can. Trim is easiest to become an even glaze of pigment on if information technology's taken off of your vehicle. Use a screwdriver and await for the screws holding your trim in place, and slowly remove them so the trim comes loose from your vehicle. Make sure there are no electrical components fastened to your trim when y'all accept information technology off.^[one]
- Set the screws in an surface area where you won't forget them. If you're removing all of your trim at once, proceed the screws for each function separate from one some other and then you don't accidentally mix them.
- Don't try to paint plastic trim from your car'southward interior if it cannot be removed.
2

Mix soapy h2o together in your sink or in a bucket. Fill a sink with warm water and pour in 1 Usa tbsp (15 ml) of liquid dish soap. Thoroughly mix the lather into the h2o with your hands until it'southward sudsy. If yous accept large pieces of trim or trim pieces you couldn't remove, such as a bumper, and so fill a bucket with soapy h2o instead of your sink.^[2]

Advertisement
3
Clean the trim with the soapy water and a scouring pad. Wet a scouring pad in the soapy water and scrub your machine's trim with a light amount of force per unit area. This volition aid remove any clay or grease that's on your trim as well as create small abrasions that volition help the paint stick better. Be certain to rinse all of the soap off your trim after yous scrub it.^[3]
- You lot tin too use a commercial degreaser to make clean the trim on your vehicle.
- Every bit long as you lot utilise a scouring pad, you shouldn't accept to sand your trim.
4
Dry out the trim with a lint-free towel earlier letting information technology air dry. Shake off whatsoever excess water from your trim and then use a lint-complimentary microfiber to dry it. Make certain to dry all of the corners and areas where water could collect or else your paint won't ready in that area. One time you get the trim towel-dry, let it air dry completely for about 1-2 hours so there's no h2o on it when you start to pigment.^[4]
- It may take more or less time for your trim to dry out depending on the weather weather condition.
Tip: If your trim doesn't look scuffed after it'south dry, use 200-grit sandpaper and apply calorie-free pressure so the paint can attach.

Advertisement

1
Spread a drop cloth on the ground outdoors. Discover a difficult flat surface outdoors to put your drop cloth down so you don't go paint on the ground. Put something heavy on each corner to hold the cloth securely in place. Space the pieces of your car's trim on the drop cloth and so yous're able to paint the sides of each piece.^[5]
- Y'all can buy drop cloths at paint supply or hardware stores.
Tip: If you don't have a drop fabric, you can break downwards a paper-thin box and utilize that instead.
2
Tape off the area around your trim if y'all couldn't remove it from your auto. If y'all weren't able to remove the trim from your vehicle, cover the areas near your trim with masking paper so yous don't paint your machine. Employ a layer of painter's tape effectually the edges of the trim to secure information technology in place and create a tight seal that paint can't get through.^[6]
- Yous can purchase masking newspaper and painter's tape from habitation improvement stores or online.
- Don't spray paint any trim within your motorcar that you can't have out.
3
Spray a glaze of adhesion promoter on your trim. Shake the tin can of adhesion promoter to mix information technology together and hold information technology nearly 6 in (fifteen cm) from your trim. Apply a sparse coat of the adhesion promoter, slowly working your mode back and forth across the trim. Once you have one side finished, flip it over and spray the other side.^[seven]
- Yous can buy adhesion promoter from a painting or hardware store.
Advertisement

ane
Apply a coat of spray paint fabricated for plastic for the best adhesion. Concord the tin can of spray paint about half-dozen in (15 cm) from your trim, and printing the button to apply the paint. Motility back and forth across the surface of your trim and then y'all apply a thin and even glaze. When you finish spraying from i direction, apply the paint from the other side of the trim.^[8]
- You only demand to paint the side of the trim that'south visible when it's on your car. You tin paint the dorsum side of the trim if you want.
Tip: If you're painting a hard plastic, such as ABS or PVC, start spraying while the adhesion promoter is still moisture. If you're spraying a flexible plastic, like TPO or PP, wait for the adhesion promoter to dry out completely.^[nine]
2
Let the first coat dry for ten minutes before applying a 2nd glaze. Leave your outset coat of paint for x minutes and so information technology has time to set. When you utilise your second coat, spray your pigment in the opposite direction of your starting time coat. For case, if you lot sprayed from left to right for your beginning coat, spray up and downwardly for your second coat. Brand sure the paint evenly coats the trim and then y'all don't see the plastic underneath.^[10]
- If you can yet see the plastic underneath your paint after your second pass, and then employ a 3rd coat in one case the trim is dry again.
three
Allow the trim to dry out for one hour after all the coats are applied. Once you accept all your coats applied, get out for an hour so it has time to completely set. Go on the trim in a well-ventilated surface area then the paint fumes don't build up. Test a discrete area of the trim with your finger to run into if the paint still feels sticky. If information technology does, let it dry longer.^[xi]
- Information technology may take more than or less time for the paint to dry depending on your climate.
four
Apply a clear glaze enamel once the trim is dry if y'all want a glossy stop. Articulate coat enamel hardens the surface of your trim to protect confronting time to come damage and also adds a sleeky finish. Agree the tin can of clear coat 6 in (15 cm) from the trim and apply a thin glaze beyond the entire surface of your trim. Once you have the clear glaze applied, allow it to dry out for ii-three hours.^[12]
- Yous can buy articulate coat enamel from paint supply or hardware stores.
- You lot don't need to apply a clear coat if you don't want to.
Advertisement

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to become a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertizement

Try applying a plastic restorer production earlier painting your trim to encounter if it works on your auto.

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Be sure to piece of work in a well-ventilated area when applying spray paint.

Advertizing

Things Y'all'll Demand

Screwdriver
Dish soap
Scouring pad
Lint-free towel
Driblet cloth
Painter'south record
Masking newspaper
Adhesion promoter
Spray paint fabricated for plastic
Clear coat enamel (optional)

About This Article

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 39,765 times.

Did this commodity assistance you?