to paint or replace? opinions welcome

[MakotoS13]

hey gang, i just gutted my car today. here's a few things i've learned:

1- yes, termites CAN invade your car (threat neutralized)
2- it's easy as hell to take apart this a 240's interior. none of them bunk hex bit requiring bolts.
3- it came with a new looking set of pioneer speakers in the rear

now, the headliner is due to get dyed black and the carpet will be replaced with good and black stuff. the rest is in good shape BUT i want it BLACK. i'm thinking it's possible to paint the plastic pieces but i'm not sure if painting is a good idea.

what do you guys think?

[Salty_X]

Whoa, termites? That's crazy. :wtf: :D

I just finished up my center console piece (the part with the cig lighter and the compartment and all that crap), I deleted the cigarette lighter and repainted it with dupli-color trim paint, which came out pretty nice. It's really close to the stock color, semi-gloss, but not obnoxiously shiny. It matches the other trim very well.

I'm still working on the trim piece that surrounds the heater and radio, but I'm ready to give up on it. Because of its shape it's been hard for me to paint it without getting runs in it, it may just be my lack of experience though. Plus over time mine has gotten a lot of small cracks that I'm having a hard time getting rid of, even with filler primer. I'm thinking of just tossing it in the garbage and making something out of carbon fiber sheet...

[WilloW]

I've never heard of termite infesting a car before. As for your question, I say paint it I've seen it done before and they all turn out good, make sure you get the correct paint otherwise they will chip/flake off.

[240Driver39]

yeah...well, when i was modding the brackets for s14 seats..i came up a mouse den under one of the panels...seems someone left the window open a long time ago in its lifetime...as the den seemed very old..

[WilloW]

yeah...well, when i was modding the brackets for s14 seats..i came up a mouse den under one of the panels...seems someone left the window open a long time ago in its lifetime...as the den seemed very old..

Man, you guys got the weirdest shit happening in your cars.

[SilviaNinja240]

1- yes, termites CAN invade your car (threat neutralized)


haha, mecha-termites

[MakotoS13]

the bugs weren't THAT bad but when i lifted the matt under the rear seat cushion... yeah... enough to warrant the excessive use of pesticide.

thanx for the comments, i think i'm gonna use black trim paint on all the plastic pieces. now all i have left to decide on is:

-is it safe to paint the headliner or should i find some kind of dye for it?
-should i have the doorpanels reupolstered or do it myself (if it isn't too hard)?

i just finished washing ALL the plastic pieces in the car and they're squeeky clean :)

[Turbozx]

now, the headliner is due to get dyed black and the carpet will be replaced with good and black stuff. the rest is in good shape BUT i want it BLACK. i'm thinking it's possible to paint the plastic pieces but i'm not sure if painting is a good idea.

what do you guys think?

I painted all the interior plastic pieces. Go to an automotive store that carries paints and buy the special flexible interior paint. The stuff has held up quite well for almost a year now.

Supposedly with this flexible paint, you can paint carpets and such. I just sent my headliner to an upholstery shop to get it relined black.

[mtbr64]

i tried doing the door panels and it turened out to be a nightmare.
i wish i woulda just paid for em to be done.
the problem is when u go around corners, especially recessed corners u get overlap and thats a bitch. :rl:

[fliprayzin240sx]

Termites...da hell you left some freakin LOGS in the backseat?!?! Never heard of termites goin tru metal. =p

[MakotoS13]

nope, no logs. have my doors, headliner, and upper trim pieces done up in sexy black. i REALLY wanna get the dash done but it's raining and... yeah... suck.

[WhiteNissanS13]

there were a bunch of rats living in my vans engine bay, 3 years later we start the engine and i think they all died.