Touch Up Paint Evaluation

[old guy]

My objective was to find the best match as I could to touch up some of the wear and tear on my black interior. The ultimate repair would be an exact match spray-on rubberized coating. For the evaluation I considered these three spray on coatings:



I have used the Krylon Camo and Dupli-Color Vinyl & Fabric in the past and had high hopes for the Tamiya which is a spray-on rubberized coating. For the first comparison I sprayed the vent on the left with Krylon Camo and the vent on the right with Tamiya. The shifter plate cover is the OEM coating.



Both seem to be a pretty good match. So next I picked a spot on the back of the center console to compare the Dupli-Color V&F with the Tamiya. Here’s the test area:



I wanted to be able to spray the damaged areas in place without removing them so the coating would have to be able to blend with the surrounding areas.



Here are the results from the Dupli-Color V&F. As you can see it is “blacker” than the surrounding area. It’s very apparent where I over sprayed the masking tape.



Next I sprayed the other side with the Tamiya rubberized coating. It was a better match than the V&T but it was a bit lighter and grayer than the console.



I really wasn’t happy with either result so I then re-sprayed both sides with the Krylon Camo. As you can see I also repaired the over-sprayed area from the V&F.



This was by far the best result of the three. I then proceeded to use the Krylon Camo to make repairs on the front portion of the center console. I apologize for not taking before pics. The damage was similar to what you saw on the rear portion of the console. Worn shiny dark black spots. I sprayed the upper curved portion and masked off the lower panel:



In this pic I sprayed the section below the shift plate cover. It was very scarred up similar to the rear console.



All in all I’m very pleased with the results that I obtained without having to pull out and strip down the console. The key to spraying the Krylon Camo is to use several very light coats. If you spray it on too heavy it will dry darker and not blend in with the OEM coating.

[AudiTechS4]

nj

[Audi 4 Life]

it seems like that Krylon is best for the interior trim like the console and pieces like that, and that Tamiya might be best for things like the HVAC unit and other buttons and things like that, would you agree?

Looks very good, thanks for the info.

[old guy]

I agree that Tamiya may work better on things like the HVAC unit and other buttons on the panel so I decided to give it a try. As you can see the radio knob was worn and there was peeling around the knob.



Here’s a close-up of the peeling.




I had to brush the coating on the peeled section. I lightly sanded with some 2,000 grit before brushing on the Tamiya. It isn’t perfect but it does look acceptable when you aren’t looking at it in extreme close-up.




Sprayed knob before and after.



And the finished product. Again, it looks better in person than in the extreme close-up. All in all I think it’s an acceptable repair.

[1.8Turbo4me!]

looks good! my console is quite worn as well and that Krylon camo is definitely an option.

[deyrag]

Looks great for the black trim.

Anyone have any suggestions for matching platinum grey?

[customa4]

I'm interested as well. Just about the same places on mine are showing wear.

[DiertyEuroSpec]

Looks like I have to pick up a can of the Krylon as well and spruce up my peeling interior. Nice job OG!

[Matt Devo]

I'm kind of shocked you actually sprayed it inside the car, given that it takes all of 10-15 mins to remove the center console, at which point you could simply respray the entire thing, as well as not have to worry about overspray inside the car.

[BARRY]

which has the best feel after dry? do they feel like enamel?, or do they feel like regular spray paint with the super dry almost chalky touch finish?

[old guy]

I'm kind of shocked you actually sprayed it inside the car, given that it takes all of 10-15 mins to remove the center console, at which point you could simply respray the entire thing, as well as not have to worry about overspray inside the car.

I only had a few spots that needed repair so I chose to address the spots rather than the whole console. Most of the masking was simply index cards and a little painters tape. I spent way more time taking pics than the actual repair. Had the damage been greater I would have refinished the entire console but I was really looking for something that I could use to address the small rub spots as they occur rather than a complete refinish every time a blemish popped up.

which has the best feel after dry? do they feel like enamel?, or do they feel like regular spray paint with the super dry almost chalky touch finish?

The Tamiya had an OEM feel. The V&F had an enamel feel and the Krylon Camo was a little dry. After it cured I swiped the Krylon with some low gloss vinyl protectant and it took care of any "dryness". This is the same process I used to refinish my Podi back in '09 and it still looks like it did when I first installed it. Clicky click® I don't think the Auto Sport is still available but I'm sure there are other low gloss vinyl sprays available.


[IMG][/IMG]

[BARRY]

great thanks for doing this!

[Charles.waite]

This is great OG. I'm actually going to pick some up and spray my podi gauge now when I take it out to repair the mounting hole. Awesome.

[BenMTL]

Guys, where to buy this "Tamiya rubberized coating"?

I guess it must be a U.S product as I've never seen it anywhere in Canada and in google only plastidip is returned...Any links to Amazon or ebay link for purchase would be appreciated, thanks in advance OP for guide and pics

[old guy]

Guys, where to buy this "Tamiya rubberized coating"?

I guess it must be a U.S product as I've never seen it anywhere in Canada and in google only plastidip is returned...Any links to Amazon or ebay link for purchase would be appreciated, thanks in advance OP for guide and pics

Clicky click®

[BenMTL]

Clicky click®

Thanks old guy but I think that is the wrong link?

Is this the right one? TS80?

https://www.amazon.com/TAMIYA-TS-80-...Z3EV30THJR63AZ

[old guy]

[BenMTL]

Oh sorry my mistake...just the picture threw me off, but that is definitely the right link!!

Thanks

[HalfAudio]

I has been a while would you be so kind and show us how well it was holding on? i was thinking to spray gently a bit of plastic adhesion promoter before the actual paint.

[old guy]

I has been a while would you be so kind and show us how well it was holding on? i was thinking to spray gently a bit of plastic adhesion promoter before the actual paint.

I think it has held up quite well.



Recently I used the Krylon to repaint the drivers door master switch panel. It was all scratched up. Turned out really nice! Switches were replaced at the same time.

[CD155mx]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing.

[HalfAudio]

WOOW that is actually pretty impressive I will give this a go once i will get a decent weather outside.. I will share the before and after pic once it ill be done
Are those the chinese switches or genuine one? I failed to change mine years a go, because i bought the chinese ones and thought i will be able to swap the plastick bits, only i was so wrong...

[Natejo91]

Thanks for posting this OG! How many coats are you applying on these touch ups? Just one coat with some light sanding before applying? Also which one was the best for the shifter bezel and ash tray up front?


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

[old guy]

Thanks for posting this OG! How many coats are you applying on these touch ups? Just one coat with some light sanding before applying? Also which one was the best for the shifter bezel and ash tray up front?

I would recommend the Krylon. It seems to be a bit more durable than the Tamiya. The Tamiya has a more tactile soft touch feel but chips easier. Use Goo Gone or something similar to remove the old soft touch material. Let it soak for a bit and then you can rub it off. Clean it thoroughly. I didn't sand it but I did use a Dupli-Color Prep-Wipe before spraying. I used multiple light coats allowing several minutes between coats. I found that if you use a heavy coat the final color tends to be darker than the OEM color.

HalfAudio: I picked up the door switches dirt cheap from Amazon. They work fine and actually corrected the one touch feature that had quit working with the OEM switches.

[Natejo91]

Good to know! Thanks for the recommendation! Does the chrome lip on the shifter bezel pop out or did you mask it off for the respray?


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine

[old guy]

It doesn't pop off but it is removable. There are multiple tabs that stick through and the tips are heat sealed. if you have a Dremel is is pretty easy to remove the melted heat seal and pop the trim out. There will be plenty of the tab remaining to secure it back with a few drops of superglue or hot melt.

[HalfAudio]

HalfAudio: I picked up the door switches dirt cheap from Amazon. They work fine and actually corrected the one touch feature that had quit working with the OEM switches.

They are all the same at first glance but the internals are totally different i didn't fit mine because it had an ugly sounding click.
One last thing,is there a special technique to remove the radio knobs or just pliers sounds harsh...

[old guy]

No pliers required. Just pull off with your fingers.