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Operation: True Blue

31K views 54 replies 35 participants last post by  RedP85 
#1 · (Edited)
So after I got done with the Shiftgasm repair, I took a close look at the condition of my interior. As careful as I am, I noticed some severe color deterioration taking place. I realized its time to take next step.... redyeing the factory blue plastic.

What bothered me most was the discoloration of the HVAC grilles and center console. It seems the blue turns to a nasty brownish green hue over time and exposure. Also the top dash pad piece was darker/duller than the glove box door and lower panels. The Defrost and CC Main switches, and knockout blanks were also shabby. I wanted everything a nice consistent blue.

Have a look at some quick before/after shots...











I was shocked by how perfect a match the SEM Shadow Blue was. My armrest cover is a minty original piece. I did not respray it, yet its a dead on match to the dye. It was difficult to get photos to capture exactly how great everything turned out, but Im super psyched by the results. Believe me, it looks better in-person than these pix suggest.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
heres some of the in-progress pix.... Im most proud of the HVAC grilles. I disassembled each one down to the smallest piece, thoroughly washed and cleaned them, and repainted only the blue parts, leaving the inner black louvers intact. They look so crisp and perfect! If you take your time, it isnt hard to do. I think its fairly obvious which are the before and after photos...










You have to "break" this rubber piece off to remove. When manufactured new, each plastic tab was melted to bond the rubber in place. Those tabs must be broken off to to separate. Here Im reattaching it with hot glue.

























































While the dash was apart, I installed fresh bulbs in the instrument cluster. I played with LEDS and removing the green condoms, but I wasnt happy with the effect, so I stuck to the normal incandecents with the green condoms. Surprisingly, switching from the 194s to the 168 was a nice improvement. Its a minor upgrade in lumens output... the display is now crisp and bright like I remember it being 25 years ago. I also polished the lens.





I also removed the face of the OE radio, and polished it using 3M Imperial Hand Glaze.... another awesome improvement that is hard to capture in photos. Looks like brand new now.










One final (crappy) pic to show the color consistency throughout the dash.... note the Cruise Main, HVAC grilles, knockout blank by ignition, glove box door, steering wheel spokes/horn button, and even the shine coming off the radio. Feels like its 1984 all over again!



So far Ive done the complete dashpad and center console. Im gonna continue on down the door panels and rear pieces as I get more time, and Ive got a couple more tricks up my sleeve too. Stay tuned!
 
#6 ·
Well credit is due SUPER (Tom) as his interior thread inspired me to take my project further than I originally planned. I never dreamed of dismantling my dashpad to get at the HVAC grilles. The process was easier than expected and the results were so worth the effort.

I also have countless people here to thank for their tech support and parts sharing. I feel truly blessed to have such a great community to fall back on for assistence.
 
#7 ·
Thanks Greg. I took out the glove box and painted it flat black. fabric paint. It was worn pretty bad from things rolling around in there for 25 years. and you could see the dull dusty finish through the seams around the glove box door. Did you have the same issue?
 
#11 ·
oops... I did respray the glove box liner. I used regular flat black just to freshen it up. Never took pix of it, so I forgot abt it. Looks great.

Did you have any "raw" spots in the console or shifter surround? If so, How did it turn out? I have a slight one or two....

How well does/would this hold up for painting the interior door handles?

Now that it's "painted" how do you care for it? Wipe with water/mild solution?
no raw spots to speak of, but there were a couple areas wheres the grained texture deteriorated on the side of the center console. Its concealed enough that I didnt obsess over it. If it was more visable, I wldve gotten another console to refinish. You may find thats a necessary move if your texture is messed up too. The spray dye isnt "high-build" and will not cover up sins such as that.

The SEM product is excellent, though technique is very important. I rubbed all surfaces down with isopropyl alcohol and a microfiber cloth prior to painting. And my spraying technique is several light mistings which gives excellent results. Should work fine on the door handles, though an adhesion promoter (spray) might be a good idea for these high use areas.

Like any painted surface, it will scratch/chip with abuse. All the cars Ive ever redyed have been garaged, weekend pleasure craft, so I cant really comment on prolonged use and sun exposure. Ive never been a fan of Amour All type dressing on the interior, so a light dusting is all I do. I did both of Phil's Trans Ams this way, and theyve held up reasonable well.
 
#9 ·
Absolutely STUNNING! Awesome job! :hail:

A few Q's...

Did you have any "raw" spots in the console or shifter surround? If so, How did it turn out? I have a slight one or two....
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How well does/would this hold up for painting the interior door handles?

Now that it's "painted" how do you care for it? Wipe with water/mild solution?

again that looks GREAT!
 
#12 ·
Very nice!!!

Wish I was going to the spring NE meet - I'd like to see it in person! - guess I'll have to wait till fall :(
 
#17 ·
I did a complete blue interior back in 04 and sold the car to a friend of mine in spring 05. Its a daily driver for him tho he retired three years ago so it only got two summers of Texas sun exposure before it got to stay indoors at home during the day. Still, he's put about 30K miles on it and its holding up beautifully. Wish I could say the same for his exterior, but the nose is all rock-chipped now and he shut the garage door on the rear bumper. He's got two kids still in college so he's holding off any repaint till they are through and the bleeding stops.
 
#26 ·
Wow...damn it, Greg, you've just made me realize how much I need to do with my blue car. The dash and console are still good but those damn plastic vents are discolored. I just don't have the time to pull the whole dash apart. :(

Absolutely beautiful job. I'm jealous. :thumbsup:

Thanks for the tip on the SEM paint!
 
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