If going with SEM go the extra mile and do all 3 steps...you wont be disappointed!

 

Yeah I agree, Thomas Bus is not an exact match. In the picture below, the upper sprayed area is the Rustoleum Charcoal, and the lower spot is the Thomas Bus.
I felt Thomas Bus was closer than Rustoleum so I figured I'd respray the steering column with it. Lightly sanded the column, wiped it down with alcohol and let it dry. Sprayed the SEM and it immediately crinkled up like the skin of some 90 year old named Tammy who smokes Pall Malls all day in the south Florida sun. I quickly wiped it off but needless to say the column now looks terrible.
Can temperature cause that? It is colder in the garage but both the trim piece below and column were the same temp. I thought sanding and cleaning would be alright, unless it's reacting with the coat of Rustoleum underneath.

 

Yes, generally avoid painting anything below 50 degrees. Also you should get yourself a gallon of paint prep solvent to wipe everything down with that you're going to paint. It lifts oils and trash off pretty good.

 

Basically scrub it down with a degreasing soap, wash it well, then do it again and again. After that do it one more time, then use the prep

 

that’

Thanks, I’ll give it another shot. Any luck with the SEM color match?

 

Waiting on the paint shop, in progress

 

Well I think I found a good enough match. I was in OReilly's for some other stuff and found this Duplicolor Vinyl Paint, I believe it said Charcoal Gray.
Tested it on a panel and it's pretty close (close enough for me).

 

I'll have an exact match tomorrow morning. I'll post what it turns out to be then.

 

I'll let you all be the judge, can you tell which part of the dash I painted?