2002 Silverado Custom Dash Bezel

[az_silverado]

Decided I wanted to do some work on the interiror of my truck, and this has been a pretty easy fabrication so far.

I started by taping off around the deck:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/dmustafa/Custom%20Dash%20Bezel/8de7d7a3.jpg

Trimmed off the excess:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/dmustafa/Custom%20Dash%20Bezel/DSCN0217.jpg

Dash bezel back in place:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/dmustafa/Custom%20Dash%20Bezel/DSCN0218.jpg

I used duramix 4040 (which is a semi-rigid plastic repair) to tack the deck bezel to the dash bezel:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/dmustafa/Custom%20Dash%20Bezel/DSCN0219.jpg

I'm in arizona, so it only took a couple minutes for that stuff to set; then I removed the dash bezel:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/dmustafa/Custom%20Dash%20Bezel/DSCN0221.jpg

Masked off the front side of the bezel so I could come from the back and fill in the gaps with more Duramix. If I could do it over I wouldn't have taped all the way to the bottom of the dash bezel, but to the middle part that separates the din from the a/c controls:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/dmustafa/Custom%20Dash%20Bezel/DSCN0247.jpg

Here is a shot of the back side after I applied the Duramix in the gaps. I taped the inside of the deck bezel that way I wouldn't get any Duramix in there to save time on sanding later:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/dmustafa/Custom%20Dash%20Bezel/DSCN0248.jpg

Shot of the front side after sanding with some 50-grit. I also filled in that space on the left side of the dash bezel the same way as well as filling in the gap that goes around the outside edge.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/dmustafa/Custom%20Dash%20Bezel/DSCN0250.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/dmustafa/Custom%20Dash%20Bezel/DSCN0251.jpg

Body filler applied. I use Evercoast Rage Gold, which is a lightweight filler. It spreads and sands much easier than the Bondo and is pretty much the same price. Working in 100 degree weather made it kinda tuff to get the filler/hardner ratio right though. The first couple tries I only had a minute or two working time with it:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/dmustafa/Custom%20Dash%20Bezel/DSCN0252.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/dmustafa/Custom%20Dash%20Bezel/DSCN0253.jpg

Sanded with 50, 60, then 80-grit:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/dmustafa/Custom%20Dash%20Bezel/DSCN0257.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/dmustafa/Custom%20Dash%20Bezel/DSCN0258.jpg



Some shots after a couple coats of primer. I wanted to get a better visual of the imperfections and there's quite a few. I was hoping that since I was using a high-build primer it would fill in the texture on the bezel, but it didn't. I'm using an HVLP gun and I'm pretty inexperienced with it so maybe I'm doing something wrong. I'm gonna fill in a couple pin holes and go over the whole bezel with some metal glaze, then prime it again, and attempt to paint it myself. I've already got the paint to match the color-code of my truck:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/dmustafa/Custom%20Dash%20Bezel/DSCN0259.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/dmustafa/Custom%20Dash%20Bezel/DSCN0260.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/dmustafa/Custom%20Dash%20Bezel/DSCN0261.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/dmustafa/Custom%20Dash%20Bezel/DSCN0262.jpg

Well that's it for now. Comments. Suggestions. Let me know what you guys think.

[bobditts]

Looks great! I also have a HVLP gun that I want to try out. How do you like it? does it shoot the paint well? Anything I should look out for?

[ArcL100]

Here's what you do:

1. Go to meijers and buy some Bondo spot putty from the automotive section in a lil tube. Buy a few.

2. Coat the ever loving shit out of that thing with it until its fully covered. Wait a couple hours or so to ensure its dry through.

3. Start with a sandpaper rated higher then 100. Take you time sand it all down smooth. Shouldn't take more then 2 tries like this to get it all smooth.

That's how I got the texture out of my pillars:
http://www.z2b2.com/Picture%20908.jpg

-aaron

[AzGrower]

Hmm seeing as how the rest of the interior on the Chevy trucsk is textured, just re texture the piece with some SEM Texture Coating and shoot your color on that. I dont see a real need to get it all smoothed out.

But I agree that you should use some spot putty as its great for pinholes and small imperfections.

D

[datac99]

Thanks for the pics of this in process. It's great to see someone working on stuff, solving the problems and refining the process. We all get better when people realize that things rarely come out perfect on the first try... I used to never even start project cuz' I would just sit around imagining all the ways something could go wrong and try to solve all the problems in my head... It actually took a few years of reading computer modding forums, seeing some of the truly fantastic work that people did, and then checking out the work logs they posted and realizing the some small detail that I was in awe of was the product of 5-10 attempts.

That and you guys all know these cool materials that I never had any idea about until I started reading this forum... Textured vinyl paint etc...