03 Neon SXT in-dash Xenarc install

**damarble** · 06-30-2006, 01:43 AM

OK I think I'm done with the shaping and sanding. Will pickup some plastic and/or high-build primer tomorrow and post up a pic. I think I will start off with 2 coat plastic primer, light sand in between, then like 3 or 4 coats high-build primer if needed, still sanding between each coat until the finish it perfect. Once I get my final coat of primer on I think I should have a good idea about wether I should go with a glossy black or a matte black textured.

Any recommendations on primer choice? I was leaning towards Krylon for the plastic and Duplicolor for the high build.

**Sidewalksalvage** · 06-30-2006, 04:40 PM

Ive used Krylon on mulitple occations and have yet to have a problem with it on plastics. Except for one time when the can exploded on me and i ended up wiht about an inch of pain on my cell phone...but tahts my fault...the paint works well

**damarble** · 07-01-2006, 03:01 PM

I ended up getting NAPA Technique Polypropolene Clear Primer for the base coat, and Dupli-Color Filler Primer for the finishing priming. It's looking good but can use a little more sanding. I highlighted in the 2nd pic where I didn't build up the plastic as much as the other side. I can't decide if I should fix it, on one hand I want it to be perfect but OTH it seems like a lot of trouble for something that is hardly noticable. I think I will just use bondo if I do fix it, since that area is very sturdy from all the angles and has zero flex.

Also got started on the PC mounting. I at first planned to hang it and the amp from under the rear dash. But every way I tried just looked ghetto. So I figured the best way was to make a box to sit behind the rear seats. The box will be roughly 35" wide, 12" deep, 5" tall. It will hold the PC, the amp for speakers, and when I get it, the amp for sub(s). It's part plywood and part MDF. Will cover in carpet to make it look really nice. I'm going for the stealth look, no visible bling.

**Sidewalksalvage** · 07-02-2006, 08:51 PM

Wow Man thats incredible i love how the fabbed dash came out!

**damarble** · 07-02-2006, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by Sidewalksalvage

Wow Man thats incredible i love how the fabbed dash came out!

Thanks! I ended up using a little bondo after that pic. The thing is so smooth now I'm really thinking I should go with a high gloss black paint instead of texture. Even wax the thing, would be gorgeous.

Now how about those pix of your install?

**Sidewalksalvage** · 07-02-2006, 10:51 PM

HAHAHA im getting to it
I vaccumed the car out and prepared it for pics...then it sarted to rain...

**damarble** · 07-08-2006, 02:16 PM

Now I'm ****ed. I got it molded and sanded so perfectly that I decided high gloss black paint was the way to go. After priming I sprayed the first coat, it was absolutely beautiful. So I waited a few mins before a second coat, it started going on fine, then bam. Globs started flying.

Now I have to wait a week before I can sand (directions on can) and start over.

Freaking annoying because I expected to have it installed during the weekend.

**Shadow** · 07-08-2006, 04:56 PM

At least you didn't buy cheap paint. What kind of nozzle is on the can, the normal press down one or the one with the little lever and the pin that sprays a little fan shaped area?

When you're spraying, watch for buildup on the lip around the top of the spray can. When possible, try to get the second kind of spray nozzle, it leaves a better finish.

You can more than likely wetsand the thing in 3 days, read the can. Wetsand it with 400 until it's really smooth, let it dry, wipe the whole thing down with a tack cloth, and then spray another color coat and try to get it perfect. It should come out okay.

**damarble** · 07-08-2006, 05:45 PM

Yeah the paint I went with was the Dupli-Color stuff. It's good stuff but I should've been watching the nozzle. It's the second one you described. It built up just like you said but I wasn't thinking about it.

I was thinking along the same lines about dry time. I was going to give it 3 days. It says it's dry enough to handle in 3 hours, and I'm going to leave it in a car parked in the sun, the heat should cure it quickly.