Painting peeling plastic trim parts

Question:

Do you have any suggestions for the best and most durable paint to refinish the interior plastic bits on my Subaru?

The matte silver paint began peeling at the door and console trim early on in my 2009 Forester’s life and is probably my biggest disappointment in the car. I suspect that it’s due, in part, to the water-based paint they used.

I seem to recall that Eastwood sells reasonably priced small quantities of single-stage urethane, which is available in metallic colors. Obviously I wouldn’t need much.

While we’re at it, do you have any suggestions on technique, primers, etc.?

Answer:

used them for years. Just make sure they send the appropriate primer along with the paint. The biggest challenge I see is finding a way to even out the surviving paint or coating on the knobs and to prevent further flaking. I would wash the knobs and parts in a strong solution of dish detergent and hot water to get any grease or oils off of them, and then lightly sand them with 600-grit microfine sandpaper.

Next I would spray a little primer as well as paint on the back of a knob or component where it can’t be seen to determine if your knobs’ plastic will react badly with the solvents in the paint. I doubt there will be any problem, but without knowing the chemical formula for the plastic in the knobs and the solvents in the paint, there is no way to be sure except to test things.

If there are no problems, follow the instructions on the paint can for mixing and drying times.

I would suggest that you shoot on a thin coat of primer, let that off-gas for a day, then shoot on a tack coat of color and let that dry for 15 to 20 minutes before shooting on a finishing coat.

A thick coat of paint is not necessarily more durable than a normal coat, and you will lose any detail in the knobs with a thick one. Let everything cure for a couple of days before reinstalling your components. The paint may be dry to the touch within an hour or so, but it may not harden completely for at least 24 hours. Polish your components with your favorite car care product for maximum luster.