Interior Color Change

[Sarah99gxe]

Not sure if this is the right forum to be asking this...but here`s a shot :)



I want to change the interior color of my cutlass. Now I know I can spray paint the vinyl & plastic pieces of trim, door panels & dash etc..but what about the fabric on the rear deck and door panels?



I saw some spray paint that is good for plastic, vinyl, carpet, velor etc..but I wasn`t sure how it worked on the fabric. Does it leave it hard and crusty or does is soak through leaving it soft?



Has anyone had any experience with this or have any good products in mind?



Thanks :)



Sarah

[BradE]

Paint won`t work well on carpet, it tends to glob and it`s very difficult to get even when working from a standard spray can. Dyes, sprayed on with a paint gun, are much better. All fabric pieces would have to be re-dyed with a solvent or water based dye. To be candid, the paint won`t work all that well on the plastic items either. A dye would be better on those as well, but the parts must be prepped first and be in good enough condition for reuse.



Instead of trying to re-dye pieces (which can be difficult to match colors, and get even for someone doing this at home) you would probably be better served just buying new carpet in the color you want. For trim panels however, you probably won`t have much selection in the aftermarket, so doing a re-dye might be your only option there.

[jr weeks]

I agree with that. I`ve redyed entire interiors using both SEM Colorcoat and DuPont Vinyl Color dyes( technically they don`t call them dyes, but for us, the semantics work), and have gotten excellent results, but prep is everything. They also sell prepping chemicals for vinyl/plastic leather and carpet along with the dyes.



Carpet can also be done with the dyes, if you do it correctly. As Brad said though, it may be wiser just to spring for new carpet in the color you like, because the variables of inexperience and product may not ultimately give you the desired result or longevity to color changing the carpet- it`s a bit trickier than vinyl or plastic. I suppose it comes down to how picky you are.



For the rear deck or door panel fabric etc, where wear isn`t a factor, you should be fine if you use professional dyes, not shaker cans. Yes, done right, they will not be "crusty"but remain soft.



Of course, this is all contingent upon you having a spray gun and compressor (doesn`t have to be big, 1 HP will work in this case- unlike automotive paint) The dyes go on uniform and it`s easy to spray. The patina is satiny, but you can also buy a clear vinyl to put on top (just like oem leathers) for a better shine and durability.



If you decide to do it, talk also with your local automotive paint supplier, they sell the stuff and can give you even more specifics.



Best of luck.

[jr weeks]

SEM does sell their stuff in a shaker as well as raw product, so if you *must* go that route, buy that or DuPont and not the AutoZone variety shaker cans. For a full interior though, you`re going to go through a lot of shaker cans, so it won`t be cost effective to do so. 2 quarts should do just about all the seats and door panels/dash etc and plastic trim, you`d need another quart at least for the carpet/fabric. It`s not cheap stuff $$$ either, but most stuff that`s good isn`t. Here`s a link;



http://www.semproducts.com/sempages/semcolorcoat.html



The DuPont equivalent to this product is almost identical in price and effectiveness, from my own experience.

[Sarah99gxe]

Thanks for all the responses. As far as the floor carpet goes, I will be replacing that with a brand new mold. The seat`s, well I will be replacing those as well.



I was more worried about the carpet on the rear deck and door panels (I have carpet on the bottom half and fabric on the upper half)..so I don`t have too much that needs to be dyed.



I will look into all of your suggestions.



Thanks again!!