Has anyone ever painted the big dash pad on a Roady wagon?

Mine is not cracked (amazingly) but has started to fade quite a bit. I was going to paint it with the correct vinyl paint through my spray gun at my house in Pittsburgh. But, I am now in Florida, where I don't have any of the spray equipment I have up north. I was wondering if anyone ever used pre mixed vinyl spray paint cans to do a dash pad. I know its available on line, and it isn't cheap, but if it looks good I'll give it a try. I just don't want to spend $50-60 and have it look crappy.

i did a pair of SS seats with spray cans,.from grey to burgundy,and the console, and the shifter knob,.

It all depends on your rattle can skill,..

The SEM stuff is a perfect match (assuming you give them your interior code) and if applied properly no one will ever know. I have used the stuff on dash pads, arm rests and even leather seats as Nick stated. The stuff is on there as good as OEM. Preparation is the key.

If your in Florida, hit the bone yards your bound to find a decent dash pad. Actually come to think of it I have never seen a RoadMaster with a bad one...not even in AZ? What year and color is yours?

I see more bad than good. The corners get toasty and actually will crumble if you push down on them. SEM works great for the pad.

Mark, I forget what color interior your wagon has, tan? If it is it's the same scheme as my Caprice wagon. SEM lists 3 tan colors (light, medium, and dark). I needed to touch up a door panel, I guessed wrong 3 times. I sent a piece to SEM and they color matched it. So there are actually 4 colors of tan in the wagon. It gets expensive at about @ $30 a pop.

Where the dash pad is isolated, you could paint it with SEM's off the shelf color. I think it's called Saddletan. Probably under $15. Guys use it, it's close but not a perfect match.


Here you go: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=SEM+saddletan

Tom

There are about 3-4 colors of each in a given car. I have used the SEM paint for parts of my wagons, and it never matches completely. Of course, none of the panels match each other to begin with. The vinyl is different from the plastic, the dash pad is different from the doors, and the seats are another color as well. Then there is sunlight fade...nothing matches even the original colors.

I have done the dash, door top quadrants, and rear gate. The paint stays on good, but never quite matches.

I'm not so concerned about an exact color match (as Fred said, all panels vary slightly anyway) as I am that the end result will look splotchy or have a very rough texture. Does SEM make pre mixed spray cans, or do you need to have them mixed by your color code? Where did anyone get them? Thanks. And, I forgot to mention, my interior is tan.

You can get the custom mix in cans at http://www.vinylpro.com/. If you know your color code, it is about $27 per can plus shipping. As suggested above the color may be available in a standard premix a lot cheaper. I believe there is a premix in tan that is close to your color. Either check with the search, or make a thread asking about the color.

The SEM paint "Color Coat" goes on nice, and gives you a smooth satin finish, like the OEM finish. I have even had small runs disappear when it dries. The paint will conform to the "grain" on the surface of the part. Make sure you clean the surface to almost operating room standards with the recommended cleaners. I usually lightly wipe mine down with "reducer" before spraying. Do not get the reducer on anything you do not want to paint. It will change the texture of the surface, making it more shiny.

Thanks guys. Tom, I missed your link to Amazon the first time I read through your post. I'm anxious to try this out because if it fades any more I'm afraid it may crack.

Fading will not determine whether it will crack. Pliability will determine the propensity for cracking. The place to check for crack propagation is around the defrost vent. If there are any cracks in that area, they will spread. The rest of the surface is less likely to crack unless it is struck sharply.

The dash in my 96 was badly faded when I bought it (ruby red). I managed to revive it once I pulled it from the car. I used convertible top cleaner for vinyl tops and a soft bristled scrub brush. Scrubbed it in and wiped it off, did that a few times. Then I followed that with armorall and a scrub brush. Came out pretty good for an old faded dash.