Interior/Door Card Vinyl Dye DIY

[pswirley]

I have seen a lot of threads in the last couple of weeks about people doing or wanting to interior color changes and what not. I am on a number of various forums and it must be the weather but I have seen several people who are either color swapping or restoring their original color. Everytime I open one of these and read them, I honestly cringe. People using the wrong products, not doing prep work, not letting paint/dye cure properly. I figured rather than continuing to sit back, I would provide a little insight on products, prep, and curing.

If you are dyeing vinyl there are few more things you need to do prior to just spraying pieces or it will not last.

1. Clean panels thoroughly with warm soapy water. Do not soak the panels rather dampen a rag and wipe them until they are very clean. This will not be done quickly.

2. Remove any soap residue using another rag with clean warm water using the same method as above.

3. Spray the part you plan on dying with SEM brand vinyl prep which can be found at any paint store. Once you spray it, let it sit for about 5 minutes and wipe any remaining residue away.

4. Spray water from a water bottle in a mist in the area you are going to dye and if water beads and runs move on to step 5. If water streams or soaks go back to step 3.

5. Apply a product called "bulldog" prep. This will help seal cracks in the surface. Yes it will work on your vinyl. Apply as if you are painting the piece you plan on dyeing. I may not fill the crack completely and cracked leather/vinyl is still cracked, but this product acts as a bit of a primer and your dye will adhere to it like nothing else on the market.

6. Apply chosen color SEM dye. Someone above mentioned satin black as a perfect match for OEM black, that is incorrect information. The exact black interior color match is called Landau Black. Its between satin and semi gloss.

7. Let the panels sit in a warm environment for at least 24 hours before thinking of attempting to reinstall them. Then spend another 24 hours thinking about installing them. Then go ahead and install them. (48 hrs. to completely cure).

8. If you cant DIY, don't try. People like me will charge you more to fix a screwed up piece at our shops than we will to do it right the first time.

Have fun, good luck if decide to try, and of course you can always feel free to PM me if you have any questions along the way.

Happy Modding UB.c