When I purchased a new used car a few weeks back, the previous owner decided that a white and blue color combination would be the ultimate in show car quality. Unfortunately, the '80s color selection was an eyesore that needed to be addressed. Rather than spending a ton of money redoing the interior, we gave Color Bond a try after talking to one of their reps at last year's SEMA show and coming away thoroughly impressed with their product's results. We've used the more popular SEM vinyl and plastic dye in the past and were fully aware of how well it worked, but upon using the Color Bond product for our much needed color change, we have to admit that this stuff works just as good, can we dare to say even better?
| The color changing process took a total of a day and a half due to the fabric inserts that I wanted to keep blue. Check out that interior color combination. Sonny Crockett from Miami Vice is calling!
| We purchased a quart of Color Bond to use with our Eastwood Concours HVLP spray gun. Color Bond also offer a spray can version for added convenience but for the amount of work that needed to be redone to this car, using the cans would add up to more than I care to count. In the end we used a bit over half a can. Color Bond also offer carpet dye, which dries to the touch while keeping the fabric pliable, not hard and caked on like spray paints or cheap dyes.
| Clean the surface using Pre Cleaner from Eastwood and be sure to fully dry the pieces before moving on to the next stage.
| We used a soft scouring sponge to agitate the surface and remove any grime and contaminants that would affect proper bonding. Cleanliness is the key for proper adhesion! For hard plastic surfaces, we recommend using adhesion promoter.
| Prepping the surface with tape and outlining the area between the fabric and vinyl took the majority of our time. We used a small paintbrush to get in between the cracks and piping for a cleaner look.
| We sprayed the part with even coats of dye. We liked the fact that Color Bond quickly absorbs into the vinyl and can be handled in less than a minute. Notice upon dyeing that it retains the original vinyl texture/grain to give our seats an OEM appearance.
| Once the pieces were dried (which was not too shiny of a gloss as previously shown above), they were installed. Looks so much better!
| The door panels were dyed as well to match the rest of the interior. Color Bond offers excellent adhesion properties. We literally pawed at the surface but nothing came off. We even tried using a screwdriver to test its durability. All in all, we were pleased with the final results and won't be embarrassed to drive this car once it's up and running.
| Color Bond also offers a clear UV protectant for additional protection from the sun's harmful rays, making it perfect for areas such as the dashboard.
