Hey guys I am restoring my 85 Chris Craft Scorpion during the winter. A part of the long list of things to do is painting the switch/gauge panel and other miscelaneous panels in the boat. They are made of I believe plastic that is a tan/biege color. Is there any certain type of paint that I should use? Rattle can with a clear or something specific? Thanks for any help.

SEM makes some good flexible plastic coating products. Comes in a rattle can and in plenty of colors. Should be able to get it at any auto body shop supply place.

Perfect, exactly the advice I was looking for. Thanks Dave! P

P.S I have been lurking and reading alot on resto projects, paint types (awlcraft vs gel coat etc) and your name is always popping in there. Good to have useful knowledge like yours around!

Check out Ozarks Hydrographics. Cool stuff!

where do you get the blank plastic alone for guage panels? While were talking panels didnt meen to jack the post

No worries, only thing I've been able to find is either get it custom made or get lucky and find it on a parts boat or something...

Yea I can find pre cut for other boats but not blank material

you should be able to buy raw sheets in just about any color at any plastics supply place. There are several here in Toledo in the phone book (remember those things lol) under P . . . . for plastics - rods, sheets and tubes

You should look into acrylic it is scratch resistant but be careful working it. I would imagine there should be some places around Cleveland. Last full sheet i bought of 3/16 was around one fifty if memory serves.

You can go to a trophy shop. They have the 2 layer material that is used for signs. If you give them the layout they can cut the holes and engrave switch names from underside so the panel can be lit from the bottom. They will have many colors to help match you boat. The one I am having done has a red bottom layer with a clear upper layer. They will engrave through the red layer so at night the switch names will light up.

These guys seem to have whatever I have looked for... Plus they have a scrap shelf in the showroom that offers a fun time to find something that will work for a cheaper price....

http://www.hpmanufacturing.com/