Interior Paint?

[Jim]

I have to paint inside the car,the bottom of the dash,between the bottom of the window and the door panel and the back of the seats which are metal.What kind of paint should I use BC/CC?I want it to shine but don't Know if it will hold up to scratches.

 

[rex]

If you refinish it it wont stand up like the original against scuffing and scratching,but it's the best you'll get if it needs redone.For a solid color singlestage is the best since a scratch will remain the same color,break through the clear and a scratch looks awefull in comparison.

 

[Jim]

In the resto books,they sell a rattle can laquer paint for this,Think it will work ok or would use your gun and spray enamel? Rex,clarify something for me,when you (or anyone) says "single stage"does that just mean anything already mixed with clear in it or is it just enamel with clear already in it?What other types of single stage is there?

 

[rex]

What the singlestage is is paint that sprays out with a gloss without needing clear.Your alkyd and acrylic enamels,polyurethanes like Imron and the urethanes (like the clear of a bc/cc) all can be had this way.Lacquer would fall into this catagory too thinking about it.The term is usually used talking about urethanes to distinguish between it and a bc/cc job.I rarely use it on the exterior because it doesn't hold up as well and it can be hard to get some of the higher metallic colors to lay down nice and have a great gloss when you have to play with it because it wants to mottle and streak.BC/CC is just less effort.The spray cans of interior lacquer aren't bad and have the benefit of being cheap to use and to touch up later if needed.Let it dry real well before use though to get over the initial soft stage.Lacquer is what should have been used by the factory for this stuff but it was a little different and got harder.It might be better to get it in a qt. and spray it so if you have to redo something later on you'll have some of the original and don't have to worry about it matching.If you use the proper temp reducer like you're painting the outside of the car it should dry to a nice dull gloss,a faster drying thinner will pull it back to a semi gloss.If it needs to be flat to match original the paint store can mix it with flattner if it isn't already called for in the formula.Just don't spray it in high humidity or when it's raining because it'll blush,or turn a milky white.Using heatlamps can help prevent this if you have to do it on those kind of days but they're expensive.Buffing it will usually get rid of mild cases but that's defeating the low gloss requirements for the interior.Lacquer does spray nice though and it is hard to screw up.Not saying you can't because I've done it but it is hard to do.