[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Good answers, but not to the question!

Ppl, read! You're giving good, valid answers, but not to what the poster is asking, i.e. dash cover - not on the vertical surface the OPer is asking about, i.e. scratches in the rubberized coating - not in the plastic.

As to subsequent changes in design, seems they kept moving this rubberized $hit around from year to year. I have it on the top, flat surfaces, but only the side panels, not the center panel that houses the heat/ac outlets, radio head, controls, etc. Also the ends on my assist handle. Still in the door pull bezels.

What an absolute stupid concept for a finish, but as I don't remember this finish, noticable to the touch, on my '00 when I bought it new, I'm of the belief it is a degredation of the finish over time, caused by, most probably cabin temperature heating from sun, etc. and/or a possible reaction to ultraviolet light.

MOAV

 

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Thank you!

x2! to doing this out of the car with a solvent, but the alcohol should be fine, if it cuts this rubbery $hit. Alcohol is not going to hurt plastic, or paints. It's actually a good cleaning agent and drying agent for many things. I use it "denatured" alcohol on vinyl all the time to remove a lot of different kinds of stains.

When in doubt, get a a few more opinions...

 

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

How about Krylon "Fusion"? Lots of colors and finishes. Or a good quality bonding agent for plastic before the paint, lot of paint options once you solve the bonding issue; moddled, hammered, etc.

Going to be tough to wrap into voids and the like with vinyl!

 

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

I didn't have much luck with alcohol in actually pealing or stripping the paint off. Even 99% wouldn't take it all off.

I questioned that myself! Notice the "if" in my post just above.

 

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Spraypaint is very hard to get looking decent. The conditions have to be perfect and when you finally pull it off it never lasts. They have climate control systems in paint booths for a reason. The stock dash would be easy to wrap.

Here's a dash piece from another car wrapped in black carbon fibre vinyl, and that stuff has a reputation for being hard to apply:

I'm curtainly not advocating rattle cans, in lieu of properly painting many items that involve primers, sanding, and paint with catalytic hardners which give it durability. I haven't used Fusion but suspect that as it is designed for plastic it has an agent which actually impregnates the plastic causing the bond. That's why I suggested a bonding agent primer for any other type of paint. The durability is all in the preparation and quality of products used. I can state from experience though, that with fan spray nozzles, I can get paint application results that rival a gun. It also takes a week or better for paints to cure, not just the dry to touch that is indicated on the label. It is this curing that creates the ultimate bond and durability. Everyone gets in a rush and wants it "right now". The are also paints that are cured with ultraviolet light. It's like when you have paint work done to the body, no wax for thirty days! Why do you suppose that is! And there are dryers and hardners added to that paint and clearcoat.

What I see you proposing (I thought you were talking about real vinyl, not vinyl surfaced contact paper) presents it's own challenges. Thermo-formed, adhesive backed, vinyl aftermarket appliqués are one thing, but while it looks great, vinyl faced contact paper is thin, nicks easily, telegraphs dirt and/or imperfections underneath, and always has edges, which from handling, such as on the door of the bezel you've shown, will easily become frayed and loose. They won't stand up long to direct heat from the sun either.

MORAV

 

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

You know, I was talking with my wife the other night (since the bug technically is "her" car) and brought up the "hammered finish" paints. I personally think it'd look cool as heck to paint all the black "rubbery $hit" coated pieces in the black hammered paint and then go over that with a matte clear coat to reduce glare.

There actually are specialty primers made specifically for the purpose of priming plastic (not just any old primer like for metal), and clearcoats with catalyst (2 part) that you actuate in inside the rattlecans, also for the purpose of not having to have professional gunning equipment, for the purpose of painting small parts. I can give you a link if you need or would like it. Dashes are mat finish, and dark, for the purposes of anti-glare, but I have seen the center section in a NB done in gloss and it was sharp! I'm not sure just the center section would be a highly objectionable glare issue.

I know I have to do something with my "sides", everytime I have the top down, if is a major effort cleaning them, the rubbery $hit seems to attract everything, and it "sticks". Just bought a mini California Duster for dashes to try and see how that works.

People who can't get quality results with today's rattle cans, are either buying inferior products, the wrong product for the application, not painting in the right conditions, don't know how to apply spray paint (it is an art), or a combination of all.

PS - I think hammered would be killer! Done sparingly.

 

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

I think vinyl would be tougher than the original rubberized finish but any place you are touching all the time wouldn't be a good place to use it obviously. Personally for the door handles I'd peel the rubber crap with alcohol and call it a day.

For the dash though it would be an ideal solution I think and the edges can wrap around the back and you'll never see them. Don't think of vinyl wrap as something you lay down flat and that's it. Think of shrinkwrap tubing, it works in a similar way, you can wrap just about anything in it.

Check this out. If you're impatient skip to 2:30

YouTube - Carbon Fiber Vinyl Wrapping w/ HEAT GUN (Complex Curves) by DECALFX.COM

I already understand the heating method of installing, I wasn't saying it was a flat surface only application. I can promise you though that first time DIYers won't get the results that professionals get who have learned the "tricks" of the trade. Just like applying film to windows, yeah you can save a couple bucks (not a DIY) project for most people. I pick up that your rather talented and experienced with many things that others may not be, and this might work well for you, and I applaud you for such an undertaking.

Keep in mind, carbon fibre is just that, a fibre adding strength and durability. Not quite the same with standard 1-2 mil (maybe less) vinyl coatings. I actually think that the black carbon fibre is a great looking finish on that piece, just question it's durability for that application.

Like I said early on, I don't think the factory finish, was either "rubbery" or "easily scratched" when it was new. I don't remember this surface in my '00 NBT (bought new). I think it is a result of time, heat, and ultra-violet degredation of the original coating. Typical of most everything else in the cabin of the Bug.

MORAV

 

[MyOtherRidesAVette]

Here's the link, you're looking for the SEM Primer and the Catalyzed Clearcoat Products. They have VW body paint colors here in rattle cans also, but for touch up you'll never marry it into you're existing paint. I'm not sure what you would ever use it for, except I found this looking for the ability to match my real NBC color on a toy car I'm doing to match. Another thread.
https://www.paintscratch.com/cgi-bin/place_order2.cgi

There is also a non-automotive primer "XM Primer" (this is the name and the Google) which will probably work well on plastic, I have used it on glass which is a very difficult surface to bond to without using heat cured paints. You won't find it at HD or Lowe's! lmao

The biggest trick to spray painting (always use a paint with a fan spray nozzel), is even, overlapping strokes, and many very thin, light coats, allowing drying time in between. Helps with the bond and the elimination of runs and orange peel. Painting a 6" x 6" piece might take 45 min to an hour just to paint, as opposed to the typical DIYer who in 15 minutes has something painted and reinstalled. Another tip, very, very few ppl know, between each coat and after use, turn the can upside down and spray until the paint stops spraying. The nozzel won't clog this way and start "spurting" paint globs.

If you wan't a good job, paint a few samples first and don't be in a hurry. If it requires two cans to gain some experience, it will be worth the cost of the second can. Lacquers, which result in the best finish, are also the hardest to spray.