The panel was wiped clean and sprayed with SEM trim paint. This heavy paint was sprayed in a light cover coat, followed by several dusting coats, holding the can 2' to 3' away from the part. This allows the tiny drops to form and dry in the air, resulting in a nice texture on the panel. The panel can then be painted with SEM color matching paints. A lead wire was then soldered in place of the IR emitter and the other end soldered to the LED. An easy test to see of everything is working is to point the remote at a black and white camera (a cell phone or digital camera set to sepia tone or black and white works). When you press a button, you see the light-it will be obvious if it is working.
The finished textured black panel is ready to go back in the car. The IR emitter can be placed anywhere discrete just as long as it can be seen by the head unit. Once you have mastered this, TVs are just around the corner.