Dying Cloth Seats

Vettn71

Advanced Member
Jan 3, 2014
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i just picked up a set of really nice GT 350 seats. The problem is they're porno red. I want to dye them black. Anyone do this? If so, I could use some guidance. What dye did you use? How did it hold up? Did you spray it or ?

TIA

Jim
 
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Hey Jim, do you remember when i went through the interior of my blue car. it's all in there on what i found and did. If you need a link, let me know.
 
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Dave

Thanks. I'll check it out this evening. I wanted to post a picture of the seats last night, but it wouldn't upload.

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Interesting stuff, Dave. It makes sense if the fabric is synthetic. I need to read it a couple more times to capture the details.

On another note, I'm in need of a left hand a-piller cover and the garnish molding over the center of the windshield. My left a-pillar molding is AWOL and I'm missing two of the three clips on the center garnish molding, plus it look like Magilla Gorilla pounded on it. Don't know why anyone would hit it so hard, but it's dented and warped in three places. If anyone has spares, I'd gladly pay a reasonable price plus shipping.

TIA
Jim
 
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The BTW, this is my car. It's an 85, although it's hard to tell that. It was built in 2008, I believe and hit a number of Mustang mags. It's been flipped several times and needs quite a bit of work. My son traded a 93 hatch for it ($30k in a built motor and turbo), but got cross ways with his student loans. I traded him my 96 GT, which was putting down 298 to the rear wheels and was pretty much finished, plus my 84 coupe roller full of new parts. I also picked up his student loans for 6 months and gave him cash. Involved, I know, but it's the deal he wanted.

I should probably start a build thread, but it's not being built. I'm just trying to keep it from deteriorating any more than it has already.
Jim
 
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I found some paint bubbling at the top of the hatch (body side) and pulled the hatch, wire wheeled it and hit or Eastwood rust converter and the their rust encapsulator. I found Bondo under red paint, then gray paint, so it was under there since before the build. I doubt the guy who built the car knew it was there.

The good news is the metal was solid under the rust, so it didn't go very deep. Neat car. More tricks than a car full of circus clowns

Jim
 
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I'm trying to get back out to the yard where my car is this week. He has several 4i's out there. Are those trim pieces the same for '85 and '86? I think they are.

I'm sure he has them there and see how much he wants.

I'm getting ready to buy a supercoupe drivetrain from him, maybe he'll cut me a deal.

BTW Jim, when you say a-pillar trim, do you mean the interior trim piece that goes from the dash pad to the center trim piece?
 
Dave

I'd appreciate that. Color doesn't matter. The 86/86 were the same, as far as I know.

The a-pillar is the vertical plastic molding that goes from the dash top to the roof panel, so yes, that's the piece. The guy who built this car put an air suspension in it. My son changed it to coilovers. The left a-pillar molding had three air pressure Gauges in it. No use to me, for sure.

Just let me know what it costs and I'll PayPal you. Pm your email address to me

Thank you, sir

Jim
 
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Dave

I'd appreciate that. Color doesn't matter. The 86/86 were the same, as far as I know.

The a-pillar is the vertical plastic molding that goes from the dash top to the roof panel, so yes, that's the piece. The guy who built this car put an air suspension in it. My son changed it to coilovers. The left a-pillar molding had three air pressure Gauges in it. No use to me, for sure.

Just let me know what it costs and I'll PayPal you. Pm your email address to me

Thank you, sir

Jim
Ok, i'll let you know.
 
@Davedacarpainter, so what paint did you use, Dave? Acrylic enamel? How did you reduce it and what pressure did you shoot it at? You said at a high pressure, but I just bought my first HVLP gun. I have a Binks #7 I painted a couple cars with, but my wife swore she'd skin me if a painted another car in the garage. She didn't mention seats.

O'Reileys actually had the same adhesion promoter on the shelf. I'm repainting my interior pieces, trying to get things matched up. How much did the paint stink when it was baked? I have a feeling baking my seat covers in the family oven seat covers will be added to the list

Thanks for your expertise (and patience)

Jim
 
@Davedacarpainter, so what paint did you use, Dave? Acrylic enamel? How did you reduce it and what pressure did you shoot it at? You said at a high pressure, but I just bought my first HVLP gun. I have a Binks #7 I painted a couple cars with, but my wife swore she'd skin me if a painted another car in the garage. She didn't mention seats.

O'Reileys actually had the same adhesion promoter on the shelf. I'm repainting my interior pieces, trying to get things matched up. How much did the paint stink when it was baked? I have a feeling baking my seat covers in the family oven seat covers will be added to the list

Thanks for your expertise (and patience)

Jim
I used a polyester urethane. Common automotive paint.

I didn't over reduce the paint in attempt to make it thinnner. The key of it is that of the molecule size, not making the sprayable mixture thinner. Though I understand the basis of your thought here. So it was reduced approximately 1:1 with reducer, plus ten percent hardener (the same hardener I use in clear coats).

A Binks 7?!! Jeez, I probably shot a couple thousand cars with a good old Binks 7. You're running me down memory lane, or at least what remains of memory lane for a painter that may have experimented with various recreational chemicals at some point during their career.:zombie:

I've shot in garages with a single incandescent light bulb over the roof of cars. We would stuff wet towels in the jambs of the doors going into the house. Still it would "reek" of paint, or at least that's what the people who weren't desensitized to the smell of paint would tell me.

The main smell of the paint will fade fairly rapidly. The primary scent is from the reducer used to make the paint sprayable. If you don't have the means available to bake the covers (the oven would make me a little paranoid about the next lasagna coming out of there). Just let the cover set for a week, it'll be fine.

If it matters, my seats have no noticeable scent to them now.

Frankly, concerning your wife, unless something is expressly prohibited, it's allowed. Something I learned in the Army a long time ago. You simply have to explain to her that you are the man of the house and you made a decision and she shouldn't question your male wisdom.:rock:BTW, start a new thread here describing the event that you chose to use this little nugget of knowledge.:D
 
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