Painting Interior Highlights (Details)
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JK Newbie
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 44
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From: Georgetown, TX
Painting Interior Highlights (Details)
I know there are some other threads with bits of information and photos, but decided to do a more detailed description to help other newbs like myself.
I spend some of today doing this project on my one week old JK Unlimited Sport.
Here are the parts I painted:
(4) Vent Trim
(2) Tweeter Covers
(2) Speaker Covers in Sound Bar
(1) Subwoofer Cover
(1) Gauge Panel Trim
(1) Dash Grab Bar
Tools Required:
Slot Screwdriver [For prying out panels with clips]
Powered Screwdriver with T10 and T20 tips [T10 tip for Sound Bar Speaker Covers & T20 tip for Subwoofer Cover]
Small Ratchet with 9/32 Socket and extension [For Tweeter Covers & Gauge Panel]
Screwdriver Socket 5/16 or Ratchet with Extension [For Dash Grab Bar]
Rubbing Alcohol
Latex Gloves without powder
My spray materials included:
(3) 8 oz. spray cans of Mopar Rescue Green Paint
(1) Can of Plastic Adhesion Promoter
(1) Can of Crystal Clear Enamel
[The can of Truckbed liner was for a metal piece that holds my spare tire on the Smittybuilt Rear Tire Carrier.]
We will start with Subwoofer Cover. This is simple, just use a powered screwdriver with the T20 tip and remove the (6) six screws that hold it in. The cover is then easily removed.
To remove the (2) two speaker covers in the sound bar, use the powered screwdriver with the T10 tip and remove the (3) screws that hold each in. There are easy plug connectors on each speaker, unclip and remove the speaker lest they fall out and break the connector or wires.
As you can see in this picture, I had not removed the speakers yet, but had removed the screws and covers. I saw that there was nothing holding them in and quickly removed them before they fell out.
Next, we will remove the tweeter covers. Some people have just masked the entire box to paint the cover, but I found it quite easy to remove the entire housing, the tweeters, and then the cover. First, use a small ratchet with extension and 9/32 socket. BE CAREFUL TO NOT DROP ANYTHING IN BETWEEN THE WINDOW AND DASH, PARTICULARLY THE SCREW YOU REMOVE HOLDING THE TWEETER HOUSING TO THE DASH. I took my time and had no problem.
The screw is right behind the tweeter housing.
After you remove the screw, the entire housing can be "popped" out by tilting the housing toward you. In the picture below you can see the orientation of the tabs.
Next, lay the speaker on its side and you can see the largest of the three tabs holding the speaker in the housing. There are three parts to this, the housing, the speaker, and the speaker cover (this is the part I wanted to paint).
In this photo, you can see that I have already "popped" the three tabs out. Start with one and apply pressure to the housing and once one pops, the other two are easy.
Next, you will want to remove the cover from the tweeter and there are (3) three tabs that hold this on. It is easy to remove the cover.
Here is a photo of the tweeter without the cover so you can see the tabs.
And here is the cover by itself.
To remove the air conditioning vents, you simply grab the circular vent trim and rotate counterclockwise. Don't worry, you can't break anything turning these. If you force one clockwise, you could break something.
Here is a duct with the vent and trim removed.
Next, we will remove the dash grab bar. There are two end pieces that simply "slide off" by being pushed outward. Do not try to pry these off, just get a good grip and push them away from the grab bar. If you have to put a slotted screwdriver in the gap to get it started, just go slowing and gently. Once these are off, you will use either a screwdriver socket or rachet with extension and 5/16 socket. These screws were in tight but did come out. As you remove the two screws, the handle comes right off.
Here is the grab handle on so you can see the two "end pieces" that you need to slide off to access the screws.
Here is what it looks like removed.
Finally, I began the process of removing the dash panels to access the gauge panel.
The bottom piece is only held on by clips. Using a slotted screwdriver, slide it up and under the edge (bottom is best place to start) and slowly "pop" out the clips.
You can see the clip holes at the bottom of this photo.
The next piece is hinged at the bottom (you can see in the photo above). So, I took the slotted screwdriver and "popped" out the clips at the top and this piece easily came off and once all the clips were out, the bottom hinges easily came out as well.
Next there are (2) two 9/32 screws that need to be removed that hold on the next piece. Remove these and then using a slotted screwdriver, carefully pop each clip holding on this piece and then the clear piece over the gauges. There are two rubber covers on the buttons you push to reset the mileage and cycle through. These pull off easily.
This is how it will look once everything is removed.
Next, I cleaned all the pieces with rubbing alcohol. From here on I wore latex gloves [the kind WITHOUT powder] to keep fingerprints off the trim pieces.
I laid out all the pieces for cleaning.
I laid out a drop cloth in my garage and spread the pieces out to prevent overspray and me stepping on them!
I first sprayed on the plastic adhesion promoter and I found that it did NOT help on the A/C vent trim and grab handle. The texture of the gauge panel is rough enough that is doesn't need anything. In hindsight, I would NOT use the adhesion promoter. It seemed to make the surface actually to smooth and paint ran on the A/C Vent trim at first.
The adhesion promoter said to paint within 10 minutes which I did. I sprayed every part with 3 to 4 LIGHT coats of paint. I allowed it to dry anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes in between coats (I killed time with NHL 11 on PS3). Next, I sprayed every piece with 3 coats of the Crystal Clear Enamel to make it shine like the exterior paint.
Here are the results:
Subwoofer
Speaker Covers:
Tweeter Covers:
A/C Vent Trim:
Grab Bar:
Gauge Panel:
This was my first time really doing something like this and I can say that overall the process was very easy. Take your time and enjoy the results!
I spend some of today doing this project on my one week old JK Unlimited Sport.
Here are the parts I painted:
(4) Vent Trim
(2) Tweeter Covers
(2) Speaker Covers in Sound Bar
(1) Subwoofer Cover
(1) Gauge Panel Trim
(1) Dash Grab Bar
Tools Required:
Slot Screwdriver [For prying out panels with clips]
Powered Screwdriver with T10 and T20 tips [T10 tip for Sound Bar Speaker Covers & T20 tip for Subwoofer Cover]
Small Ratchet with 9/32 Socket and extension [For Tweeter Covers & Gauge Panel]
Screwdriver Socket 5/16 or Ratchet with Extension [For Dash Grab Bar]
Rubbing Alcohol
Latex Gloves without powder
My spray materials included:
(3) 8 oz. spray cans of Mopar Rescue Green Paint
(1) Can of Plastic Adhesion Promoter
(1) Can of Crystal Clear Enamel
[The can of Truckbed liner was for a metal piece that holds my spare tire on the Smittybuilt Rear Tire Carrier.]
We will start with Subwoofer Cover. This is simple, just use a powered screwdriver with the T20 tip and remove the (6) six screws that hold it in. The cover is then easily removed.
To remove the (2) two speaker covers in the sound bar, use the powered screwdriver with the T10 tip and remove the (3) screws that hold each in. There are easy plug connectors on each speaker, unclip and remove the speaker lest they fall out and break the connector or wires.
As you can see in this picture, I had not removed the speakers yet, but had removed the screws and covers. I saw that there was nothing holding them in and quickly removed them before they fell out.
Next, we will remove the tweeter covers. Some people have just masked the entire box to paint the cover, but I found it quite easy to remove the entire housing, the tweeters, and then the cover. First, use a small ratchet with extension and 9/32 socket. BE CAREFUL TO NOT DROP ANYTHING IN BETWEEN THE WINDOW AND DASH, PARTICULARLY THE SCREW YOU REMOVE HOLDING THE TWEETER HOUSING TO THE DASH. I took my time and had no problem.
The screw is right behind the tweeter housing.
After you remove the screw, the entire housing can be "popped" out by tilting the housing toward you. In the picture below you can see the orientation of the tabs.
Next, lay the speaker on its side and you can see the largest of the three tabs holding the speaker in the housing. There are three parts to this, the housing, the speaker, and the speaker cover (this is the part I wanted to paint).
In this photo, you can see that I have already "popped" the three tabs out. Start with one and apply pressure to the housing and once one pops, the other two are easy.
Next, you will want to remove the cover from the tweeter and there are (3) three tabs that hold this on. It is easy to remove the cover.
Here is a photo of the tweeter without the cover so you can see the tabs.
And here is the cover by itself.
To remove the air conditioning vents, you simply grab the circular vent trim and rotate counterclockwise. Don't worry, you can't break anything turning these. If you force one clockwise, you could break something.
Here is a duct with the vent and trim removed.
Next, we will remove the dash grab bar. There are two end pieces that simply "slide off" by being pushed outward. Do not try to pry these off, just get a good grip and push them away from the grab bar. If you have to put a slotted screwdriver in the gap to get it started, just go slowing and gently. Once these are off, you will use either a screwdriver socket or rachet with extension and 5/16 socket. These screws were in tight but did come out. As you remove the two screws, the handle comes right off.
Here is the grab handle on so you can see the two "end pieces" that you need to slide off to access the screws.
Here is what it looks like removed.
Finally, I began the process of removing the dash panels to access the gauge panel.
The bottom piece is only held on by clips. Using a slotted screwdriver, slide it up and under the edge (bottom is best place to start) and slowly "pop" out the clips.
You can see the clip holes at the bottom of this photo.
The next piece is hinged at the bottom (you can see in the photo above). So, I took the slotted screwdriver and "popped" out the clips at the top and this piece easily came off and once all the clips were out, the bottom hinges easily came out as well.
Next there are (2) two 9/32 screws that need to be removed that hold on the next piece. Remove these and then using a slotted screwdriver, carefully pop each clip holding on this piece and then the clear piece over the gauges. There are two rubber covers on the buttons you push to reset the mileage and cycle through. These pull off easily.
This is how it will look once everything is removed.
Next, I cleaned all the pieces with rubbing alcohol. From here on I wore latex gloves [the kind WITHOUT powder] to keep fingerprints off the trim pieces.
I laid out all the pieces for cleaning.
I laid out a drop cloth in my garage and spread the pieces out to prevent overspray and me stepping on them!
I first sprayed on the plastic adhesion promoter and I found that it did NOT help on the A/C vent trim and grab handle. The texture of the gauge panel is rough enough that is doesn't need anything. In hindsight, I would NOT use the adhesion promoter. It seemed to make the surface actually to smooth and paint ran on the A/C Vent trim at first.
The adhesion promoter said to paint within 10 minutes which I did. I sprayed every part with 3 to 4 LIGHT coats of paint. I allowed it to dry anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes in between coats (I killed time with NHL 11 on PS3). Next, I sprayed every piece with 3 coats of the Crystal Clear Enamel to make it shine like the exterior paint.
Here are the results:
Subwoofer
Speaker Covers:
Tweeter Covers:
A/C Vent Trim:
Grab Bar:
Gauge Panel:
This was my first time really doing something like this and I can say that overall the process was very easy. Take your time and enjoy the results!
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JK Newbie
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: New Castle, DE
If anyone is interested, I found a site that has Mopar Spray Paint on sale for $11.95 that is selling elsewhere for $15-16. I got 2 cans of the Surf Blue Pearl and can't wait to paint mine too. That color was not easy to find....www.wyckoffchryslerparts.com
JK Newbie
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: New Castle, DE
UPDATE: I went to my local dealer today for an oil change and asked how much they sell the spray paint for out of curiosity. It turns out it is only $9/can and I paid $11.95 plus shipping ! Oh well, that will be a lesson to me to shop around.