Paint the cabinet interior? - Please Vote - (Added Pics)

[cpyne]

I'm in the process of restoring a Stargate.  I have it stripped and can already picture the potential once it is patched up and repainted.   The only downside if I keep it as original and technically correct as possible will be all the factory overspray in the interior.
 
What do people here usually do about the interior?  

1. Keep it as original as possible and leave the factory overspray and bare wood interior?

2. Go for the clean look and paint every square inch?

[drventure]

I've never restored a cab, so take my opinion and toss it, for all it's worth 

Buuuttttt. I'd say if there's anything "of interest" on the interior (like serial numbers, instructions, specs etc), just clean it and leave it.

But if it's all just mdf and plywood and a bit of overspray. why not give it a once over with some 220 grit and shoot a coat of black over it?

I guess in 50 years, if the cab ends up on Antique Roadshow, having sprayed the interior might render it worthless, but other than that?

[cpyne]

Good point.  I guess the fact that I'm repainting it means it will never be an all-original museum piece to begin with.  I think I'll go the paint route.

[Spyridon]

Unless the interior smells bad, I wouldn't worry about painting it.  Are you going to be stenciling the cab?

First things first...Pictures please!

[Pacman83]

I decided to paint the inside of my cab as the way the manufacturers did the job, (they just spray the 'visible' edges) looked really poor compared to the rest of the resto. Then again, I was a little obsessive ....... 

[Q*Bert_OP]

I sand the inside, and make it perfectly over spray free. Then again, I clean all the wiring, make new decals where needed, etc. 

[Level42]

I only clean the insides. No painting ! Very not-orignal !

[cpyne]

Thanks everyone.  I keep going back and forth on this one.  Now I'm thinking I'll just clean up the interior and keep it original.

Anyway, here are some pics of the restoration so far...

http://picasaweb.google.com/charlie.pyne/Stargate#

[Malenko]

I only "paint" the inside with primer if it smells. Ive done it on a  few cabs, including the Neo Geo 4 slot I resto'd and the neogeo 2 slot I MAMEd for a co-worker. Coating the inside with a layer of primer after wiping it down with bleach water does wonders for odors.

[isucamper]

What can you do about mold?  Is it ok to bleach the inside of a cabinet built with plywood?

[javeryh]

I also wouldn't waste the time painting the interior.  I haven't even gotten around to installing a black bezel around my monitor in my DK and you can't tell AT ALL behind the tinted plexiglass.  There's nothing but the monitor bolts and MDF back there and you can't tell so I'm pretty sure there's no good reason to paint the insides of a cabinet unless you just want it to be nice and neat!   I'm also a perfectionist when I build and an unfinished inside doesn't bother me at all. 

[HHaase]

For a restoration, I'd say don't paint it without a compelling reason.  Particularly if there are any factory stencilling or other markings in there.

If you were building a new one from scratch, where you aren't as concerned about originality, I'd paint.  I've done way too much work inside dark and dingy places over the years, and have always found that a coat of white paint makes it much brighter and easy to see what you're doing.