Refurbish interior plastic panels.

[Highflight]

Can anyone give me some info on the complexity of redoing the interior of my M201J?

 

nicholasgravino@att.net

[Bob_Belville]

I have a '66E but I think the plastic is similar. I removed all the parts and had an auto body shop clean, repairs cracks, patch holes and paint. We used aerosol paints from the NAPA store, a couple of coats of color and a clear top coat. Plane Plastics in Alva OK is a (the?) source for new panels but I only spent a small fraction of what new would have cost. New parts would still have to be trimmed and painted to match.

[danb35]

I understand that SEM products (http://www.semproducts.com/) make paint and other materials specifically formulated for plastic.  I've seen their stuff recommended in other discussions of refurbishing interior plastic, but have no experience with it myself.

[Bob_Belville]

Dan, the SEM brand is exactly what we used on the recommendation of my friend who owns the auto body shop and confirmed by the guys at the NAPA store.

[jetdriven]

We used SEM Color Kote "Super white"  plastic paint. It works really well, it has solvent in it and it bonds to the plastic.

[Bob_Belville]

The maroon (matches exterior trim - photo shows it too red) is SEM on the plastic, the grey is leather. I went with maroon on the lower parts, a very light grey "above the chair rail". The door, not pictured, has both. 

 

mooneyspace.com/gallery/image/33681-interior-refinished-2012/

[AmigOne]

This is a perfect labor of love to save big bucks and leave you with a sense of accomplishment.  Removing panels is not difficult but it is time consuming and should be done with care specially if the panels are brittle.  It will also be a good opportunity to replace all the small screws that may be rusted.   I used Krylon Fusion which is formulated for plastics and it works as advertised.  Applies easily, dries quickly , there is a good color selection and it will not peel off.  Because I also build large scale RC models I am familiar with the use of epoxies and fiberglass so I was able to repair some cracks.  But it is not hard to do and you can do some trial and error with some scrap plastic.  And if some piece is beyond help the savings from the DIY job will buy you a new one from Plane Plastics (they are not cheap).  I also painted the plastic pieces of the overhead panels and this really dressed up the interior.  Unfortunately I could not remove the round air vents to paint them so if anybody knows how to do it, please chime in.

[Bob_Belville]

I took everything out and painted all the plastic including the vents. I do not recall that there was any big trick to get them apart. I think you have to remove a lot of screws to get at the inside of the vent plenum to get at the snap washer or similar that hold the shaft of the knob. 

[Bob_Belville]

On further reflection, I think it's a nut and washer holding the knob, but you'll see what you need to do after you remove the duct tape and small screws to lower the bottom panel of the air duct. (Mine is a '66E, but I suppose any older model is built similarly.

[AmigOne]

I'll have another look but I'm not taking the stuff apart again.  Only if your last suggestion works because I missed how to remove the knob.  Thanks

[Bob_Belville]

You will have to get at the back side (inside) of the duct panel. You do not have to remove it entirely but you have to remove enough screws and tape to get your hand/wrench on the nut inside. It's not the big a deal and if yours is like mine was fresh duct tape will seem like a good thing.

 

Have fun.

[Highflight]

Thanks guys, I will be using Krylon white satin. yo u can weld plastic panels  together with a soldering iron. 

[kmyfm20s]

I used Krylon paint and Airtex interiors. I thought the most difficult part was the ceiling panel with the ducts. I ended up just leaving it be, so I do have a little two tone on the plastic but not one person has noticed it. My mechanic said he has just taped them off and painted it in place before. The carpet, back seats and kick panel where easy and just took time. I took the the front seats, panel insert and arms rest to the auto apolstery shop. I gave them the material and the front seat kit from Airtex and they put those on for me which cost about $450 to be done. The carpet and back seat are lined with foam that sticks when you pull it up. I used a wire brush attachment on a drill and a shop vacuum at the same time which worked great. As far as staging I would take out the seat, panel inserts and arm rest and get them to the apolstery shop. Take the panels out, paint them and let them cure. Then work on pulling up the carpet, cleaning off the remaining foam, place the new carpet and kick panels. Then the same thing with the back seat. Replace the newly painted panels and by that time the apolserty shop will be done with everything and can be placed back in. You will want 2 cans of the Airtex cement for the carpets and back seats and 3M 2 sided tape for the panel inserts. The entire project took me 4 evening after work with a total cost of around $3000 with leather front seats and headrests.

[carusoam]

Very nice Jim!

-a-

[David Mazer]

Wow.  Those all looked great.  Anybody know if any used parts area available for an M20K?  I think I would prefer to try to restore parts that aren't on the plane first and then replace what I have when/if it all goes well.