The answer to peeling dash panels
 

After awhile of searching for the perfect solution for anyone with peeling 93 dash panels, I came across this stuff at Lowes (I think Home Depot has it too). It's called Plasti Dip by Performix. It's an aerosol paint that sprays like spray paint, but dries to a rubber finish. The result is a coating similar to the original finish on the 93 dash panels. It's about as close a finish as one can get to the original panel, both in look and texture/feel. It's flexible, resists impact and abrasion, and anything else rubber does, to an extent. Knowing me, I've already dropped it a couple times and was scared of what happened, but there's not a mark, a scuff, a scratch, nothing. Could be just what someone with only one or two peeling panels is looking for.

https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...hmentid=187554

https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...hmentid=187555

This last picture is with my cell phone in the shop, so the lighting is funny, but it shows how smooth the finish is.

https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...hmentid=187556

So all you did was spray over the panel? Did you sand it down? remove the original coating?

i'm gonna try that. saves me from buying the 94 panels...

I had stripped the stock coating off years ago to paint the panels gunmetal (stupid move since my panels were all PERFECT), so it was already gone. I just took a little 1000 grit sandpaper and smoothed out the gunmetal paint, used some black paint I had for a primer, then sprayed this stuff on it. If you still have the stock rubberish coating on, I would definetely think you should strip that off first, but who knows, it may not be necessary.

Ryan

Ryan,
The panel looks great, this could be what the people with older panels need instead of newer panels.
It's good to see you're still around, it's been a while.

-Dan

Looks good I'll have to give this a try

nice
gonna do that with mine soon

Hey Dan!

That's what I was thinking. I had been searching for some texture paint so I could create the 94 and up finish, but when I saw this, I just had to get it. I wasn't expecting it to match so well to the original finish.

I'm still around. I've been lurking for awhile and neglecting the 7 while I spent more time on my daily driver, but not anymore!

I had the same thoughts about your avatar. :)

I added another coat to that panel Friday, and it reminded me of some things I thought I should add. READ THE DIRECTIONS ON THE CAN! It's pretty much a no brainer to use, very much like normal spray paint, but when it says something, it means it.

- Be sure the paint is well mixed. It gets tiring, but I mix it for a good 2-3 minutes at least. If not well mixed, it sprays out clear with a bit of black, and that will ruin your day.

- Test it on something else first! I sprayed it on something else first to make sure it's coming out black.

- Light coats will not work. I sprayed a light coat on first, and it came out textured and just looked like the black primer I had sprayed on before. It looked good, but I read the directions again and it says to spray it until it gets shiney, that will give it the nice smooth finish of the 93's.

- When you spray a good coat on like it says, it looks horrible. Have no fear though. It was textured and not very good looking when I sprayed on a thick coat, and I thought I had ruined the panel, so I got mad and walked away. When I came back, it was nice and smooth and looked great.

- It says it takes 4 hours to dry, and I believe it. So give it some time to dry before you handle it too much and go poking at it like you know you'll want to.

Ryan

wha happens when you scratch it with yoru nail?

I sprayed a real real light coat (didn't want to waste much) on an old license plate and let it sit overnight. The next day I scraped at it with my fingernail and it took a good bit of pressure to start to scratch it. The can says it is able to be used for things like motorcycle foot pegs and other abrasive applications, so it should be pretty durable. I'm sure a careless hit with a watch or ring or something will scratch it though.

hmm.. think a spray of clearcoat would toughen it up?

I don't know the answer to that one. I'm too scared to try it because I like how it's turned out so far.

That certainly sounds like good news. If it can truly withstand that it should have no problem lasting on the dash panels.

Looks nice. I had planned to sand and paint my panels with black bumper paint used for touching up rub strips. I think your idea looks even closer to stock though.

Well I wouldn't give up on that idea just yet. I used a DuPont bumber paint as my primer since it's all I had at the time and I'm impatient. I LOVE that paint, I've used it on my front spoiler, windshield cowling, wipers, headlight bezels, anything I can find. I can honestly say that A) had I not planned on using the rubber paint or B) wanted something that looked completely stock, I would have left the bumper paint as the final coat. It looked great, with just a hint of texture. I snapped a few quick pics with my cell phone.


First pic is the finished "rubberized" panel next to the stock cluster panel....
https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...hmentid=188377

Next 2 pics are with the bumper paint. It looks similar in the pictures, but the camera doesn't pick up the slight texture.......
https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...hmentid=188372
https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...hmentid=188375

Ryan

Good idea guys. I would prep it alot better. Here is what I'm gonna do (just like paintin all other automotive plastic) : Clean it good with soap & water, then let dry, then clean with rubbing alcohol. Then scuff it with sand paper & water no finer than 800grit wet/dry or the paint wont stick. & no courser than 400g w/d. or you will see the sand scratches. The orig coating should be ok as long as its sanded good and still sticks (or whatever you put on will come off with it). After all is scuffed clean as you did before, but don't touch it (oils from skin will make it not stick) apply adhesion promoter many diff. brands: sem, morton, norton, kleanstrip, dupont, basf, etc. (I like bulldog). then you can apply this plasti dip. 2-3 coats should be good. let dry. and dont use any protectants (especially armor-all) for at least 3 months or it will come off. its alot of work but its even more taking it all off and redoing it every 2 months. I have done this many times (4+ yrs ago on a dash & door panels and looks new yet, just to name one) and I suggest this to all body shops that call and ask me how to do this.

I started the long, arduous process today. Took a bit more time to prep everything, stripping the old plastic coating off with acetone which works very well. I then wet sanded with 600 grit and used Bulldog adhesion promoter (can get it at Pep Boys) before starting the plasti-dip coating process.

I did a bit of experimentation before hand and found four light coats worked better for me (might be the humidity?) and I ended up with four coats on my center shifter piece. It came out looking exceptional. I'll wait to pass judgement on durability but it looks promising. I'll try to post a few pics tomorrow.

Good info. I've been using that stuff for years on interiors. If anyone wants their panels refinished like that shoot me a pm.

Well the panels turned out pretty well. I made a custom gauge hood with two integral pods that's not quite done yet but I thought I'd throw pics in regardless.

That looks awesome. Nice work on the guage hood. How did you do that?

I am looking forward to spraying my panels too. Looks like a winter project.

foam core, fiberglass, and a lot of bondo :-)

man i used this today and i have to say nothin i mean nothing matches as well as this stuff just took off the old scratched rubber coating and lightly sanded the peices and they look brand new A++++

i think i might try this out on my fc. great work guys. :)