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View Full Version : Inner door panels, Grey or Blue?


Turbosix
08-16-2005, 06:30 PM
Not being an original owner on a Grand National where there is not allot of info about, is tough, but challenging.
I have an 87 GN, where the interior plastic is a greyish color.
Now, when I bought this ride, there were wear marks on the passenger interior door panel, showing blue underneath. FINE.
I purchased the replacement speaker grill thing that is about 4 feet long which goes underneath the windshield, that came in a blue finished plastic, very similar if not the same color as the interior door panel. Along with that I purchased the factory correct grey spray paint to apply, and when everythings done, it will probably look great..........OK.....ALL THIS LEADS ME TO THE BIG QUESTION.
Is this the way GM Buick put this car together? That is, did they spray blue plastic interior door panels a grey color to match, or, do I not have an original interior door panel, and some previous owner sprayed it?

87 T Limited
08-18-2005, 04:05 AM
I’m certainly no authority…but the door panel was sprayed. The NOS stuff that I have recently seen is always blue. I assume this was done to lower costs, as their were many interior colors available. Their may have been a time when an original colored piece could have been available. The NOS interior pieces I have recently purchased are blue. It’s great because my interior is that color. I used the SEM color on a gauge pod, and the result (color match) depends on how much the paint is mixed. It is difficult to get an exact match.

Patrick

buddiiee
08-22-2005, 10:40 PM
Those interior panels are their colors through and through. Theyre injected that color at the factory. Ive had 3 other g bodies before my gn, and had deep scratches in their interior parts, and they were that color all the way through. No matter how you paint em, or how many coats you apply, interior parts are going to wear through regardless.. unless you baby the car, and never drive it. This was in 97 though, paint may have evolved by then, I'm not sure. If youre going to spraypaint them yourself, when theyre done, and cured, (dry, is dry to the touch, and wont rub off on your fingers, cured, is about a week later, when the paint is dried all the way through the coat) take 'em to a local body shop, and have em clearcoated with a flat, or semi gloss clearcoat, so that theyll wear longer. make sure you take that spray can with you, so that they know what type of paint you used, so that they can pick an appropriate clearcoat that wont react with your paint. Whoever replaced that upper door panel, didnt look long enough for a gn one. (i would have never done that myself, to a grand national) that front speaker plate thing you bought, I know what one you got, but.. there ARE grey ones out there. Ya just have to look. I'm not sure where I seen em, but i know there is a company selling the correct panels.

turbofish38
09-20-2005, 03:29 PM
To answer your question, the original plastic trim was color injection molded which means it should be gray colored plastic. Any replacement plastic interior part was the blue or someties black injection plastic. You were supposed to paint or dye it to the correct color. The upper speaker grille and the lower door trims were the most common parts to be replaced on our cars which explains why the paint is chipping off and there is blue plastic underneath. The last batch of speaker grilles I ordered came in a gray that is a little closer to the factory color but still a shade off. The lower door trims are discontinued. I have had good luck painting good used pieces I have picked up in the bone yards. There are some really good adhesion products out there. Lately I've been using some stuff under the brand name of Omni which is PPGs(Ditzler) budget line. It is a system so you get the best results by using everything they recommend, like the special prep to get rid of any Armour-All along with the special sealer. This stuff is so good you almost have to get another part and start over if you screw it up. It is almost impossible to remove.