65 arm rest question

[coast]

I have had to rebuild all of my armrest on both the driver and passenger side doors. I now have them fixed and very strong but need paint them.

I have the dark green interior so the plastic is dark green. I cannot seem to find a color that is real close, most have some metallic in them or just the wrong color green.

Has anyone found paint that matches the green plastic color of the inner trim?

[RivNut]

If there is any good paint left on either of them anywhere, take it into your local auto body paint jobber and have them match it. They can put it in an aerosol for you. While you're there, look at the choices you have in SEM or some other mfg.'s plastic and vinyl dye. It will do the same and it's designed to stick to plastics.

Ed

[Rufcar]

My door trims were shot. I got black plastic under arm supports from a seller on here and painted them with my vinyl/leather dye. I brushed the dye on as I wanted it to look my like leather/vinyl instead of a big piece of plastic. I used a an antique bronze paint for the interior metal grab handle and numerous things on the original 50 yr old vinyl to bring back color and shine. This handle was from the passenger side as I replaced that one with another 50 yr old. one I also bought from seller on here. The wood is from Clarks. The cardboard backing I wet and using clamps and weight I straightened out. Using a flat 4" metal clamp pliers I re stretch and re bent all the edging. Not the door has all of its 50 yr old parts except the wood.

[coast]

your door looks new, great job. Hope mine comes out as nice

[Rufcar]

There's a company I use in the Poconos called "Color Plus" her dad invented the dye for leather. Her name is Joanne Price and she will match anything 99% perfect. Its not cheap but well worth it. I had the dye from a 76 Rolls I did and it was close. I used acrylic white paint to light the color and I brushed on the light color 2 coats and 1 of the darker to give it the shade difference I was after. The original plastic pieces where all sold colors and like most plastic faded but was much darker and brittle. When I got the car 2 months ago all that plastic was broken and with big pieces missing. Just remember to clean and sand the plastic before painting. Good luck

[RIVNIK]

GReetings, Rufcar...... I like the look of the wood veneer from Clarks. I looks much darker than my original, which has some signs of wear. How was your experience installing the new wood? Any helpful tips?

[Rufcar]

I was in the wood business for 40+ years doing building restoration. That said I bought Clarkes because it is the correct straight grain and black lines are cut into the panels vs painted on even though the correct way was painted. I was also able to save all the old veneer too. The secret is to follow there instructions and cleaning the back or the face of the steel super clean to the touch. I used a 4" drywall knife to remove the old veneers then I used a single edge blade and lacquer thinner and a 3 m pad to remove the old glue. That surface must be super clean and smooth. Plus you need good room temperature while you work with low humidity. Lay the new veneer on the face its just a tad smaller about 1/16" so make sure its about evenly spaced then using blue or green painters tape the veneer to the top edge straight across so it works like a hinge lift up the new veneer, pull off the factory 3m paper then lower the veneer on to the steel from the taped edge forward. Then use a clean cotton or mico fiber cloth and press and smooth. Did I mention you 1st need to remove the stainless edges 1st! use a block or wood and tap off the square edge 1st. then the angled edge and then the straight edges and when veneer is done reinstall the 2 straight edges the square edge and finally the angled one being carful the entire operation not to bend the taps over the back side as they break pretty easy and there no repair! When the panel is done clean up your vinyl door panel and reinstall carefully. Once you know how this only takes abut an hr tops to do each one. I explained elsewhere on how to remove the "R" insignia and reinstall it.

It works best id you use 4 one qt coffee cans weighted down then liy the whole piece on here as not to bend those mounting pins. Good Luck Jim

Edited April 25, 2014 by Rufcar (see edit history)

[slosteve]

I have had to rebuild all of my armrest on both the driver and passenger side doors. I now have them fixed and very strong but need paint them.

?

I am looking at my plastic armrests and wondering how to strengthen and repair them. My originals are all cracked and/or broken but the PO provided some replacements that are in better shape but are obviously the same age and I fear that they may also get broken.

Steve

[RivNut]

I just did a repair on the door panel on my Blazer. Big crack about 15" long. I used some Permatex PermaProxy two part bumper repair with some fiberglass cloth. I put the PermaProxy on the back side of the panel then used a body putty spreader to smooth it out. I then laid the glass cloth on the PermaProxy and again used the body putty spreader to force the glass into the PermaProxy. After that was fairly cured, I put some more Permaproxy on top of the glass and again worked it in with the spreader. I kept smoothing and spreading until it was nice and flat and tight against the panel. I let it cure for about 24 hours. When I put the panel back on the door, I put a lot of strain on it and it held perfectly. It should work the same on the back of your arm rest if you can figure out where the stress is going to occur.

Ed

Edited December 11, 2014 by RivNut (see edit history)

[Pat Curran]

Take the interior color code to your local auto body/paint supplier. They can usually look it up for a close, if not perfect match. I just had some made up for a 71 Monte Carlo and it was an exact match.

[Seafoam65]

Slo Steve.......

On your cracked armrest bases, reproduction custom interior armrest bases are available....just get new reproductions and paint them. No need to start patching cracks. I know you can buy them from OPGI as I've seen them in their catalog, perhaps

from other vendors as well. From OPGI they are 465.00 for the pair. I know that's expensive but I think if you patch the cracked

50 year old ones they will continue to crack faster than you can repair them. That price includes the bases for the power window switches if your car has those and needs them.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Seafoam65 (see edit history)

[slosteve]

Thanx for the suggestions guys. I'm going to try Ed's first as I have more time than money, but nice to know they're re-poed Winston.

Can't help but wonder how 'coast's' turned out.

Steve

[coast]

Hi Steve

Mine came out well. I used epoxy putty on the back side to stengthen mine. I just put the putty along the cracks or breaks and once it set up it was very strong. I bought paint at the local paint store. nice color match but I am not sure if it is going to hold up to the wear and tear. And it was very expensive!

Bob

[slosteve]

Hi Steve

And it was very expensive!

Bob

The paint?

[RivNut]

When I did the repair that I talked about in post #9, I mentioned that I used some fiberglass cloth. I wouldn't have bothered doing it without the glass. The two parts of my door panel are not bonded to each other, they're both bonded to the fiberglass. The strength lies in the glass, not the epoxy. A two part tube costs less than $8.

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/permatex-black-plastic-weld-84145/10479442-P?brandName=Permatex

Ed