restoring interior panel

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peche 71

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 13, 2012
Messages
160
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1
Location
NY
My Car
1971 Grande, 351 Cleveland, restoration project
1973 Convertible, 302, slight restoration
Need help on an interior rear panel: on the panel next to the back seat the finish is coming off easily, it's marked up and I'm hoping someone has a suggestion on restoring it, aside from finding a whole new panel. I plan of painting it from ginger to black. Also here's a look from late June when I rescued this car from five years in the woods, don't worry it looks much better now!

GEDC1479.JPG

 
I have the same issue so I am very interested in any suggestion this thread generates. I was thinking that maybe the Krylon spray the bonds with vinyl might give them added surface integrity and protection. Of course I am only speculating at this point. I hope some one who has been down this road has some helpful suggestions.

 
Is it the color that is coming off or something else. A picture of the issue would help others respond. Right now I can only assume that it is a painted finish with poor prep prior to painting that is now coming off. With more info. I am sure someone here will get your questioned answered.

 
In my case the surface of the panels are brittle and scratch very easy. Simply running your fingernail along it removes a bit of the surface. It's almost as if it rotten if that makes any since. Like how a rotten headliner falls apart. To my knowlege these panels have never been painted. I'm not sure if the factory applies a finish to them or not. I am assuming not. Any ideas? :)

IMG-20120814-00188.jpg


Before

IMG-20120814-00189.jpg


After

 
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I believe that is just dried out plastic. I don't think there is any fix for that. The only thing I could recommend would be to use a good precleaner for plastic to clean the surface thoroughly before applying a paint specifically designed for plastic. Many of the mustang parts houses supply color correct paint and dies for interiors. I will defer to anyone elses advice if they a better solution than this. My cars have not suffered the same problem.

 
BKDUNHA is correct, the plastic is dried out from being beaten on by the sun over the years... I had some success with a customer who didn't want to buy new panels for his car and we sanded the panels smooth, and used a very light coat of chip guard that you would put on some Toyotas to get the texture look and painted his panels... It honestly didn't turn out that bad, Viable option really.

 
From my experience the ginger panels are the worst for deteriorating. I haven't done this technique yet but plan to reinforce a damaged panel from behind with a Fiberglas mesh. This is very similar to what Q outlines in his console repair video. The difference is that I plan to do the entire backside of the panel with the mesh; not just the cracked areas.

 
From my experience the ginger panels are the worst for deteriorating. I haven't done this technique yet but plan to reinforce a damaged panel from behind with a Fiberglas mesh. This is very similar to what Q outlines in his console repair video. The difference is that I plan to do the entire backside of the panel with the mesh; not just the cracked areas.
Perfect for an entire brittle panel ! just need to find the proper adhesive..In essence your making a laminate composte piece..I'm thinking possibly laminating epoxy..If you really want to get fancy you could vacuum bag the glass on

http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/Product_Catalog/Vacuum_Bagging/vacuum_bagging.html

 
basically UV has broken down the plastic. there is no real fix for it.

to give you an idea my original vermillion red panels were so bad that i could put my finger through the plastic just pushing on it. nothing was holding the plastic together.

because the plastic is so brittle you can't put any weight on it. if somebody got in and out of the car and put weight on the hand rest area they may fall through the panel and get hurt.

you can paint the plastic but any new paint will scratch off it very easily and it will continue to disintegrate.

The fiberglass re-enforcement won't last, eventually the fiberglass will De-laminate from the ABS plastic panel. it would be better to make a mold from the original and create a new quarter panel from fiberglass and finish with Krylon Wrinkle paint to simulate Camera Case black texture. I've seen people try and patch and re-enforce the panel and it will just keep falling apart.

they made reproduction panels and they are complete garbage stay away from them unless you have a track car and need a limited interior.

the only solution is to fabricate new panels from wood shape as needed and cover them with vinyl to make them look factory or cough up lots of money for decent originals. if you attempt to patch the originals with a filler just be aware that if somebody puts weight on it and the plastic is very brittle it will fall apart.

if your plastic is just falling apart on the surface and can take weight without breaking then you can easily Spray paint it with Krylon Fusion paint. it will eat into the plastic slightly and not require a primer.

alternative is using a Plastic Dye spray paint, however i found it does not bond as well as the krylon paint.

just for a reference this is what i had to deal with:

22965690149_large.jpg


DCP02100.jpg


complete replacement was my only solution

104.jpg


 
GEDC2039.JPGGEDC2040.JPGNaz got it right, as you can see in my pics it's much worse. Sanding it down I think would remove the grain texture though. other suggestions I got include applying a polyurethane coating before painting, so the surface isn't so brittle. Fortunately it's not in the most visible spot. thanks for the suggestions!
 
some guys have used bondo and basically skimmed the panel removing the texture in an effort to give the panel some strength. the minute the panel flexes enough all that work is ruined.

there is rubber bumper repair bondo that stays rubbery and people have used that as well.

sanding it down will remove the texture but you can bring it back with wrinkle paint. the paint will texture as it dries and it comes in black.

if the panel is not at the point where it will break in half from being brittle and the surface is just the problem, clean it with 100% alcohol which won't ruin the plastic like lacquer thinner or give it a nice soapy bath and a rinse. Then use Krylon fusion Semi Gloss or Eggshell paint on it.

you can even come close to the original ginger color if wanted. it will seal the plastic.

putting poly on it will do nothing the poly will flake off over time.

since these are coupe panels they are much easier to get and cheaper also, fastback panels are very hard to find especially 71- early 72 before the rear seat belt re-tractors, the early plastic also tends to fall apart easier. Late 72 to 73 panels seem to be made out out a better more UV stable plastic.

you could think about replacement if the UV breakdown goes deeper then the surface.

interesting to note.

many times ford would run out of the proper color molded panels so they would grab a set of red or white or blue panels and paint them brown or black, the paint protected the surface of the plastic from UV disintegration so i know guys that look for painted panels then strip them with ABS safe plastic paint remover then bomb them in the color they need. these painted panels are a great find and something to look for even if the color is wrong for your car you can refinish them.

 
I'm respectfully going to disagree with a few things in 72hcodes post..I say bunk that a panel can't be repaired to better than new condition by vacuum bagging /laminating a glass cloth skin to the rear of the panel..The ONLY reason it would de-laminate is because of using the WRONG adhesive for the layup..poor prep..the same holds true for dyeing interior parts..I have lost count of how many interiors I have restored dyed..I have never had any de-laminate..peel using the technique products in my video..All the case's of peeling I have seen were due to poor prep..poor application & using inferior interior products not meant for the job..SEM interior dye is the ONLY one I have ever used & it's the only product I recommend if you want lasting results that match oem appearance.. JMHO...

 
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the issue with de-lamination on the panels is due to the loose top layer of plastic that is degraded, you would need to sand down the layer of plastic to get a good bond to good plastic material. now if the panel is totally rotted out like i have seen there is zero chance to save it the plastic at that point turns back into powder and has no structural rigidity left to it. you can totally dye or paint anything and keep it from peeling with correct prep.

the issue with the ABS plastic in the 70s mustang is when the plastic is degraded through the entire thickness of the panel anything you try to attach to it will separate because the surface isn't even bonded to itself.

if you get a mustang from the desert, the body will be perfect, the interior will turn to ash the second you touch it.

that is just what i was talking about, as far as the fiberglass not bonding. if a panel is solid and just the surface is degraded you can sand the panel down and then re-enforce with fiberglass, and at least make it look good.

I have experience with panels, where i could take my index finger push on the plastic and go right through the panel. take a corner of the material and grind it into powder in my hands. the fiberglass would on'y bond to the loose surface particles which would snap off and de-laminate with any weight placed on a panel that deteriorated .

Also i have experience with vacuum bagging, fiberglass, and gel coating.... I make wings for Gliders :)

 
some guys have used bondo and basically skimmed the panel removing the texture in an effort to give the panel some strength. the minute the panel flexes enough all that work is ruined.

there is rubber bumper repair bondo that stays rubbery and people have used that as well.

sanding it down will remove the texture but you can bring it back with wrinkle paint. the paint will texture as it dries and it comes in black.

if the panel is not at the point where it will break in half from being brittle and the surface is just the problem, clean it with 100% alcohol which won't ruin the plastic like lacquer thinner or give it a nice soapy bath and a rinse. Then use Krylon fusion Semi Gloss or Eggshell paint on it.

you can even come close to the original ginger color if wanted. it will seal the plastic.

putting poly on it will do nothing the poly will flake off over time.

since these are coupe panels they are much easier to get and cheaper also, fastback panels are very hard to find especially 71- early 72 before the rear seat belt re-tractors, the early plastic also tends to fall apart easier. Late 72 to 73 panels seem to be made out out a better more UV stable plastic.

you could think about replacement if the UV breakdown goes deeper then the surface.

interesting to note.

many times ford would run out of the proper color molded panels so they would grab a set of red or white or blue panels and paint them brown or black, the paint protected the surface of the plastic from UV disintegration so i know guys that look for painted panels then strip them with ABS safe plastic paint remover then bomb them in the color they need. these painted panels are a great find and something to look for even if the color is wrong for your car you can refinish them.



this may be a gogod way to go. The panel is not shot, just the surface is poor.I haven't touched it yet, I didn't want to make anything worse. I haven't found replacement panels anywhere, I'm going with black for the interior which may help hide any remaining deficiencies.

thanks everyone!

 
just brush the surface with soap water and a medium brush like when you scrub a floor that should get all the loose stuff off without removing the texture. wash it well let it dry and bomb it with fusion semi gloss or eggshell black.

 
Also i have experience with vacuum bagging, fiberglass, and gel coating.... I make wings for Gliders :)
Me too.. Been designing flying my own design 2 meter pattern (r/c aerobatics http://nsrca.us/ ) Using c/f ....nomex...etc.. also been flying competitively since 95..I was always in the top 10 in the east coast..Haven't had time though in the last few years..Been a modeler involved with airplanes since 1970..As a matter of fact I started at Mitchell field (Now hofstra)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitchel_Air_Force_Base

 
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