I'm getting ready to paint the metal dashboard on my '68 (pad and such are all pulled). What is the best way to prep this? Does it need to be scuffed with sandpaper or can I just wash it and then wipe it down with alcohol?

Thanks,

 

Just like any other metal surface - sand or blast to bare metal with a bit of roughness, fix any major dents / dings, prime, fix any imperfections, then paint.

- Eric

 

As long as the existing paint is not peeling or cracked, you can sand it, wipe it down with a wax and grease remover and paint it. Fix any dings or dents first, prime those areas and the sand everything down with 400 paper and it will be ready for paint. If you are spraying a lacquer paint, I would finish sand with 600 prior to painting. Wet sanding will be the easiest. The top of the dash should be sprayed with a flat finish and the lower section of the dash will be semi-gloss. If you look closely, you'll be able to see where the factory made the line between the different finishes. Basically, anything above the dash pad is flat and anything below is semi-gloss.