Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Aesthetics finally started painting the dash and interior

everything looks great. just a suggestion on maybe painting the speaker covers looks pretty good when its done. good luck. oh by the way is it hard to get off the instrument cluster plastic that surrounds it to paint it? and i noticed you had white gauges how hard was that to get the astice off and switch?

I was able to paint my shifter piece and it came out great, i didnt even have to ttake it out. I dont know if there is a difference between the plastic that they used from my 1997 to your POST 98, so becareful . I got one of those foam brushes, very cheap oaint brush with black foam on the top. and sprayed it heavely with the paint and dabbed it on the plastic console piece, it took a little bit but came out nice, especially with eveything matching with the same color.

Good luck..
Matt

I figured as much, thanks for the info.

BTW looks good man.

You're going to need to repaint soon! I guarantee your finishes will crack!

You needed to let the paint cure to the plastic before buffing and waxing!!!! Spray can paint is so thinned out (in order to be able to come out the can in an atomized form, also from propellants) that it needs at least a week before buffing. The chemical thinners need that time to escape the finish. Only after that time can you buff.

It's better to go to your local paint shop, get a small ammount of dash paint (made for plastics not metal) in a can, and sponge the paint on the parts after wet sanding with 600 not 400. I don't remember if you need a hardening catalyst for dash paint, but ask... (It's been a while since I worked at Lowells paint) Sanding is no sweat after using a sponge, and it beats using thinned out paint.

Your results will look better, and you'll get a nice deep finish that appears to have greater depth.


That's my 2¢!

Damn you said it brother. that was deep...

I didn't buff and wax the newly painted interior. I believe that you are right; you could never do that immediately after spray can painting. I just had those can in the digital photo so readers would know what kind of wax(es) that I use. I was mostly posting this article for newbies who are searching for advice on exhaust, paint, wax, mods, etc like I was a year or more ago. Thanks for the info; sounds like you've got the experience!

The instrument cluster is a piece of cake to get out (I think). Of course, I've done it about 10 times. I could try to tell you from memory but you may want to search cuz it's been written up tons of times too: Here goes: two screws at the very top of the instrument window (above the harzards). Pry contour flashy alarm thingy from panel and 1 screw under it. Pry the blank of defrost and remove the screw under it. It just lifts out now. I think the cluster itself had about 5 or so screws and then you pull it far enough to unplug it. Then, the cluster face come off with little tabs. Pulling the guage needles off sucked and you have to wonder if you are gonna get them back in the correct position too. Plan ahead. Once the guage needles are off, you can just put the indiglo overlays right on top. Some people use double sided tape, super glue or waterever. I just used small screwes into holes which were already there. Some people gouge out any green plasteic that they can find to make the lighting through the odometer/tripometer better I think (I didn't). I am not looking forward to sanding all of that large cluster with those curves and stuff plus taping those vents and coin tray where I don't want paint to go. I will choose a time when I am running on more sleep and not drinking too!

Do the speaker covers just pry off? I had that passenger door apart one time but didn't mess with the speaker cover. I don't think that chilton/haynes manual says. I'd like to paint the speaker grill. That'd really do the trick.