[anglia48]

Hello ,, I know this subject has been discussed here before BUT I'd like to hear some first hand experence from you guys that have dyed there vinyl car seats . Does the color "stay"? Do they look good ? Would this be a mistake ? And what products have the best results ? I want to change from light tan to blue .... Thanks !!

[ChrisMiddleron]

It lasts somewhat. WHen you spray it the color is really dull. It does stick pretty good but after a while like 3-4 days of sitting in the seats that you dyed, some areas will need to be touched up. THe stuff is good for the price, and maybe armor-all would make the seats look better. Mine are in storage so I cant try armor-all out.

[anglia48]

are you saying you have to touch-up the seat after setting on them ??????? what brand of stain did you use ??

[ChrisMiddleron]

Like certain parts on your jeans that really scrape on the dye it will fade to the original fade color. It lasts pretty good though. I used the vht color penetrating dye.

[anglia48]

Chris ,, what color were they originally , and what color did you dye 'em to ? I want to go from light tan to dark blue . thanks Anyone else out there tried dye or paint ? If so ,, what brand ? And how permanent ?

[ChrisMiddleron]

The original seats were tan and I dyed them to white.

[anglia48]

Give me a little more help out there guys .. Is this dye permanent ? And what brand ? thanks

[kristkustoms]

I wouldnt think that there is any dye that is permanent, the can may say that but a top coat dye could never endure years of abuse. If the vinyl has ever been armor alled, that will reduce the effectiveness of the dye. Dying a seat is a lower cost alternative to reupholstering a seat, a quick fix if you will. I can always tell an old seat that has been dyed, never looks right to me.

[ChrisMiddleron]

Hit the nail on the head. It is good to get you by till you get your seats reupholstered but nothing more then that.

[Goldduster360]

I used a product called sem-coat on a white vinyl interior over 13 yrs ago and it still looks pretty good. Died the armrests, door panels, seats. The stuff will have a tendancy to crack on the seats where the vinyl gets flexed from sitting on them.

Cracking can be minimized by Thoroughly cleaning the seats to be re-colored. Use only the minimum amount to get good color coverge. The thicker the coat the more likely it will crack. Don't use "flats" because they are coarser and pick up dirt and other colors like your denim jeans easily. Medium Gloss works pretty good on seats.

The harder the part the harder it is for the dye to stay stuck to it too. Hard plastic parts like the rear well panels in a 78 camaro never seem to take the dye real well. Works best on real vinyl parts.

[F1 Owner]

Looking at the other responses I have to agree with the others .
Yes ,you can dye the seat ,but in my own personal experience ,even with the best stuff you can buy ,eventually it will wear off .Door panels ,dash pads ,side panels,etc.,will wear for years ,but they don't see anywhere near the abrasion that seats do .As far as SEM ,VHT ,DuPont ,etc.,they are all top notch dyes.
Just be sure to follow instructions on the cans ,TO THE LETTER !
Also ,guys ,if you want another alternative to vinyl dyes but can't find them in your area ,go to a local shoe store and check out the leather shoe dyes that they stock ! Good Luck .
Rick