I have gutted my interior and have the console plate completely out. Also the gauge console and both lower dash pads. I have checked the price on these pieces and the console is $195 alone. The chrome on all these pieces is fine, the paint however could be freshened up. I just want to repaint the shifter console and the gauge console.

To save a little money I think I am going to try to strip the paint off of the many individual pieces and see what happens. Has anyone tried this and what success did you have with it?

Give me an idea what kind of chemical to use to remove the paint and what to paint it back with.

Thanks for the help.

 

Eddie, I did mine a couple of years back and used laquer thinner and #0000 steel wool to remove the old paint. I then used Krylon Matte black paint to repaint the black pieces. Turned out really nice. The hard part was masking the shift pattern for the 4-speed. You need patience and a good exacto knife. There may be easier ways, but this is what worked for me. Good luck.

 

I sanded mine down with couple aof different grades of sand paper...I did not use any chemicals...just elbow grease..took quite a while to do however, then covered and repainted.......looks like new!!

 

I refinished the shifter plate in my 71 a couple of weeks ago. I first removed the shift pattern indicator plate...it's just thin gauge metal glued to the console plate that prys off easly with a putty knife or something similar...and the spec plate at the bottom of the console plate...similar material. After that, I washed the plate with dish soap and water using a small brush. I then used a semi flat paint to refinish the plate after masking the fiber optic indicater section. Use a couple of very thin coats since you are just going over the same with the semi flat. After it dries...get a beer, go to the front porch and scrape the paint off the tops of the edges with a small knife to expose the chrome. This may sound tedious...but overall may have taken me a couple of hours total. You can get new shift pattern indicator plates and spec plates from most of the vette catalogs. I read about doing this in a vette mag recently and tried it...the results are really good.

 

Strip completely w/chemical stripper, wash throughly with warm soapy water, lightly sand or steel wool as needed, wash again, dry, paint w/Krylon semi-flat, lightly and carefully scrape paint off raised chrome areas/letters w/exacto knife or razor blade. Agree w/Rocketman, scraping is the way to go versus masking.

I did my shift console, gauge console, shift indicator, fiber lamp indicator, wiper switch bezel and no A/C "CORVETTE" plate this way and they came out great! The only masking done was the outer perimeter of the shift & gauge console trim.

Replaced the spec plate with a repro.

Mark


[Modified by mdsmith, 12:01 PM 10/24/2001]

 

I did not strip my center cluster or console plate, but I did clean them up and sanded out the major dings. I shot them with Krylon semi-flat black, then used a rag and lacquer thinner on my finger to bring the chrome edges and letters back up. Try it.
:)

 

This is what makes this place so cool. You get to pick someones brain and go for it. If it turns out as well for me as it did you guys this will save me some good money.

Thanks. :cool: :cheers:


[Modified by Eddie 96, 5:21 PM 10/24/2001]

 

Rocketman,

What kind of beer works best? :cheers:

The only rough part of my console is the tan vinyl piece that surrounds the parking brake. I have a dark saddle interior. It looks like it was painted before, and the spray can was from a Corvette supply house and marked dark saddle. It's a poor match, however. Anyone know where to get the best match for dark saddle? Should this piece be striped or sanded or neither? :flag

 

Eddie,

I just did mine about a month ago. Haven't been able to work on since. Anyway, I used Aceton to somewhat remove old paint. Since all the metal console pieces are chromed, the new paoint will stick better to the existing paint already there. Scratches were smoothed out with 400 grit sand paper (wet sanded). I got some very narrow masking tape at a hobby shop (1/16th, 3/32nds, and 1/8th) and covered the chrome edging.

I used a very good quality of black semi gloss (from Ecklers, but others can be just as good) and sparayed on in light multiple coats. Once covered well, I removed the tape and used my finger nail to remove paint from script or other areas, i.e. fiber optic pieces, etc. It comes off pretty easily. Careful use of acetone with a clean piece of linen can work well too. Once everything is perfect looking, I baked the pieces in my wife's oven at about 200 degrees Faren. for about an hour. The paint is now much more resistant to scratching off. Baking cookies does smell a lot better!

MAKE SURE YOU DON'T BAKE ANY PLASTIC PARTS, i.e. HEATER CONTROL LENSES & DIALS), REPLACING THEM WITH A RE-BUILD KIT COST ME $70!

I thought 200 degrees was not much warmer than the cabin gets on a hot summer day. The oven was off about 50 degrees hotter than indicated - TRAGEDY!

For vinyl interior paint, I used SEM Color Coat. They have a pretty good selection of colors that should be very close to whatever color you've got.

Chuck

 

Whatever is coldest...

I've had trouble getting the color right from some places cause they list a dark saddle and light saddle for 71. There is only one saddle in 71...don't know what yr your's is...but for interior stuff I've found folks at Al Knoch understand interior trim codes and the proper corresponding saddle.

 

I did the same thing. Stripped the old one with lacquer thinner. Scrubbed it clean -soap & water, alcohol. Painted with Krylon semi-flat. I used Q-tip brand q-tips to clean the edges - if you crack them in half you get a nice neat absorbent paper edge. You can dip it in lacqeur thinner and get the raised edges really crisp. Works great on the letters too.

 

The more ideas the better for everyone. I took my ashtray lid to work last night and gave it a blast. I put Krylon Semi Flat Black on this morning and we`ll see how it turns out. I was careful not to blast too much. Looks good so far. :yesnod: