HELP changing seat belt colour
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
From: Peterborough Ontario
HELP changing seat belt colour
Help
we heard you can chang the colour of our seatbelts by dying them
So i tried it. It did not work. Did i do something wrong ??
They were brown and i want them black.
any help would be appriciated
we heard you can chang the colour of our seatbelts by dying them
So i tried it. It did not work. Did i do something wrong ??
They were brown and i want them black.
any help would be appriciated
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
What kind of dye did you use? If you used fabric dye (for cottons, etc.) it probably won't take. I haven't tried vinyl dye on seat belt material, but I have some I used for my interior pieces and will do a test on a scrap piece of belt material that I have laying around, if you want me to. Maybe others have already tried it.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,198
Likes: 0
From: staten island new york
St. Jude Donor '10
i used RIT dye and it did not work but it was cheap $4.75 for 2 boxes. i followed the directions on the box. then i spoke to a friend of mine and he said to use less water then what they say and to boil it . i used hot tap water as hot as i could get it. i will try on saturday by using only a gallon of water if it doesnt work i was thinking of bringing them to a dry cleaner and seeing if they could dye them.... i will let you know what happens
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,876
Likes: 1
From: Jersey Shore Exit 98
mid america and central corvette sell a spray dye for interiors. I used the black on my rear carpet & it looks great. my buddy used the red on parts of his 77 & it also looked good. The only thing about a seat belt is the wear from adjusting it. but its worth a try G/L
Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 10,866
Likes: 717
From: Beverly Hills/Pine Ridge Florida
I've dyed LOTS of seat belts using RIT or TINTEX dye from the grocery store. You gotta follow the directions. Gotta boil the water, BUT..
the secret is that you MUST strip the old dye, using the appropriate RIT or TINTEX dye remover. Once the dye is removed from the belts, they come out an off white or "ecru" (as my wife calls it) color.
THEN, you redye. You absolutely cannot dye one color on top of another. Gotta strip the old dye. Chuck
the secret is that you MUST strip the old dye, using the appropriate RIT or TINTEX dye remover. Once the dye is removed from the belts, they come out an off white or "ecru" (as my wife calls it) color.
THEN, you redye. You absolutely cannot dye one color on top of another. Gotta strip the old dye. Chuck
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 3
From: Burlington WI
Originally Posted by Chuck Gongloff
I've dyed LOTS of seat belts using RIT or TINTEX dye from the grocery store. You gotta follow the directions. Gotta boil the water, BUT..
the secret is that you MUST strip the old dye, using the appropriate RIT or TINTEX dye remover. Once the dye is removed from the belts, they come out an off white or "ecru" (as my wife calls it) color.
THEN, you redye. You absolutely cannot dye one color on top of another. Gotta strip the old dye. Chuck
the secret is that you MUST strip the old dye, using the appropriate RIT or TINTEX dye remover. Once the dye is removed from the belts, they come out an off white or "ecru" (as my wife calls it) color.
THEN, you redye. You absolutely cannot dye one color on top of another. Gotta strip the old dye. Chuck
The voice of experience...
My wife taught me that a while ago.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 482
Likes: 1
From: Brandon Manitoba
Don't waste your time re-dying !!!
I went through the exact same scenario as you. Tried to dye oxblood colored belts black. Does not work. I boiled, mixed the batch stronger than instructed. No Luck. Take the belts to your local upholstery shop and have them rewebbed. This cost me $ 60.00 and looks great. The only way to go in my experience.Brent
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,403
Likes: 791
From: Redondo Beach, California
Of course you can just send them to Ssnake-Oyl. If you just want the belts re-webbed I don't think Ssnake-Oyl is that expensive. (Its their other restoration services that start the dollar counter really spinning.)
.....Then that was really a great post on how to re-dye. Thanks C. Gongloff.
As for rewebbing yourself, Dr. Rebuild will sell good quality nylon webbing. It's for earlier car colors, but since you want black, the black webbing used on C2's and early C3's should be OK. He also sells instructions on how to sew the webbing. If you're going to have a local shoe store sew yours, it might be a good idea to photo the current sewing, so the shoe shop will have something exact to follow re-sewing yours.
.....Then that was really a great post on how to re-dye. Thanks C. Gongloff.
As for rewebbing yourself, Dr. Rebuild will sell good quality nylon webbing. It's for earlier car colors, but since you want black, the black webbing used on C2's and early C3's should be OK. He also sells instructions on how to sew the webbing. If you're going to have a local shoe store sew yours, it might be a good idea to photo the current sewing, so the shoe shop will have something exact to follow re-sewing yours.
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Race Director
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 10,866
Likes: 717
From: Beverly Hills/Pine Ridge Florida
As a little more follow-up to my post, here's the rest of the story...
Take the belts apart using a straight razor blade. By that, I mean sit down in your easy chair, and carefully cut the stitching and remove it. MAKE NOTE of the stitching pattern for later on.
Also, remove the sewn on tags the same way. Make note of their location and orientation.
THEN, you strip and dye the belts, with NO buckles, tags, etc. attached.
After you're all done, and you might want to consider rechroming your buckle tongues, etc., you take the "stuff" to your friendly local upholstery shop.
I've had many sewn at my local shop. I will add that it is ILLEGAL to repair or resew seat belts, so go to a shop where you are known, or a shop that does a resto business.
Bring your notes about the stitching patterns...bring you tags with the notes about location/orientation, etc. Chuck
Take the belts apart using a straight razor blade. By that, I mean sit down in your easy chair, and carefully cut the stitching and remove it. MAKE NOTE of the stitching pattern for later on.
Also, remove the sewn on tags the same way. Make note of their location and orientation.
THEN, you strip and dye the belts, with NO buckles, tags, etc. attached.
After you're all done, and you might want to consider rechroming your buckle tongues, etc., you take the "stuff" to your friendly local upholstery shop.
I've had many sewn at my local shop. I will add that it is ILLEGAL to repair or resew seat belts, so go to a shop where you are known, or a shop that does a resto business.
Bring your notes about the stitching patterns...bring you tags with the notes about location/orientation, etc. Chuck
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,493
Likes: 1,500
From: Little Rock AR
All these posts saying that RIT does not work but somehow I was able to re-dye some tan ones to black with no issues. 
I did not want to go the extra mile and dissasemble them because the only drawback seems to be that the clear rubber dipped part and tags turned black. Not a big deal for my resto-driver. I did wash them well first with liquid laundry soap then cook them with a pot of dye on the stove. Not sure if it was original RIT or the newer RIT. I do remember having a choice when I bought it.
-Mark.
I did not want to go the extra mile and dissasemble them because the only drawback seems to be that the clear rubber dipped part and tags turned black. Not a big deal for my resto-driver. I did wash them well first with liquid laundry soap then cook them with a pot of dye on the stove. Not sure if it was original RIT or the newer RIT. I do remember having a choice when I bought it.-Mark.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,198
Likes: 0
From: staten island new york
St. Jude Donor '10
Hey Mark Where Do You Live I'll Send You Mine And Dye And You Can Do Them Because I'm Having No Luck Using Rit. I Used The Dye Remover First And That Stuff Stinks To The High Heavens And Made The Remover Stonger Than Needed And It Did Nothing. I Boiled The Water Than Used A Bucket For Both Remover And Dye And Poor Results!!!!!!!!