Tom M

I got tired of looking at my worn Graphite Grey console so I decided to do something about it. After researching prices for a pre-done version and also having it done locally I decided to give the DIY route a try. A little searching turned up posts by Raphael and even though the pictures are no longer visible there was a detailed write up documenting the process he followed. One thing I did differently was I did use the 3M Safest Stripper, which probably turned out to be more work than if I had chosen to simply sand all the soft-touch paint off instead of stripping it. I would definitely sand if I ever chose to do this again.

I ordered paint from Automotive Touchup and also ordered the plastic adhesion promoter and clear coat in addition to the base coat color.

All I can say is that this ain't for the faint of heart as it took longer than anticipated and a lot more work, but it did turn out pretty well. Although the color coat is correct it did turn out a bit too dark so I may suck it up and strip it down and shoot it again with a lighter touch as it appears that I applied the color coat a bit too heavy. It doesn't really matter too much on the console but I also did the bumperettes and since they are next to the existing color they do stand out just a bit. The good news it that I've pretty much got the process down now so stripping and re-shooting should only take 3-5 days.

All I can say is that I saved quite a bit of cash but it took a lot of work. I'd highly recommend anybody thinking about this as a DIY that if you have a choice of paying someone to do it professionally you could be ahead of the game. However if you really like tackling moderately difficult DIY projects then this could be right up your alley!

Here's the before...


and after.


I've got a bit of touch-up to take care of but the clear coat is still curing so I'll wait a bit on that. Even though I don't plan on using the ashtray I also painted that at the same time I was doing the non-smokers tray.

Oh yeah, here's the bumperettes before going on the car.


Finally, one thing I also did was buy a 3" Pneumatic Polisher Kit from Harbor Freight to make things a bit easier after doing all the color sanding of the clear coat. It worked just fine other than the grip backing coming off the foam pads . However a bit of spray adhesive solved that in a jiffy.

Next on the list is replacing the cracked carbon fiber shifter.

redridge

looks great! good job....

gota911

+1!

Good job, Tom and....... thanks for the pics!

PasPar2

good job.... how is the stripper more work then sanding?

Tom M

The stripper is messy to say the least and it will also soften the plastic a bit. I may have been better off using something know to attack the soft-touch but not harm the plastic. Acetone, maybe? I guess I could have always used sunscreen since that was one of the original causes which made the soft-touch peel

Botsy67

WOW very nice results...Looks awesome, so smooth and shiny.

PasPar2

My car is black on black but I really want to get this done... reading DIYs and thinking about tackling this myself. I think the hardest part will be stripping the soft touch paint. I plan on using krylon spray paint for plastic from home depot in black - should be a close enough match.

Hapich

Great job! Looks professional!

Weissach

LOOKS FANTASTIC!

white99c2

It looks great

peavynation

Looks like Porsche factory-brochure pictures. Nice!

Eharrison

Good job I really like it!

LVDell

Great work.

I know I wouldn't have the time or patience to do that. The $400 that Eric at Bumperplugs charges is well worth it to me. I have used him many times and his work is second to none.

Tippy

Although a weak solvent, Acetone will generally eat up plastic. Use with lots of caution on plastics until you know it is safe!

Not knocking his work at all but there are plenty of people who do this same work at a very high, quality level. I'm just jealous Eric and Fister come out like heroes here on this board. Don't listen to me though, I'm just ranting when I hear these statements. These are some, in general, easy task to do but you'd think these guys are God because they were first out of the shoot to approach the board.

LVDell

Cory, point me to somebody that does the same quality work that Eric's company does for less than $400 on a center console. I'm the first to shop around and find the best deal but having worked with Eric several times I am impressed not only with his product, but his SERVICE. Have you actually done work with him? Just curious what you are comparing his work to.