Hey guys, let’s cut to the chase – if you’re scrolling here because you have a bin full of old auto plastic clips sitting around, wondering if you can paint them to match your new ride’s trim or just make ‘em look less dorky, you’ve come to the right spot. I’ve been in the auto plastic clips game for over a decade now, so I’ve heard every version of this question from DIYers, body shop techs, even a few professional car restorers who thought, “Eh, these clips are cheap, why not jazz ‘em up?” Let me break this down real, no-fluff style – no jargon, no generic “yes but maybe” garbage, just what works and what’s total waste of time. Auto Plastic Clips
First off, let’s get one thing straight: not all plastic clips are created equal. That’s the biggest mistake people make here – they grab a random spray can from the garage, blast the clips, and wonder why the paint chips off a week later. I’ll explain why that happens, but also why it’s avoidable, and what actually does work. Let’s start with the basics of plastic, because that’s the core of this whole thing. Auto plastic clips are made of different types of plastic, right? The two most common ones you’ll see are polypropylene (PP) and ABS. PP is the stuff that’s super flexible, used for all the under-hood, wheel-well, and interior trim clips that get squished and flexed all the time. ABS is a little stiffer, used for things like dashboard or door panel clips where there’s less movement.
Here’s the thing about PP plastic: it’s non-polar. That means it repels paint like oil repels water. If you just sand it a little and spray paint, it’s never going to stick – it’ll peel, flake, be a mess. ABS is a bit more forgiving, but still not the same as metal. Most people don’t even know what type of plastic their clips are made of, so that’s step one if you’re serious about painting them. How do you tell? Try this simple test: take a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab, rub an inconspicuous spot on the clip. If the plastic feels tacky or starts to soften, it’s PP. If it stays hard and solid, it’s ABS. That’s a quick, free test anyone can do at home.
Now, if you’re just messing around with a set of clips for a project car, maybe you don’t care about long-term durability. But if you’re a body shop tech, or someone who actually wants their painted clips to last until you replace your car, you need to do this right. I’ve seen DIYers skip the prep and be annoyed when their $10 worth of clips are ruined, and I’ve also seen pros mess it up because they cut corners on materials. Let’s walk through the step-by-step process that actually works, no shortcuts.
First step: Clean the clips like your life depends on it. Oil, grease, old road grime, even the tiny factory release agents that manufacturers put on plastic to keep it from sticking to molds during production – all of that has to go. If any of that is left, paint will never adhere. I like to soak clips in warm, soapy water with a little tsp of dish soap for 15 minutes, then scrub ‘em with a stiff brush to get in all the nooks and crannies. Then rinse really well, and let ‘em air dry completely – no rushing this. If they’re even a little damp, the paint will bubble or peel.
Next, sanding, but not just any sanding. For ABS clips, you can use 220-grit sandpaper to scuff the surface – enough to take the shine off, not enough to wear through the plastic. For PP clips, regular sandpaper won’t cut it. You need a plastic adhesion promoter, or a good primer made specifically for flexible plastics. Wait, hold on – some people will tell you to use a adhesion promoter and sand, some say just primer, some say both. Here’s the truth from someone who’s tested hundreds of sets: for PP, you want to spray a light coat of adhesion promoter first, let it dry for 10 minutes, then spray a flexible plastic primer. That primer is key because it moves with the plastic when the clip flexes, so it doesn’t crack or peel. If you skip the primer and just use regular paint, even if it’s flexible, it won’t stick long-term.
Wait, can you skip the adhesion promoter? I’ve tried that on PP clips, and within a month, the paint was flaking off. Even with primer, adhesion promoter adds that extra layer of grip. For ABS clips, you can skip the adhesion promoter if you sand really well, but I still recommend it – it just makes the whole job last longer, and it’s not that much extra work.
Now, painting. What kind of paint works? You want paint that’s flexible, obviously, because clips flex every time you use ‘em. So regular acrylic latex or even regular spray paint for metal is a no-go – that’ll crack the second you squish the clip into place. You need flexible paint, specifically labeled for plastic, and even better, labeled for flexible plastics. Brands like Krylon Fusion for Plastic (it says it’s for all plastics, which is mostly true), Rust-Oleum Plastic Spray, or if you’re a pro, the automotive-grade flexible paints that body shops use. One pro tip: spray thin coats, not one thick coat. Thick coats will run, and they’ll take forever to dry, and they’re way more likely to chip. Do 3-4 thin coats, letting each one dry for 10-15 minutes before spraying the next. That way, you get even coverage without the mess.
Wait, what about clear coat? Is that necessary? If you want your painted clips to look shiny and last even longer, yes. Clear coat adds a protective layer against scratches, UV damage, and all the crap your car is exposed to. Again, you need a flexible clear coat – not regular clear coat for metal. Spray a light coat of clear after the final color coat, let it cure for 24 hours, and you’re good to go.
Now, let’s talk about when it’s actually worth doing this, and when it’s not. Here’s the thing: auto plastic clips are super cheap. A pack of 100 universal clips costs like $5, right? If you’re working on a beater car that you’re gonna drive for another year and then junk, painting the clips is fine, no problem. But if you’re working on a $50k restoration project, and you need clips that’ll last 20 years? Maybe think twice. The prep work for each clip – cleaning, sanding, priming, painting, clear coating – takes way longer than just buying pre-painted clips. Wait, hold on – that’s actually a thing now. We sell pre-painted auto plastic clips in all the common colors, matched to OEM trim, for exactly this reason. A lot of our customers are body shops or restorers who don’t want to waste 2 hours painting a bunch of clips when they can get ready-to-use ones for a couple bucks each.
But let’s be real, a lot of you guys are DIYers working on your own car, saving up for parts, or just trying to make your old car look a little nicer on a budget. Painting your own clips is totally doable, as long as you follow the steps I laid out. But let’s also talk about the mistakes people make that I see all the time. First, rushing the drying time. I’ve had a guy come back to our shop last month saying his paint peeled off the same day he installed the clips – he painted ‘em in the morning, installed ‘em by lunch, and drove home that night. Paint needs time to cure, not just dry. Curing is when the chemicals in the paint harden and form a strong bond. Dry is just the top layer feeling hard. Curing can take anywhere from 24 hours for spray paint to a week for automotive-grade paint. So if you’re gonna paint ‘em, leave ‘em in a dry, dust-free place for at least 24 hours before touching ‘em.
Another mistake: painting clips that have moving parts. A lot of clips are little snap-together pieces, or have tiny hinges. If you get paint in the moving parts, they won’t work anymore. I’ve seen people paint a bunch of retainer clips that go on door panels, and when they try to snap ‘em in, the paint gunked up the hinge so they couldn’t close properly. So take apart any multi-piece clips before you paint ‘em, tape off moving parts if you can, or just be super careful not to get paint where it doesn’t belong.
What about heat? A lot of under-hood clips get hot, right? I talked about this with a customer last week who wanted to paint the clips under his hood. Can you do that? Yes, but you need to use high-temperature flexible plastic paint. Regular plastic paint will soften or peel when exposed to under-hood heat, which can get up to 200 degrees F. So look for paint that’s rated for high temperatures, specifically for automotive under-hood use. That’s another thing people mess up – they use interior paint for under-hood clips, and wonder why it melts.
Now, let’s get to the big question on everyone’s mind: does it even hold up? I’ve had customers tell me their painted clips are still looking good 2 years later, and I’ve had others say they peeled after 6 months. It all comes down to prep and materials. If you do it right – clean, prep with adhesion promoter and flexible primer, use flexible paint, let it cure – it’ll last for years. If you skip steps, it’ll be garbage. That’s just how it works with any paint job, right?
Wait, let’s also talk about alternatives. If you’re not into painting your own clips, what’s the easy way? Like I said, you can buy pre-painted clips from suppliers. We stock every common clip size, pre-painted in black, gray, white, even silver and red, matched to OEM colors. No prep, no painting, just take ‘em out of the bag and use ‘em. That’s perfect for body shops or anyone who doesn’t want to deal with the hassle, and it’s not that much more expensive than buying plain clips and spray paint. I’ve seen a mechanic spend 3 hours painting a set of clips, use $15 in spray paint, and realize he would’ve spent $20 total on pre-painted clips, instead of his time. Time is money, guys – don’t forget that.
Another alternative: if you just need a small number of clips, maybe for a small trim piece, painting is worth it. If you need 50 clips for a whole interior job, pre-painted is way easier. It’s all about the scale.
Let me wrap this up with some final do’s and don’ts to make this as clear as possible. Do: test your plastic type first, clean the clips thoroughly, use adhesion promoter and flexible primer, spray thin coats, use flexible paint, let it cure fully. Don’t: use regular paint meant for metal or interior walls, skip prep, paint moving parts or hot parts without high-temp paint, rush the job.
At the end of the day, can you paint auto plastic clips? Hell yes, but only if you do it right. It’s not as simple as grabbing a can of black spray paint from the shelf and going to town, but it’s also not rocket science. I’ve seen 16-year-old DIYers with no experience do it correctly, and I’ve seen pro mechanics ruin a whole set of clips because they cut corners.
If you’re thinking about doing this for your next project, good luck, and follow those steps. If you’d rather skip the hassle and get pre-painted clips, hit us up to chat – we can hook you up with the right clips for your make and model, whatever color you need. No weird contracts, no hidden fees, just good auto clips that work for your car.
Center Console Plastic Parts References:
- Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). (2019). Plastic Material Specifications for Automotive Interior and Exterior Components. SAE International.
- American Coatings Association. (2021). Flexible Paint Adhesion for Plastic Substrates in Automotive Applications. ACA Technical Bulletin.
- Dupont Performance Coatings. (2020). Guide to Painting Automotive Polypropylene and ABS Plastic Parts. Dupont Automotive Refinish Documentation.
Ningbo Xiaohua Plastic Industry Co., Ltd.
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