Wood Trim Problem
04-08-13, 08:45 AM
#1
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Wood Trim Problem
I bought a 95 300 5sp. 5 months ago(I'm now a dedicated SC fan!) but she had it parked under a tree on a farm for 4 years. The drivetrain purrs but the interior is shot. I'm slowly rebuilding the interior but one of the problems is that the wood trim pieces have a cream colored mikly coating on the them that won't come off with normal cleaners. I thought no problem, I'll to the local pick a part places and take them. But lo and behold, there are 5 that I checked out and they all have the same problem to different degrees. Is this just a Florida thing or have I been just unlucky? Has anybody else seen this and if yes, what is it and does anybody know what needs to be done.
Thanx
Thanx
04-08-13, 09:11 AM
#2
The trim isn't covered with anything; its clear coat is now cloudy from sun exposure.
The only fix is to strip it and re-clear. I'm about to do that with my car shortly. It is paint, not varnish, so you'd need to use a paint stripper to remove the clear. Rinse the wood and let it dry, then re-clear with the spray of your choice.
I think I'll use marine varnish on mine. It may not be as shiny but it'll look like real wood ('cause it is) and will stand up to the sun well too.
The only fix is to strip it and re-clear. I'm about to do that with my car shortly. It is paint, not varnish, so you'd need to use a paint stripper to remove the clear. Rinse the wood and let it dry, then re-clear with the spray of your choice.
I think I'll use marine varnish on mine. It may not be as shiny but it'll look like real wood ('cause it is) and will stand up to the sun well too.
04-08-13, 09:17 AM
#3
Lexus Champion
The OEM finish is polyurethane varnish. Be very careful trying to refinish. The wood veneer is very, very thin in order to be shaped to the compound curves it is adhered to. Trying to use a sander would be disasterous, in my opinion.
04-08-13, 10:23 AM
#6
most likely it does not need to be refinished completely, most times the cloudyness is caused by moisture from the humidity, it needs to be sanded , go a few times with 220 then much more with 320 and then 400, then clear coat it, it should be back to new after that.
Dont sand through the clear coat, just give it a good sanding and cleaning and then hit it with the clear.
Dont sand through the clear coat, just give it a good sanding and cleaning and then hit it with the clear.
04-08-13, 12:20 PM
#7
most likely it does not need to be refinished completely, most times the cloudyness is caused by moisture from the humidity, it needs to be sanded , go a few times with 220 then much more with 320 and then 400, then clear coat it, it should be back to new after that.
Dont sand through the clear coat, just give it a good sanding and cleaning and then hit it with the clear.
Dont sand through the clear coat, just give it a good sanding and cleaning and then hit it with the clear.
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04-08-13, 01:04 PM
#8
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Thanx for all the advice but I took a piece from another car and it looked like a solid piece of wood but a couple of posts say it's just a thin wood strip and not to sand it at all or very very little while others say sand it down completely. Does anybody have a tie breaker?
04-08-13, 03:30 PM
#9
There's a site that sells replacement wood trim in multiple styles including OEM for $130. It also includes wood trim are car doesn't have...check it out...I think I'll be purchasing this soon. I'm a big fan of wood interior, only problem is I'm not sure if I'm going to go with the gated shifter or keep the dildomatic and get it redone....
04-08-13, 08:24 PM
#11
I hit a test piece with varnish remover and it did nothing. Didn't change it in any way.
Other threads have said to use paint stripper to remove it. I'm going to work out the process on some trashed pieces before doing it on the real ones.
Other threads have said to use paint stripper to remove it. I'm going to work out the process on some trashed pieces before doing it on the real ones.
04-09-13, 12:29 AM
#12
I'd start off by wet sanding it with something like 2000 grit paper. If that doesn't work, go for 1500, 1200 etc until you see some results. Like others have said, it is real wood, its the finish on the wood that's cooked. I'd be very careful because like others have said, its a wood veneer, that is about 1/32 of an inch thick, so its way easy to sand through the wood.
04-09-13, 08:03 AM
#13
Lexus Champion
If the cloudy appearance is mostly the surface, you might try using rubbing compound on it. But if it penetrates the finish to any depth, that won't work either. Might be worth a try.
By the way, my information on the finish came from Lexus. Shortly after I bought the car new, I called them to inquire about the finish and how to care for it. They said it was polyurthene and just use the same wax that I used on the exterior. That's what I've done for the past 21 years and it still looks perfect. Of course it's always been garaged and I used to cover it when possible when at work during the day.
By the way, my information on the finish came from Lexus. Shortly after I bought the car new, I called them to inquire about the finish and how to care for it. They said it was polyurthene and just use the same wax that I used on the exterior. That's what I've done for the past 21 years and it still looks perfect. Of course it's always been garaged and I used to cover it when possible when at work during the day.
04-09-13, 08:12 AM
#14
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Thanx for all the advice. I'll do the wet sand with 1500 grit being very careful not to go too deep. Any advice on what product to use after the sanding? And no I won't be painting it black!
04-11-13, 10:06 AM
#15
Lexus Champion
Using sandpaper on the sharp curved areas will be difficult to obtain an even sanding depth. You might want to consider using the very finest steel wool instead.
