Best Paint For Flexible Electrical Wires?

jyl · jyl's Garage

I'm planning a new iPod install in my car. The wires will be running through the cabin and thus I want to paint them black. What is the best kind of paint to use, that will adhere and be flexible?

bryanthompson · bryanthompson's Garage

Dunno about the paint, but did you find a head unit that can control the iPod? Maybe you could take a black permanent marker and just color the whole cord... maybe... ok, that might suck.

stomachmonkey · 07-30-2005, 11:30 AM

Get some heat shrink wrap. You know the kind you lay over wires and hit with a hair dryer.

Scott

jyl · jyl's Garage

I'm going to buy a refurbished U2 iPod ($250), mount it to my sun visor so it is right in front of my eyes when the visor is flipped down and hidden when the visor is flipped up.

Then I'll run a long USB cable to the iPod for power, and an audio cable - up along the A-pillar then across the visor. The audio cable will plug into the same FM modulator that I am using today. I just reserve a head unit preset for the iPod, it works fine.

The point of the U2 iPod is that it is black with red controls, so should look decent on the black visor. I wasn't willing to do this with the white iPods.

Then I'll be able to reclaim my ashtray, where the iPod has been living to date. I'm thinking of putting some gauges there.

Now, if somebody comes up with a way to sync the iPod wirelessly, I'd really be set. I'm always forgetting to bring the iPod into the house, and now that I'm listening to podcasts it is more important for the iPod to be currently sync'ed.

island911 · 07-30-2005, 01:04 PM

I'm guessing the best paint would be a dye.

. . tho' the vinyl paints do seem to penetrate (to a degree) like dyes.

fireant911 · 07-30-2005, 01:21 PM

I have tried the vinyl plastic paint for another project and it did okay. I purchased some Performix Liquid Electrical Tape at Walmart and was quite pleased with the results - you simply brush it on and it behaves like the shrink wrap material after it has dried. This may not fit your current application but I would certainly recommend keeping a container in your garage for other electrical projects.