TheSamba.com :: View topic - Westfalia interior gray paint

Fri Apr 30, 2021 11:39 am

Hi,

I've been browsing the forum for tips on repainting some metal in my Westy (1990, so gray): grille under the fridge, front table leg, etc. I've found several paint tones. So... which is it?
I understand none won't be a perfect match. But if you've used one of these, what's your experience? How does the colour compare to the stock Westfalia grey?

1/ DOVE GREY
Brands and references mentioned:
Krylon 1605,
Valspar 165816,
Plasti-kote 364
https://www.grainger.ca/en/product/PAINT-AEROSOL-DOVE-GREY-15OZ/p/RLMV2184-838

2/ STONE GREY - SATIN
Rustoleum Painter's Touch
https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer...one%20Gray

3/ SMOKE GREY - SATIN - result: sometimes darker, sometimes lighter than stock
Rustoleum 7786
(Apparently hard to find in spray cans)
https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-K7786-402-RUST-OLEUM-K7786402-Enamel/dp/B001CESK8C

4/ GRANITE - SATIN
Rustoleum Painter's Touch 249855
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/rust-oleum-painte...1000777568
https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer...one%20Gray

5/ DARK MACHINE GRAY - ENAMEL - result: darker than stock
Rustoleum
https://www.grainger.ca/en/product/PAINT-AEROSOL-DK-MACHINE-GREY-15OZ/p/RLMV2187-838

6/ WARM GRAY
SEM 15183
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PKX0GG

Reference posts or threads:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=257439
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=528786
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9627239#9627239

Fri Apr 30, 2021 12:00 pm

Stone Gray to my eye

Fri Apr 30, 2021 12:18 pm

not #5 - i went with that and it is much darker...

Fri Apr 30, 2021 12:26 pm

Rustoleum Granite Satin has been my go to for years. YMMV.

Fri Apr 30, 2021 12:40 pm

Smoke Stone Gray is too light to be a match for the metal components, which are about the color of the rubber trim:

I used Krylon's River Rock on the skylight plastic, which is a good match for the poptop components, but is a touch grayer than the original color.

Fri Apr 30, 2021 1:00 pm

I used the Dark Machine Gray for the stove front and trim on my truckfridge. It looks good to my eye, but darker than the gray used on the table legs. The OEM stove front color always looked kind of dingy to me, so pleased with the new color.

Fri Apr 30, 2021 2:25 pm

I have used this combination for all my Westy projects:

Preparation: SEM 38353 Plastic / Leather Prep Aerosol Spray

Paint: SEM 15183 Warm Gray Color Coat

Clear Coat: SEM 13023 Color Coat - Low Luster Clear Aerosol

The Isotherm fridge controller bezel and the Truckfridge frame pictured below are both painted in this method.

kourt

Fri Apr 30, 2021 3:11 pm

Kourt, you're not supposed to add to the confusion by throwing in yet another color... :o
I'll update the list!

I like the dark machine grey, even though it's a bit darker. Is the enamel going to be more scratch-resistant than usual spray paint?

Fri Apr 30, 2021 5:16 pm

Rustoleum Gloss Smoke Grey but it looks darker to me, not lighter than stock. Regardless, I like it a lot.

Fri Apr 30, 2021 8:23 pm

I've noticed several different gray colors in Westies, so it depends on which gray one is trying to match. Personally, I've been using the Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X Ultra Cover Stone Gray Satin for at least a couple years now. (They may win the award for longest paint name!)

I've also noticed what seems to be color-changing paint in Westies. Particularly the stove front (where the knobs are) and the table legs look almost olive-green under the right light or at least have a touch of green apparent. I really don't care for that gray hue and have used the Stone Gray Satin on the table legs, the skylight cover and other things. Eventually the stove front too...

Jim Davis

Fri Apr 30, 2021 9:40 pm

kamzcab86 wrote: Smoke Gray is too light to be a match for the metal components, which are about the color of the rubber trim:

kamz, you say Smoke Grey is too light but your annotated photo shows a light gray that is named Stone Gray. I only point this out because I found Smoke Grey to be relatively dark.

jimf909 wrote: Rustoleum Gloss Smoke Grey but it looks darker to me, not lighter than stock. Regardless, I like it a lot.

I'm afraid the only answer may be in our pitching in $ to buy six cans of spray paint to see what's what.

Fri Apr 30, 2021 9:59 pm

SyncroHead wrote: I've noticed several different gray colors in Westies, so it depends on which gray one is trying to match.
I hadn't noticed that... For now, it's the grille under the fridge, and the small grille on the upper left side of the fridge cabinet.

SyncroHead wrote: Personally, I've been using the Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X Ultra Cover Stone Gray Satin for at least a couple years now. (They may win the award for longest paint name!)
Can you describe how it compares to the stock color (say the table leg or the stove front?)

jimf909 wrote:
I'm afraid the only answer may be in our pitching in $ to buy six cans of spray paint to see what's what.

Yup.... It looks like the end result depends on the lighting, and 45 other variables. If I accept that I can't have the stock color, I'll just buy the first one I find on my next trip to the grocery store, and call it!

Fri Apr 30, 2021 10:13 pm

VicVan wrote:

Yup.... It looks like the end result depends on the lighting, and 45 other variables. If I accept that I can't have the stock color, I'll just buy the first one I find on my next trip to the grocery store, and call it!

That sounds familiar. These are my notes from probably 3-5 or more years ago. It looks like I copied Kourt's recs exactly as he noted above. When it came time to paint, I didn't want to order paint and the local Ace had Rustoleum 7786(830), and I went with it.

Quote: Resources
- Gray paint: Rustoleum7786 Smoke Grey . . . got it at Lowe's
- SEM 15183 matches the factory grey trim color almost perfectly.
- SEM 13023 is a low luster clear that will make the grey the same sheen as factory
- SEM 38353 is a cleaner that you use to clean/prep the plastic before painting.

Sat May 01, 2021 1:36 am

Is there a RAL or other standardized equivalent?

Sat May 01, 2021 10:40 am

jimf909 wrote: kamz, you say Smoke Grey is too light but your annotated photo shows a light gray that is named Stone Gray. I only point this out because I found Smoke Grey to be relatively dark.

Proofreading fail!🤦🏻‍♀️

It is Stone Gray.

ZsZ wrote: Is there a RAL or other standardized equivalent?

Brown = RAL 8028
Gray = RAL 7037

Sat May 01, 2021 1:47 pm

Dove Gray has some yellow in it that looks right to my eye. Some of the others are bluish or "battleship". It may be that with time and use the interior yellows a bit, so the blue-grays look too blue.

Sat May 01, 2021 10:15 pm

VicVan wrote:
I like the dark machine grey, even though it's a bit darker. Is the enamel going to be more scratch-resistant than usual spray paint?

The enamel has held up pretty well on the metal stove face. I wish I took the time to do a better job stripping the original paint and prepping the surface. I can see some flecks under the surface and a few bubbles. Pretty sure I used the same enamel on the plastic truckgridge trim and there are a few small chips in it.

Sun May 02, 2021 8:44 am

Here’s what I used for my fridge project. A bit lighter than the plastic beading but looks great imho.

Sat Nov 20, 2021 11:34 am

Pending Revision

Sat Nov 20, 2021 11:57 am

derekdrew wrote:

I took pictures.

Yes, please to pictures.

Thanks for taking the effort to test and share results.

Pics? :lol: