DIY - Paint your interior ABL Trim Panels (THE RIGHT WAY!!!)

[Amclymon]

Originally Posted by MikeMoach

You can strip yours down and paint them cheapest route for you

really? fairly easy??? also how is the removal diffuculty..
lemme guess theyres a thread for that lol

[nUcLeArEnVoY]

Originally Posted by MikeMoach

I've failed at this mod like 3 times now

I tried painting the outside twice 1st time sanded down with scotch bright then bull dog primer then paint and it looked like an alligator skin, 2nd time I sanded with 600 grit sand paper and same problem but not as much

Any help??

Honestly, the reason I took it to a shop to get them done on the front was because it's damn near impossible to get the same results with an aerosol can as you can with an HVLP Spray Gun. It's easy to do the rattlecan if you're painting the backside like how this DIY informs since you're looking at the underside of the paint where there is no fear of seeing any defects in the texture or finish.

But when you're painting the outside, you need to actually make sure the paintjob is good. I'd bite the bullet and take the panels to a bodyshop, man.

[MikeMoach]

Originally Posted by MikeMoach

The dash trim on both sides are held in by clips, the driver side is only 2 clips

How I got mine out was I pulled the panel off like I was going to the fuse panel inside the car, if you look behind the dash trim you will see the silver clip what I did was squeezed the clip and pushed it forward and the 2nd clip came out with it fairly easy

I did the same thing on the other side with the 1st clip then used a flathead screw driver wrapped in a paper towel to pry the rest of the clips out

Hope that helps

Originally Posted by Amclymon

really? fairly easy??? also how is the removal diffuculty..
lemme guess theyres a thread for that lol

The door inserts you need to pull the door panel off nuclearenvy can give you a better DIY cause he's done it already

[MikeMoach]

Originally Posted by nUcLeArEnVoY

Honestly, the reason I took it to a shop to get them done on the front was because it's damn near impossible to get the same results with an aerosol can as you can with an HVLP Spray Gun. It's easy to do the rattlecan if you're painting the backside like how this DIY informs since you're looking at the underside of the paint where there is no fear of seeing any defects in the texture or finish.

But when you're painting the outside, you need to actually make sure the paintjob is good. I'd bite the bullet and take the panels to a bodyshop, man.

I did man, the body shop has known my dad for years and has worked on my car, he lets me use anything I need as long as it doesn't stop him from working

I sprayed it yesterday and when they opened today I called and they told me, then they did me the favor and tried the 2nd time, wasn't as bad but still same thing

so gunna try and sand it down one more time if that don't work I don't know what to do

[nUcLeArEnVoY]

Originally Posted by MikeMoach

I did man, the body shop has known my dad for years and has worked on my car, he lets me use anything I need as long as it doesn't stop him from working

I sprayed it yesterday and when they opened today I called and they told me, then they did me the favor and tried the 2nd time, wasn't as bad but still same thing

so gunna try and sand it down one more time if that don't work I don't know what to do

Man, what a bummer. Let us know how it turns out for you.

[nUcLeArEnVoY]

Originally Posted by Amclymon

really? fairly easy??? also how is the removal diffuculty..
lemme guess theyres a thread for that lol

Do you need to know how to pull off the whole door panel or just the insert you want to paint? The door panel is easy. It's 4 bolts and one large Torx-Bit screw and then you just literally pull it off and then disconnect some wire harnesses.

Taking off the trim insert from a door panel that has never been tampered with, though, is a bitch. The insert is mounted on a series of posts which the tops are melted on to bond the insert to the door panel. I found the easiest way to get them off is with a dremel tool. After that, the only way to mount the trim insert back on is to buy very small screws and use those in place of each post that you sawed off with the dremel. The screws actually came with the old GM interior trim kits, but unfortunately they no longer sell those. You have to go out and find the screws, and they need to be extremely short, like, shorter even than a centimeter. I actually had to get a bunch of screws and saw the ends off with the dremel so that they were short enough.

If they're too long, they'll go right through your door panel.

[MikeMoach]

Can't find the screws anywhere!!!

But my question since I won't be doing my doors till I figure this out is, I know painting the outside loses the ABL but can I tape it off like I would if I painted the inside and save the ABL????

[nUcLeArEnVoY]

Originally Posted by MikeMoach

Can't find the screws anywhere!!!

But my question since I won't be doing my doors till I figure this out is, I know painting the outside loses the ABL but can I tape it off like I would if I painted the inside and save the ABL????

That's what everyone else does to save their ABL when they paint the outside.

[MikeMoach]

Originally Posted by nUcLeArEnVoY

That's what everyone else does to save their ABL when they paint the outside.

So I can paint the outside and save my ABL??

[nUcLeArEnVoY]

Originally Posted by MikeMoach

So I can paint the outside and save my ABL??

Yes. There are threads of people who painted their door panels on the outside and maintained ABL. The ABL was a lot more sharpened, though, if you know what I mean. It didn't diffuse into the panel like it would if it was going through the see-through lexan. I don't remember exactly where they masked, but it's possible.

[MikeMoach]

Originally Posted by nUcLeArEnVoY

Yes. There are threads of people who painted their door panels on the outside and maintained ABL. The ABL was a lot more sharpened, though, if you know what I mean. It didn't diffuse into the panel like it would if it was going through the see-through lexan. I don't remember exactly where they masked, but it's possible.

I can live with that, I keep mine dim anyway just like it as an accent not to take over the car, so last question how can I make the light reach the end of the door? Hate that it doesn't go all the way up the panel

[nUcLeArEnVoY]

Originally Posted by MikeMoach

I can live with that, I keep mine dim anyway just like it as an accent not to take over the car, so last question how can I make the light reach the end of the door? Hate that it doesn't go all the way up the panel

That I can't tell you. Remember, I own a 1SS lol

[MikeMoach]

Originally Posted by nUcLeArEnVoY

That I can't tell you. Remember, I own a 1SS lol

Lol I know but you knew how to tape it off so I took a chance gunna try and message ofer and see if he knows, I'll post the answer when I get it

[MikeMoach]

Ofer told me it is possible to keep the ABL while painting the exterior of the insert, just have to mask off the top edge on the inside and outside

Also to extend the ABL to the edge of the insert, he said you will see that you will have to remove some of the silver paint from the insert, the way he explained it it sounds unmissable

Hope this info helps someone out just like it will for me