Interior Body Paint Type?

[Maverick_2004]

I haven't been able to find this information anywhere. I was wondering if anyone knows what kind of paint or coating an explorer comes with from the factory on the interior metal body panels, like under the carpet and behind the plastic panels.

I don't know if it's different from year to year or trim packages, but mine is a 1998 Eddie Bauer. The paint is a grayish color. I don't know if it's an enamel or some type of epoxy or what exactly it is.

Actually, I'm wanting to know what kind of paint I can cover it with. There is little to absolutely no rust on the inside, but I'm more interested in sound and heat insulation. I'm thinking of just cleaning the factory-painted metal and painting over it with some home-made Lizardskin using ceramic "microspheres" http://www.hytechsales.com/insulating_paint_additives.html mixed into some kind of paint. But I want to make sure that the paint I chose will properly adhere to the paint that's already there. I'd like to use an elastomeric paint. Any suggestions?

 

[Explorer Junky]

I am not a pro body man, but I do feel you may be getting a little too technical! LOL Usually they just paint the WHOLE truck the same color with the same paint inside and out! Just faster and easier than sending it to another line for "SPECIAL" paint. I hear Lizard skin is pretty good stuff. I think what you do is just scuff the paint with a red Scotch Brite pad, clean it with a clean rag and some Prep solve, and spray or roll on. If you want to stop rust POR-15 is the stuff to use, then you can just put the Lizard skin over that.

 

[Joe Dirt]

You know, if it's an Eddie- I'm curious. A long time ago, someone mentioned that the Eddie had some additional sound deadening something-or-other on it, in the channels, etc like the foam on the newer Ford cars. Is that true, and is that coating (or whatever might be on there) be what Maverick is seeing?

Maybe snap a pic of the truck and the paint and post it up?

 

[Explorer Junky]

That very well could be! I already mentioned not being an expert! LOL I have heard of car companies doing that for additional sound proofing for the more "Elite" type vehicles. And with the additional 5000 dollar tag for Eddie's name, and some fender flares, they better do something!

 

[Maverick_2004]

It could be some kind of stock sound-deadening coating, I'm not sure; but I'd say it's probably just paint.

There are some stock resonance dampeners that have been applied to certain areas like on the floorboard where the feet would be and across part of the cargo bed area. You can tell a major difference in resonance when you tap these areas versus the regular areas. Both areas have been coated with the gray "paint" that I mentioned. Also, I noticed that some areas where the factory used a caulking material have been covered with the paint.

As a side note, I don't know if this is a higher trim detail or not, but there is some gray recycled-type underlay bonded to the bottom of most of the carpet. I assume it's for sound deadening, but obviously that's not what I'm asking about.

Since there is currently no rust, POR-15 or equivalent is unnecessary and the existing coating seems to be doing its job in that regard. With that in mind I'd like to leave it intact and simply paint over it, also reducing the time and labor required. If it really must be scratched before recoating, I guess a Scotch Brite pad will be fine. That's why I was curious about the stock paint type and its adhesion to whatever other kind of paint I'll use. What do you guys think?

I can post some pictures tomorrow, but I don't think that will help determine the type of paint they used.