Refinishing the steering column

[Nicad]

My Coupe has quite a few spots of missing paint where the key has scratched the column over the years. I would bet most Coupes do. I would like to refinish both pieces, but I really do not want to remove the column from the car. Anyone have any ideas on how to achieve the original look? Ideally I would do a touch up rather than a total repaint.

I do not think Wrinkle paint will give me anything like the Original finish. I did an experiment where I applied VHT Wrinkle Paint with a brush and it turned out OK, but not that close to the original look.

I had an idea that the original finish is more like the texture you get from rocker panel spray than wrinkle paint. Maybe a bit could be applied, with the excess taken off right away and then coated in a semi gloss or Satin Black. I dunno.

ideas appreciated.

 

[HB Chris]

Only four slotted screws hold it in place so very easy to remove. If wrinkles still present just spray it with SEM Satin Black, it will look OEM.

 

[Nicad]

Yeah, I guess you have to take it out. I hate working under a dash though. Sounds like the right way to do it. I would like to add some texture to the spots where the finish is down to the Aluminum.

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

Just did this with perfect results; for the top part you can tape everything around the metal and spray trunk splatter paint on it. Let it dry a full day and hit it with some 300 emery cloth to knock down the pointy bits and then paint satin black.

 

[David]

Just did this with perfect results; for the top part you can tape everything around the metal and spray trunk splatter paint on it. Let it dry a full day and hit it with some 300 emery cloth to knock down the pointy bits and then paint satin black.

Peter, any photos available ? Do you think this would work on the center console too ?

 

[Nicad]

Just did this with perfect results; for the top part you can tape everything around the metal and spray trunk splatter paint on it. Let it dry a full day and hit it with some 300 emery cloth to knock down the pointy bits and then paint satin black.

Yeah, that makes sense. I wonder if you could apply this spatter paint just to the bare areas, remove any overspray with solvent and a rag right away then apply some Satin. My ideal solution is to keep the original finish and touch up the bad parts.

 

[Peter Coomaraswamy]

Here are a couple of pictures-before and after. Keep in mind that you can "flatten" the high spots to taste. Regarding the center console, it would be tough to flatten the high spots everywhere, and the trunk paint is pretty tough stuff so once dry it might take a bit to remove if you didn't like it. I think a good alternative might be as mentioned below, the lower body texture paint because it lays a little flatter when it is originally sprayed on.