This question comes up all the time. There is more than 1 way to do it. So I wrote down how I do it. It seems to work out perfectly.
Works equally well with automotive paints and spray can paints.


If you have something you can add to it, feel free to post it here and let me know.




To make sure your panels are oil free, like from Armour All and pooo, wipe them down several times with a wax and grease remover. If they are really Armour All'ed down, use a brake cleaner.

Get a bucket of soapy water to wetsand with.
Sand the grain out of them with a 80 grit wetsand. Get at least 75% of the grain out. Then wetsand with a 150 - 180 grit. Then move to a wetsand with 220 grit. If for some reason you are odd and like the grain look, skip that part.

Clean the panel again with wax and grease remover and also a tack cloth. I suggest wearing latex gloves to keep oils from your hands transfereing to the panels.

Spary the panel with an Adheisive Promoter. Follow directions on can.

Spray with FILLER primer. As many coats as are needed to fill in all the grain. For small items such as trim panels, kick panels and pillars, SEM makes a filler Primer that is awsome or you can use Duplicolor Grey Filler Primer. They also have a red rust colored filler primer. Avoid it. For some reason it sand horrible.

Wetsand that with 220. If you see your self going to deep into the plastic before you are happy with the finish, dry and clean the panel off with wax and grease remover and spray more primer on it. Keep this process till happy. Final wetsand with 400 grit.

Clean the panel with wax and grease remover and a tack cloth and then paint.

Spray as many coats as you like, 3 is usually plenty, and do it in light coats as heavy will clog and run and then you have more sanding to do.. Let it dry in the sun if possible as long as you can. Overnight is prefered. If you feel there are some imperfections, wet sand with 600 or more till you are happy. Clean it real good and then spray a clear coat over it. Again in light coats.

I try to let the clear coat dry for a couple days for best results.

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If doing a dash
If you want it just painted, follow the steps above to clean and prep it and then paint it.

If you want it smooth for a glass like finish, clean and prep it as above and then lay several layers of filler primer over it. Do that in 3 steps or so till all the grain is out. Sand it smooth using the wet sand method and 220 grit. The lay some paint on it.

Now understand this..... if you push really hard on top of the dash, you can crack it. Although in all my years I have yet to see someone lay on top of their dash, or kneel on it. I suspect your dash will last for plenty of show seasons. I know people who have done this plenty and the dash looks awsome still.
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remember Armour All is the Devil.

Unless of course you have a stock interior, then it works good.

For painted peices, I use Meguiars Quik Wax after the paint is cured once a month and Quick Detailer when you want to clean it. Spray on, wipe off, flip cloth and wipe again

One other thought,whenever possible use a gloss paint and skip the clear. The fewer number of products the smaller the chance for a reaction between them. For cars that are not strictly show cars i would never use anything more than satin finish on top of the dash. We've had to dull the dashes in new cars for customers that couldn't stand the glare. Interior paint is typically 12 degree gloss i think. That's about as much as you want to have. in your line of sight.

 

...`Tony, Great tips...Thanks for sharing with your Monte Carlo Family....

 

Hey, thanks for this. I have been painting my "street trim" as I call it every 4-5 months or so. And it just keeps chipping here and there and then Im left using duplicolor and I can notice each spot I "patch" up. Its not to noticable but, well, you all know how it is when there is somthing on your car that isnt too noticable but you know its there and it just eats away at you>>? Again, thanks for this one, maybe I can do this right next time><

 

Thanks for the write up, I am planning on painting my side skirts soon so this will help alot

 

Side skirts, street trim, or ground effects, what does everyone call it??
Sorry to go off topic.

 

Dont forget that you should use a water based wax and grease remover on bare plastics. Solvent based wax and grease remover can be absorbed into the pores of the plastic and it takes a long time for it to completely dry out.

Are your side skirts already painted or are they bare plastic? All these steps really only apply for bare plastic. If your skirts are already painted, you just need to scuff them with a grey scotch pad and scuff enhancer or just a red scotch pad. You can wetsand them with 600 as well. Thats recommended if the orange peel in paint you are spraying over is heavy. If you are changing color, I would recommend using a sealer primer before your color coat to make the coverage go alot faster and to keep the color from bleeding through. Obviously, still clean them really good with soap and water before and after you scuff them and then wax and grease remover before you start spraying.

 

i want to do this too, want mine to be more black, but does anyone know how the get the ls skirts off?

 

There are plastic "pins" in the wheel wells and under the car. I think thats all there is to it. Ive always just put painting tape on my car and left it on. I do not recommend doing this cause if you tear off the tape the wrong way you tear off the paint with it and you gotta redo the whole part. But yeah i think they're under the car and on the sides (in the wheel well)