Chapter 27: The Grayness Within

Chapter 27: The Grayness Within
28 January 2004 One day, I believe it was in the fall of 2002; I finally got sick of getting ridiculous quotes for interior painting from shops that would probably screw the job up anyway. The time had come to finish this big Beast off once and for all, inside and out.

To begin such and undertaking meant confronting an unfortunate truth: You’re supposed to paint the interior BEFORE you paint the outside. Most paint shops would balk at taking on the job for just this reason. According to their reasoning, there weren’t enough rolls of tape and old newspapers on earth to keep overspray off the exterior finish.

I say it is time we find out of their phobias are justified. And if they are, so what? I paid less than $600 for the paint job.

Stage I: Pick a color
Gray. Well, duh. Goes with any color, approximates stock. There were a few important factors to consider: first, I wanted to do it myself, so we’re going to use an enamel I can shoot myself, either out of a spray gun or spray can. Second, I needed to get a really common paint color, so if new accessories were added or spot painting had to be done I could rely on future supplies.

The approach that developed: remove everything removable from the interior. Sand, prime, and paint everything removed, then sand, prime and paint the remaining interior (dash, roof, floor and cargo walls). This method would allow for very even, drip-free application for most parts.

I picked spray cans: a very good rust-inhibiting primer and Rustoleum Light Gray enamel. A pair of those plastic handles that snap onto the can and turn them into easy-to-handle mini spray cans, and we’re ready to go. Oh, and many, many rolls of masking tape and lots of Kraft paper and newsprint.

Stage II: Disassembly and Prep
Off came: the suburban headliner, steering wheel support bracket, the seats, glove box door, ashtray, door covers, door latches, steering wheel, turn signal bucket, windshield shades, stick shift, parking brake handle, dash trim strip, and all the back door and cargo area access plates. I put all the door cover screws in holes I punched in a shoebox, so as to paint the heads.

I just took a brute-force approach to masking: I stripped as much tape as I could on all the doors and windshield and covered the hood and panel body with tarps. The whole masking process took several evenings.

Stage III: Painting
I started sanding and priming the off-vehicle parts before the weekend (when I planned to do all the interior painting). I was rewarded with all the time spent disassembling with very good, even coverage. About the only difficulty was trying to eyeball how well the gray enamel was covering the gray primer. The top layer was very subtly more greenish than the primer coat; even in sunlight it was tough to see until it dried and the matte primer peeked out.

On Saturday my sister (owner of the left half of the panel van, remember) came over to help with the painting, by the time she made it over, about two or so, I had already sanded and primed most of the cab area. We both started spraying the cargo area, working our way towards the back doors. By six we had it all done, well ahead of schedule. Late that night I checked for bad coverage and touched up any thin areas.

The next morning we reassembled all the off-vehicle parts except the headliner. It looked totally stock slick. Practically no paint drips, just one unified color from dashboard to cargo doors. I suppose I just got used to looking at the hodgepodge of primer, old paint, and rust inhibitor that colored the inside since 1999. Now, the interior is as clean and presentable as it’s been since it rolled off the dealership lot. And with the trim we’re adding, even more so.

As for those painting professional naysayers: NOT A DROP of interior paint got onto the exterior. About the only overspray areas I found was a slight misting below the right door (which buffed out) and a line on the windshield (which yielded to a razor).

Stage IV: Trim
There was a headliner for the cab section of the panel delivery back when it was new. It was probably long gone by 1983, when it was re-discovered in a field. I’m certain the inside roof was never even painted. The rust inhibitor I brushed on was the only thing that kept the roof from disintegrating from the inside out. It’s all healthy now, but at the expense of appearing an odd purple-maroon-black color.

My vision for the trim was textured cardboard, like canvas artboard or jute-faced board, dark gray to contrast with the medium gray metal. Unfortunately, the width of the roof from the upper edges of the suburban headliners is 48". A visit to Flax, one of the largest art supply stores in the west coast, confirmed the largest art board available is 42" at it’s widest.

But they did have foam core in sheets measuring 48"x96". I bought a couple of gray ones and, with measurement and very careful cutting, fashioned roof liner panels that wedged perfectly between the roof bows and tucked underneath the headliner. It took some care to not crease the sections. The results, though not really stock, looked very, very neat. The foam core has an added bonus of having sound and temperature insulating properties. I measured up additional squares for the sides of the cargo area between the support columns, which also fit very well (but unfortunately I didn’t have enough to cover the back sections all the way to the doors).

Finally, I feel the Beast is show-worthy. Sure, it still won’t take any prizes, but it can park with the Bel-Aires and hold it’s head high.