Plastidip as Interior Cleanup Question - e46 BMW

The coating on the black interior bits (center stack, storage cubby etc.) of my e46 is scuffed up and coming off in places. I'm thinking of using spray on plastidip or a similar product to recoat everything, but have never used it. Has anyone done this?

I think if I go over everything with a brush and then light solvent first, the plastidip will adhere OK, but I'm most concerned about the smell. Will doing this make the interior of the car an eye-watering stinkbomb?

I haven't done anything huge with Plasti-Dip. I did a computer mouse with it and there's no noticeable smell. Just let the car air out after painting and it should be fine.

It just stinks when spraying. I never noticed any odor after complete curing.

I did a bunch of dash pieces from my Subaru. I pulled them out of the car, though, so they were cured before reinstalling them. No stink, and it held up pretty well.

I wouldn't, plastdip isn't as durable as all that and once it starts getting nicked and scuffed, it won't look so hot. Then you'll be miserable trying to remove it. Plus overspray is a real problem unless you mask well.

My recommendation would be something like this SEM coating . I used this product recently to refinish all the interior plastics on my FD. I removed them all from the car, scrubbed off the factory protectant clearcoat film with solvent and elbow grease, and lightly sanded them in advance. Really happy with the results.

It's less DIY, but if you're going to the trouble of pulling the interior pieces out, there are folks around here having them hydrodipped.

Gets you a lot of options (some of them very tacky) you can't get with plastidip.

Thanks everyone. The center console is the worst bit. Apparently the PO had long nails, the scuffs seem to come from them raking the plastic, falcon like, everytime they reached for the parking brake. Its easy enough to pull out to paint, so I think I may start there with the SEMcoat/plastidip and see how it goes.

tried it on the parking brake cover (the plastic) for my miata. started peeling rather quickly. Dont use it where you are going to be rubbing it as a matter of course.

^^This

All I had done were the trim rings around the vents and the radio/HVAC surround. You know, places that you're not touching every day.

Pfff... PD comes off VERY easy if you give it enough coats.

I used wrinkle paint on the interior of my 240sx. It's held up pretty well and has a factory like (hard) texture finish.

In reply to NEALSMO:

You can also spray bomb over PD I hear. Never tired it, but seems legit.

I've rehabbed several e46 interiors (I'm on my 5th e46 presently). Buying new pieces from a dealer like Tischer isn't terribly expensive. Certainly more than bombing the pieces with PD, but not a lot overall.

Karacticus wrote: It's less DIY, but if you're going to the trouble of pulling the interior pieces out, there are folks around here having them hydrodipped. Gets you a lot of options (some of them very tacky) you can't get with plastidip.

Hey, my snakeskin door handles are the business!

The SEM coatings are a very high quality and lay down like normal paint. Like all things just need to focus on prep.

I consider myself a little experienced with plasti dip and while what is stated above is mostly true, there is a trick to making plasti dip more durable. You have to clear coat it with the glossifier. If you're not looking for a shinny finish, increase your distance when you spray and it will come off more satin. I've used it on the interiors of my early 944s to cover the ugly silver and it was incredibly durable. The trick is multiple light coats.

My '01 GTI had some spectacularly failed "soft touch" coating in the interior. I scrubbed what was left of it off with a green kitchen scotchbrite pad and gave it two coats of plastidip from an aerosol can. It looked and felt exactly like the OEM stuff. It was like a complete interior refresh for $12 and a day of detail work. I sold the car a year later and it was holding up OK. A little scuffed here and there and the shiny spots from skin oils, just like the original surface was after a few years.

I wouldn't say it was as durable as the admittedly fragile VW soft touch stuff but it is easy to touch up every 18 months or so.

jr10cross wrote: I consider myself a little experienced with plasti dip and while what is stated above is mostly true, there is a trick to making plasti dip more durable. You have to clear coat it with the glossifier. If you're not looking for a shinny finish, increase your distance when you spray and it will come off more satin. I've used it on the interiors of my early 944s to cover the ugly silver and it was incredibly durable. The trick is multiple light coats.

They also sell a "Dip Coat Protective Spray" which is supposed to prevent scratches. It also gives dipped surfaces a smoother feel. I've been using it on my exterior intermittently but apart from the feel, I can't really comment on the scratch resistance.

I forgot about this video I did: https://www.youtube.com/embed/GAcLBMNMohI

It held up very well.