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Bezel/Trim Painting & Illumination Mod(s)

21K views 27 replies 21 participants last post by  Prop1 
#1 · (Edited)
First and Foremost! P7
What is P7? You ask.

P7
= Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance!

Make sure you have the right tools and the right equipment to use those tools.



It's all well and good to have a can of paint, but if you don't clean and prep the surface you're painting properly, you get crap results.

If you don't wear at least an N95 mask, you're going to get lightheaded and dizzy, and make stupid mistakes that will take hours to fix and have the comfort of knowing you've now got cancer causing chemicals coursing through your respiratory system.

If you're working around more professional quality paints, or something with pretty potent solvents, you'll probably want to get a heavier duty mask with better particulate filters and a tight seal around your breathing holes. :)

Not pictured are a box of powder-free latex gloves (if you're not allergic) and a pair of clear safety glasses.
Warning - Rambling Anecdote: As I wear contacts, it only took one time of misting overspray in the eyeball to convert me to wearing them. The overspray dried on my contact, unbeknownst to me, and irritated my eyeball until I took the contact out and saw the cured paint dots all over the lens. In that case, I WAS seeing spots.

For this particular project, I'm not going to picture the whole teardown of the interior trim, but we'll cover the center bezel/shift trim assembly.



The first step is to pull straight up on the shift knob. I didn't know how to remove it at first, but it's been documented on THIS forum in in quite a few places. It may help, provided you have the parking brake on and/or have wheel blocks to prevent the vehicle from moving, to turn the key on (don't start the car) depress the brake and shift into Neutral. That will make removing the center bezel a bit easier when you get to it.

Using either a piece of thin wedge plastic (Think of a small prybar, but made from somewhat stiff plastic) or being VERY careful and using a flat blade screwdriver or similar wedge, pry off the shift trim, using the picture above to see where the tabs go, and as such, where you should be applying pressure as you pry.

After that, it's just a simple matter of prying off the center bezel. I start from the bottom, as I am afraid of the three top studs/posts breaking off if I apply too much pressure. Once you get it loose, you'll see why moving the shifter to N makes it a bit easier to maneuver the bezel around to unscrew the A/C control unit.

After you've removed the bezel and shift trim, get some high percentage isopropyl alcohol (90%) or use "Goop" hand cleaner/stain lifter to get the pieces free of any dust, dirt, grime, grease and oil.

At this point, for all you smokers out there. Stop smoking. Don't smoke around your project. Just...Don't.

Tape off any sections your don't want covered in paint. For the vent louvres I used masking tape, and for the PRND shift letters I used Electrical tape. (This is because the lacquer doesn't react to the vinyl in the electrical tape, other paints MAY have issues on this stuff.)




Give your pieces another once over to clean off any picked up dirt and grease from taping and get out your plastic primer.

-Note: I'm sure the "All-in-one" paints that claim to bond to plastic without primer work fine in most situations. However, due to the different textures and grade compositions of plastics involved, I'd highly recommend using a common primer for the paint to bond to so that you have consistent results.


(I used a couple screws to keep the radio knobs paintable from all angles.)

Use light coats, as directed by the paint manufacturer. Usually two light coats are all you will need, and any more is just overkill, causing you to wait longer before applying the middle color coats.

Primers differ in the amount of time before you can apply a top coat, so follow the directions.

Top coats should be applied in thin coats. A good rule here for beginners is, if you think it's thin...it's too thick. :) The first and second coats will probably leave some of the original color showing. Applying the paint too heavily, or painting the next coat before the first has had a chance to dry enough WILL result in "sand it down and start over" conditions. Orange peeling and "fish eyes" as well as the extreme of sagging and noticable dripping are sure indicators that you're being too impatient, spraying too close to the surface, sweeping across the surface too slowly or you are having flashbacks of your days as an overpass graffitti artist.


(Mostly done. A clear topcoat and gentle handling are all that's left!)


(Slightly out of focus, the camera didn't focus well on the extremely shiny surface.)

Notice the timestamps on the photos. It will, if properly done, take at least two days for your paint to cure enough to put it back into your vehicle. Even then, I would avoid any rough usage, touching or cleaning for at least 3 days, especially if your car is sitting out in the heat, which will help it cure, but the painted surface will be initially soft and will take on fingerprints as a permanent fixture.



Meanwhile...



As I was waiting for paint to dry, I got to work on a few illumination mods I had in mind.

Using 3V LED's with an inline resistor to work on 12V systems, I wired up a few spots on the console.

(To Be Continued...10 Image limit reached...)
 
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8
#2 ·
Continued


First, the shifter illumination light was snipped off and a 5mm LED with 6mm mounting sleeve was fitted in it's place. Easy. Not shown is the shifter bezel, in which I scraped off, on the underside, all the "teal" tint film behind the D, which results in the Drive indicator glowing red, while the rest (Park, Reverse, Neutral) are in a subdued blue/purple hue.

Next, in a complicated routing and nerve-wracking disassembly process, I mounted a flat face LED in the center console/armrest area to illuminate any MP3 Player/Cellphone/PDA I may have in the flip up sleeve when it's dark.


It's actually quite bright, but this was taken during the day.

Next was something to illuminate those little areas for holding...stuff. I mounted an LED beneath the E-Brake handle, which also serves to outline the E-Brake in the dark, making it easy to grab without hunting around in the dark for it.

...not that I need to use the E-brake with any regularity. :Racing:

There are three more LED's in the center console/armrest, but they all serve the back seat area. Since the front has illuminated cupholders, I put an LED in the split between the two cup holders, providing light for those bad boys. I then put two LEDs on either side of that cupholder area, facing out towards each passenger floor area, so the wimmins can see where they dropped their lipstick. Okay, that's a lie, it's so we can roll D-20's in the rear while we're cruisin' through Middle Earth... ;)

You're jealous. (I kid, I kid!)

Okay, finally, I tore apart that OEM radio, which I'll replace...someday.
I figured I could change the hue of the default teal/blue glow that it puts out, and it was easier than I thought.

Pictured here are two of many blue gel covers that are over all the illumination lights in the radio. They are what gives the illumination the teal/blue hue. I took them all off.

The result of that is:

Much more orange/red coloration from the soldered on incandescent bulbs on the radio front control circuit board.

Warning - Rambling Anecdote: It should be noted, if you haven't guessed by now, I really don't like the color blue. I hate Blue LED's, and most blue light sources in the dark do little more than screw up my focus/depth perception.


The story so far:

I have much more to do, but here's the results of the few pieces painted:


Glove boxes, handles in accent Red.


Most of the complicated pieces of the front dash have been painted. I'm fabricating a custom A/C backing instead of the boring default look.

(To Be Continued....10 Image Limit Reached)
 
#25 ·
Great job...

Those colors are not my favorite (although a computer case I built I used black with red LEDs lol) but the job :wow: is very professional and well made... I liked the detail you put in changing all those LEDs...

some long time ago I was thinking on painting my bezel black, but I'm not good painting so I left it like it is, lol...

Next, in a complicated routing and nerve-wracking disassembly process, I mounted a flat face LED in the center console/armrest area to illuminate any MP3 Player/Cellphone/PDA I may have in the flip up sleeve when it's dark.

regarding the LED on the center console, do you have any pictures detailing the process of the removal of the console and the wiring of the LED???

I wan't to add a 3.5mm stereo aux jack in the very same spot were you placed the LED, so any picture will be very helpful...
 
#3 · (Edited)
Continued


Also installed, but difficult to notice here in the daylight, is the top mounted LED in the middle box of the bezel. Illuminating a showcase for those fat stacks of Benjamins I surely stuff in there. Or a pocket calculator.

"Oh, and why the red reflections?" You ask. "I changed some other lights." I reply:


Both front and rear interior courtesy/map lights have been replaced with VisionX LED replacements.



Any other pictures I should post? Should I wait until it's dark? :D

This is part 3 of a 3 part posting to this thread.
 
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#5 ·
Great job and good write up holychao!!! :rep: I like the black & red theme


P.S. I've moved your posts to a new thread since I thought your job deserved his own thread!
 
#7 ·
That's one excellent "how to"! This is prompting me to finally install the blue LED's I bought a couple months ago to illuminate the footwells (lol, psych ... they're really red ;)).

Warning: Squinting at particulars -
One thing I'd like to point out is that N95 dust mask is practically worthless. They have a minimal seal to the face and do nothing to mitigate inhaling the volatile organic compounds, or VOC's, (toluene, xylene, etc) that target the central nervous system and cause the post exposure "highness" (not to mention the damage to other organs with repeated use). A tight fitting respirator with combination filters (a P100 pre-filter with an organic vapor final filter) is recommended for sanding & painting operations. 3M, MSA or North brands are the best in my experience. It's best to be quantitatively fit tested to insure a proper fitting mask, but most people don't have easy access to this so just follow the video for an explaination on doing a positive/negative pressure check at home.
video
 
#8 ·
Man, that is impressive. I'd never have the patience to do something like that to Callie O'Mallie. She'll be staying just the way she is. Great job showing how you did it!!
 
#12 ·
One of the notes in my worklog:

-Note: I'm sure the "All-in-one" paints that claim to bond to plastic without primer work fine in most situations. However, due to the different textures and grade compositions of plastics involved, I'd highly recommend using a common primer for the paint to bond to so that you have consistent results.
I've had bad experiences in painting computer cases, which use similar plastics for bezels by using the "All-in-one" paints that claim to bond to plastic. Due to the different compositions of plastic, and the fact that I'd be painting no less than 4 different plastic textures and formulations the same black or red color, I went with a separate primer.

Your mileage may vary with "All-in-one" paints, but I've found that using a primer on all surfaces will result in a very consistent finish between different plastics. Also, Krylon Fusion states that it works well with "Most" plastics.

To sum up, I'm paranoid, and set in my ways. :D
 
#15 ·
Looks awesome! how easy is it to change the two lights map lights? where did you get the LED's? I want to replace them with LED and same with the back as well.

any help would be great.
 
#17 ·
I picked up mine on Amazon.com from some seller who stocks VisionX auto lighting.

I don't care who sells 'em, those VisionX lights are above and beyond any other LED lights I've come across in stores or on-line. Very high quality.

Even though the rear light appears to be smaller lengthwise than the front interior lights, I got all 3 the same size as the front, and it works just fine.

Oh, and be SURE to read the service manual for how to remove the front dome light cover. Doing it wrong will snap the only support that thing has for its right side, and you'll end up with either a repair job or a ghetto hanging dome light.

Additional warning: If you are changing out the interior dome lights, those incandescent bulbs that are in there get REALLY HOT. So if you're sitting there with the door open trying to get them out and they're still lit, prepare to have something that'll melt your skin if you grab it by the bulb. Seriously. I did it. It was dumb. It hurt like the dickens.
 
#16 ·
Ok...i wasnt fully awake when i read the post... I painted the interior of that Mazda back in 2003 and the guy that has it still has it painted the same way..and i too painted different textures on the inside i just took my time and did a prep wipe of all the plastic to make sure they were cleaned of all grease and oils..
 
#18 ·
is there a certain size bulb to get? probably listed in the manual right?
 
#19 · (Edited)
Holychao said:
I'm fabricating a custom A/C backing instead of the boring default look.
I have a Jeep Patriot (shares a lot of parts with the Dodge Caliber) and am doing a similar lighting conversion. I am taking the awful aqua colored stuff and changing it to blue LEDs (I noticed that it is not your favorite, but it is mine). I have already added LEDs to the switches, changed the gear selector, and have a plan for the radio.

What I need your help with is the A/C control module. I have been unable to get it apart. It appears that the knobs need to be removed first. I have tried unsuccessfully to pry and/or pull those knobs off. What is the secret to getting that thing apart? Have you posted this somewhere else?

Thanks,

JoeB
 
#21 ·
looks very good:smileup: but to get a very smooth finnish on plastic you have to lightly sand it then give it about 2 coats of grey primer then very lightly sand the primer with 1200 paper then give it the coats of colour you want then the clear. the reason you get the orange peel effect is because the first coat of paint dosn't stick to the shiny surface of the bezel evenly. unfortunly if you dont use primer it can chip and peel off easier to. sorry youv'e probably fallin asleep at this stage lol.
 
#23 ·
To each his own I guess, I'm not a fan of how it turned out either, but it was a good write for others to do it themselves.
 
#27 ·
Great Wiring: Looks Awesome. I am not a electronics guru but I do know how to solder. What size resistor do you use on the 3v light/ And how do you tell them apart since they are all coour coded differantly. I wont even tell you how many LED bulbs I have Zapped trying to do exactly what you have done.LOL..I have used 12v led just by attaching some wires directly to the bulbs. Princess Auto has a lot of inexpensive led lighting and when they are on sale they are a great price... Thankyou for sharing your info...Flappy
 
#28 ·
Most LEDs like around 20-40mA to avoid blowing. So, 12V/20mA= 600 ohms, 12V/40mA= 300 ohms. Standard sizes in that range would be 330, 470, 520 ohms.

 
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