Looking for opinions, preferably from people who have actual first-hand knowledge, on putting a coating on the cargo area panels of the car.

 

I've pretty much finished out the rest of the interior pieces to my '88 wagon using Duplicolor Vinyl and Fabric coating, and with the proper prep it seems to be working very well. But I have concerns over using it in my cargo area as those panels will often take quite a beating from...well, "cargo". And though what I've done already using DV&F is fairly durable, I know that it won't stand up to really rough treatment.

 

I'm mulling over whether to spray the plastic paneling behind the rear seats (and from the window line down) with something like either bed liner, or maybe bumper & trim coating. Anyone used these kind of products in a high-abuse area? And before anyone mentions it, Plastidip has been ruled out right off the bat--already seen that it is NOT durable.

Wow!

 

You're doing pretty much what I'm doing! I'll be using Rustoleum trick bed liner that I got at Menards. I did an internet search on applying this product to plastic, and read to use a self etching primer, so that is what I'm going to try. 

 

I will be spraying from the bottom of the window down. Hoping to spray today. If I do, I'll post up some pics. 

 

John

Yes, post pics John, but we also need a durability test after it cures for awhile, aka chuck something hard and angular against it and see how it holds.

I've never used bed liner stuff on my subarus, but I did have it sprayed on the inside of my trail only ranger and in the back of my current grand cherokee.  Its is a ton more durable and that's awesome, but the noise suppression is awful.  In my jeep I ended putting the carpet back over the liner in the cargo area.  It was so loud.  I had linex sprayed in both trucks.

I still have all of the OEM padding for behind the rear panels and under the cargo carpeting. May put in a rubber cargo matting with a padded backing glued to it, and have the factory carpet made removable with snaps so I can swap back to full carpet if I feel like it.

I used the Rustoleum two part epoxy in the bed of my Brat. Don't have a clue as to how good it sticks to plastic but I will say it has held up great for several years now in my Brat bed.