I am restoring a pair of 1967 Cutlass black bucket seats. I have removed the two lower metal side panels and the back panel and bead blasted them. Surfaces look very good and they are now ready for paint. My questions:
1) Should the panels be primered ? They didn't appear to be primered from the factory and I am concerned that the more primer/paint layers applied will reduce the texture appearance.
2) What brand and finish paint is recommended to correctly match the original black color and finish ?

Thanks

Steve

 

I like the SEM landau black. The color and sheen match the black interior of that era. It goes on very thin but covers well so it doesn’t change the texture much and you can use it on metal, plastic or vinyl.

 

x2

 

If you are painting the original metal seat backs and bottoms, I would not use SEM vinyl paint. You paint them just like any other sheet metal parts. Don't use a thick primer surfacer, but something thin like a sealer coat would be smart before the color.

 

I would just use a light coat of etch primer ( use black, so the paint will cover faster, with less thickness.)Then matte black paint. Most any will do in the interior.

 

Here’s what I did with my 67 C/S, I really like the difference in shine between the vinyl and metal backs, Good luck. Brian

 

I used Krylon Satin Black after media blasting on mine, comes out very close to the original finish and retains most of the texture. The Krylon dries a LOT faster than Rustoleum, so you end up with less smutz landing on wet paint.

 

Since they are metal, I use a different SEM Product thats made for metal. Trim Black. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/smm-39143
It sprays out really thin (takes several coats) and does not require a primer. So this means your grain will still be fully defined.

Its spot on the same sheen black as the original.

 

Certainly a lot of good options to consider.
Thank you all for taking the time to share your recommendations.
I will post photos once I make a decision and complete the painting process.