This is a topic I wanted to post but forgot all about it until Ive seen the other topic abut restoring and repainting interior parts.
I have used MAD's and ECklers dye paints in aerosol cans and I have to say they just do not last long.
They will eventually peel and flake off.

2 Summers ago I re did my carpets in my 86, and while I was at it, I re-dyed the plastic panels on the side of the door jambs and the console glove box lid.
The console panel was new and came in basic black.
I re dyed that black to give it a richer color.

My side panels were light saddle and they were cleaned up and re dyed light saddle while the padded inserts were dyed black to get a 2 tone look.

Believe me, they came out looking awesome.I followed every step to clean and prep the surfaces.The paint went on so easily and covered so good I was like "wow" this is going to last.I had no fisheyes, dust,orange peel or anything.No lifting anywhere.I cleaned and sanded and did everything I thought was the best way to ensure a good bond.I also never used armor all or anything over the years because I never liked that stuff.Dont want silicone on m interior parts.
I always just cleaned everything with soap and water.
I even used the vinyl preps, the clear primers they suggest before top coating, etc.

Now after getting in and out of the car the last 2 years, alot of the paint has flaked off over time.For the most part, the pads and console doors stayed flexible but my leaning on it with my arm when driving has rubbed the paint off.

It made me wonder if the paint crystallizes and thats when it begins to fail down the road.

When I worked at a caddy dealer, this guy who came to re dye door panels, arm rests and etc said aerosol cans do not last long.He used a small spray gun with the proper paint mixed to ensure a strong bond with the surfaces.
He said the proper way to do it is mix it in a can and use the spray guns and it will hold up for years.

SO Im letting you guys know what to expect.I firmly believe that the dyes in the can wont hold up to wear over time and eposure to body movement, your hands or etc when getting in and out of the car.
It will look very good when youre done but you may need to re do them again down the road.

Im thinking its like this...when was the last time you saw any spray paint in a can hold up for a year or more?
I havent seen it yet.
Just thought id pass this along...I was very happy with the results at first but over time they just dont hold up well to wear and time.
If you dont drive your car everyday like I did, you may not have to worry about bumping the panels or anything and watching the paint flake here and there.

 

Hey Bill..

Terrific topic. I am thinking this winter(few mods to do to christine) of having my seats re-upholstered and dying the plastic part of the seats semi-flat black. They're kind of streaky now...and probably are loaded with silicone from all the Vinylex I put on there weekly. It did concern me on longevity of dyes and durability. Do you know of a particular product that doesn't wear off too quickly? Of course the back of the seats doesn't suffer much abuse like an arm rest or a door handle. So it'll probably be alright.

Drop a line,and hope all is well. I have to e mail you something too.

 

Yes, I've been thinking the same thing, even though I'm the one that posted about using the spray cans. I'm expecting the dye to scrape off the door sills, maybe console side panels, and wear off the console top. Don't have any evidence that that will happen. But I expect it to sooner or later.

However, having gone through this, I feel I can get the door sills, console panels, and console top all off in 1/2 hour or so in the future (unless my seat belt bolts rust in again ) So I'm figuring I'll have to do a touch up every couple years, and replace the carpet again within 5 years from fading. I'm not sure though a spray gun application would be much different. I just didn't want to go through spending $70-100 for a spray gun, and go through the cleanup.

All I was really saying is the SEM Trim Paint spray stuff appeared in every respect to be identical to the Interior Dye I bought from Mid-America. If that's the case, I doubt there's any difference in applicators - it's just a mist that eventually touches the surface. Your wording suggests the guy who does it successfully might have been using a different paint formula.


[Modified by gh86E, 7:32 PM 8/30/2001]

 

Hey guys,
Just hope for the best when you use the paints.
When done right I guess they will look good for a little while as I stated before.
Maybe the SEM trim paints are better, Im not sure...I havent used the other brands other then what the big Vette suppliers sell.
Buying the spray gun and etc is alot of cash and I dont think its worth it if you dont do it for a living.
The guy who came to my job, his paint dyes smelled alot different then what the cans did.
Very similiar to the smell of professional paints like PPG and them.
JD, Ill drop ya a line soon...I think you can re-do some panels with no problems with spray cans.Just dont do them too heavy or touch ups wont look right should they get scratched or flake off.
Youd have to redo them from the bottom up.
TTYL.
:cheers:

 

I did my 67 Camaro headliner and door panels in 1976 with an interior paint by Mar Hyde. I changed the interior color from blue to tan. The paint covered very well and the finish looked very good. Twenty-six years later I still have the car ... and both the headliner and door panels show no signs of pealing or flaking. I have found the key is to get the surface as clean as possible because preparation is everything.

I agree with the comment about spray can interior paint ... it's pretty much the same for spray can undercoat and paint ... if you want professional results you need to use the stuff the shops use. Here's the good news ... most suppliers of professional grade paints can mix either interior dye/paint or exterior paint and put them in an aerosol can for you. It costs a little more but it a lot cheaper than buying spray equipment.

Also, check out Eastwood they have some pretty unique tools, and you may be able to find an inexpensive spray setup that can be used for other projects as well. The other option is to find someone that will spray them for you ... the stuff goes on very nicely and doesn't take a real talented painter to get good results.

The key is ... check with an automotive paint supplier ... specifically one who only sells automotive refinishing products, they are very knowledgeable and know their product. The other thing is to checkout web sites of paint manufactures like DuPont, SEM, Sherwin Williams, PPG and so on.

Hope this helps ... cause I want to freshen up the hard plastic parts on my 92.

Brian

 

I did my interior with dye from leatherique, the door panels, side console panels and arm rests. I also dye my seats, they have a crack filler to fill in the cracks in the leather on the seats that works great. The dye is made to brush on or you can use a spray gun. All colors for corvettes are availabe. There is alot of prep work but the results are perfect. The price was about $120.00, that was for 2 pints of dye, crack filler, prep agent, cleaner and rejuvenator oil.
Check out there website www.leatherique.com

Dave

 

If mine gets to the point where it needs to be redone, I'll investigate these other options. Thanks for the info.

By that time, maybe more of the interior parts will be available from 3rd party suppliers. The door sills for example just became available from Corvette America. Now if console side panels would show up...

 

I bought my '96 LT4 two years ago with 11,057 miles on it. The red seats looked beautiful. However, into the first summer I noticed the color flaking off. When cleaning the seats with leather conditioner my rag would turn red. Also on hot days the color comes off on my shirts.

I found the dealer repaired a tear in the passenger seat and dyed both seats. This is the only disappointment I have with this car. This winter I will be replacing both seats with new covers.

While I am on the topic, any recommendations on where to purchase the best replacement covers for the base leather seats?

 

I dont have any ideas who has or does the best leather seat covers.
Ive needed new seats for a few years now but didnt want to spend 1,000 bucks for new foam and covers not knowing how well they hold up or how long they last.
It seems over the years since the 90's, leathering has gotten cheaper in quality but up in prices.
Even the new C5 owners since 97 has complained of the cheapness and flimsiness of their seat covers.

I agree that interior parts already in that color is best.The padded parts of the interior is already molded in that color.That paint to match, Ive never cared for.
Used interior parts in MINT condition is getting harder to come by, which pretty much leaves us to the spray can refinishes.

Maybe it would help to ask the C3 or earlier sections what companies they preferred for their interior parts and what quality was best.For example, ecklers sells this stuff for almost any year car, and the C4 is just beginning to fall into that 15 years and older category where the interior needs resto.
Since the older C3's and etc has had the market longer, maybe one of them knows an excellent source for seats and etc.

Ill pass along anything I find out.

 

Check out Al Knoch interiors .. you can find them on the net. I got a set of covers for my 92 sport seats a couple of month ago and I was very pleased with the quality of leather, construction and price. They cost $656 with the "CORVETTE" emblem embroidered on the seat back ... same as the originals.

 

Thanks for the reminder about leatherique. My white seats and wheel could use a little help. Think I'll toss some $$ at it before springing for new leather.