Within this article, we will show you all of the needed steps for painting your interior parts. If you need to know the differences between our aerosol cans and pint systems, we have you covered. Check out our "What LMR Paint System Is Right For Me" article for further explanation of what system will be right for your Mustang, Lightning, and Bronco restoration project.
How To Paint Interior Parts
Cleanliness is next to godliness, or at least that's how the old saying goes. This is true when it comes to prepping and painting your old or new, Mustang, Lightning, and Bronco interior parts. Plastic, metal, or vinyl needs to be surgically cleaned and properly prepped before laying down paint/dye. LMR's paint is blended with a flex agent that will allow you to spray this on all hard or flexible interior surfaces for superior versatility! Best of all, no mixing or addition of thinner/reducers will be required with this paint. Depending on ambient temperature and relative humidity, overall dry time will vary.
LMR Single Aerosol Cans
To begin, make sure you are painting in a well-lit and well-ventilated area.
Make sure that the ambient temperature and humidity conditions are optimal for painting. If these criteria are not met, the quality of the end result can suffer!
Make sure to wear gloves, eye protection, and a proper respirator intended for painting.
Using a gray Scotch-Brite pad, lightly scrub the surface with a warm dish detergent solution. This will ensure you remove all oils and other contaminants from the parts being painted.
Thoroughly rinse off any remaining detergent and allow the part that you are cleaning to thoroughly dry.
Wipe the part down twice with denatured alcohol and a lint-free cloth. This will help remove any leftover contaminants from the surface.
If you are working with flexible vinyl parts, evenly apply the SEM vinyl prep to the surface, wiping in one direction with a lint-free cloth.
Shake the aerosol can vigorously for at least one-minute minimum to mix the paint properly.
Lay down several thin coats keeping your spray nozzle 6-8 inches away from the part to ensure nice, even coverage. Make sure to maintain consistent speed across the part you are working with as well. Cutting in the backside of the part works best before spraying the forward-facing side, which you will see. Allow 5-10 mins between coats for adequate flash time.
Once you have completed painting your parts, LMR recommends allowing the paint to fully cure for 24 hours.
Keep any leftover paint in a climate-controlled environment to help preserve the quality of the paint.
LMR Pint Systems
To begin, make sure you are painting in a well-lit and well-ventilated area.
Make sure that the ambient temperature and humidity conditions are optimal for painting. If these criteria are not met, the quality of the end result can suffer!
Make sure to wear gloves, eye protection, and a proper respirator intended for painting.
Using a gray Scotch-Brite pad, lightly scrub the surface with a warm dish detergent solution. This will ensure you remove all oils and other contaminants from the parts being painted.
Thoroughly rinse off any remaining detergent and allow the part that you are cleaning to thoroughly dry.
Wipe the part down twice with denatured alcohol and a lint-free cloth. This will help remove any leftover contaminants from the surface.
If you are working with flexible vinyl parts, evenly apply the SEM vinyl prep to the surface, wiping in one direction with a lint-free cloth.
Shake the pint vigorously for at least one-minute minimum to properly mix the paint.
Open your pint can while being careful not to deform the lid.
Use a small funnel to pour the paint into the glass jar. Fill the paint up to the 6oz mark, and make sure to keep it above the 3oz mark while painting. Keeping the jar filled will help eliminate inconstant spray patterns.
Remember to reinstall your lid on the pint can between fills. This will help keep the paint fresh, so it does not dry out.
Attach the siphon tube to the sprayer, and then screw the sprayer onto the jar.
Lay down several thin coats keeping your spray nozzle between 45 and 90 degrees and 10-12 inches away from the part to ensure nice, even coverage. Make sure to maintain consistent speed across the part you are working with as well. Cutting in the backside of the part works best before spraying the forward-facing side, which you will see. More coats may be needed if Allow 5-10 mins between coats for adequate flash time.
Any leftover paint will need to be poured back into the pint can from the jar. Thoroughly clean the glass jar and spray rig with paint thinner at this time. Keep any leftover paint in a climate-controlled environment to help preserve the quality of the paint.
Once you have completed painting your parts, LMR recommends allowing the paint to fully cure for 24 hours.
Please keep in mind, the color formulations are based on OE color palates. Even if your car is a pristine 1993 garage queen with 10,000 miles, it still has 20 years of fading on the interior. A newly painted panel or part may differ from the rest of the interior. This will be even more apparent on Mustang, Lightning, and Bronco that have sat outside for several years, so you may want to plan on respraying the whole interior when you begin.
Watch the video above, and learn how to restore your interior panels to factory quality!
