racing seats color change

[95_cavy]

I have a 93 probe that I'm redoing the interior in I want to put racing seats in but the problem is that I'm doing the interior in white and blue and I've only seen racing seats in black and blue is it possible to take the black out and put white in and if so how hard would it be and how expensive. thanks for any help you can give me.

[Markgase2000]

One option is dye bombing another is reapholstering , I prefer dye bonding its quick and works great. Other folks in here might have done this with racing seats before so other opinions and methods will pop up to give you even more ideas.

[95_cavy]

will it work going from black to white

[95_cavy]

do you have to take the seats apart if you dye them

[eckoman_pdx]

Re-uphostering them would seem a safer bet, since you want partof the seat blue and part of it white, correct? I am no expert on dye bombing, but it would seem the duel color skeem might put a damper on that idea.

Any decent uphostery shop can re-uphoster the seats for you. Assuming you bought black and blue seats...As long as they can match fabric type (they should be able to), you can re-use the blue panels.

I work @ an uphostery shop, so I'll try to explain briefly the process of re-uphostering seats. What will happen is they will take the hog rings out and remove the seat cover. Thats all the fabric/leather/suede on a seat is. It's a cover over the foam cushion (german cars use something other than foam, but thats another topic).

Anyways, once the cover is off, they will rip out al the seems until it is just indivual pieces. Then they will use these pieces you want to become white as patterns to cut out new pieces on the white fabric. Once the pieces are cut out, they will back the butt and back cushion, an proceed to sew the pattern back toghter (re0using the blue pieces), probably with a good 3/8" seem line.

Anyways, this may sound confusing but for any uphostery shop will know how. My advice though, don't settle for just any, find a good one.

[Markgase2000]

you can dye any color "black to white" will work as long as it is good dye. follow the seams with masking tape cover the blue parts so you dont over spray then turn the black into white. Its fairly cheap and alot faster than reapholstering it can look great but reapholstering is better quality way to go if you know how to. one fella suggested gettin his mom to do that sheer genius that is! I can reapholster but i never have time so i bomb them myself. If the dye bomb doesnt turn out you can always reapholster after or vice versa.

[eckoman_pdx]

Originally Posted by Markgase2000

you can dye any color "black to white" will work as long as it is good dye. follow the seams with masking tape cover the blue parts so you dont over spray then turn the black into white. Its fairly cheap and alot faster than reapholstering it can look great but reapholstering is better quality way to go if you know how to. one fella suggested gettin his mom to do that sheer genius that is! I can reapholster but i never have time so i bomb them myself. If the dye bomb doesnt turn out you can always reapholster after or vice versa.

I have never Dye bombed anything, though I do know how to do uphostery work, re-uphoster, etc...as I work @ an automotive uphostry shop. If you know how (and have the time) or can afford to have it done, re-uphostering is the highest qaulity most premanent way to go. I suppose as you said, if dye bombing it goes to shit, he can always use the pieces as patterns and re-uphoster it anyway. However, if the dye bombing messes up and he screws up the blue, that has to get re-done as well. I always favoring doing it the best way if you can, so I'd learn how to re-uphoster or have it done. If someone has a mom or friend that can sew already but has never re-uphostered a seat, they could see if they would do it for them, as I'm sure you'd agree...once you pick up the sewing, the rest is much easier.

[95_cavy]

does anyone know what it would cost to get them re-uphoster for four seats.

[eckoman_pdx]

Originally Posted by 95_cavy

does anyone know what it would cost to get them re-uphoster for four seats.

This is a VERY ROUGH estimate. I am not @ the shop, and I am not there to see the seats, I don't know the material you want nor the price it woul dcost me to get it, etc...so I can't give a real good estimate. Also, different shops have different labor prices, different hourly labor charges, etc. Some shops may calcutale the labor price differently than others. Also, the material you are wanting to do it in can make a big difference. The best way is to really call around some uphostery shops in the area and get estimates. Also make sure to ask and see some samples of their work. I would say $800-$1200 for the front seats, work done, material included in the price as well as the labor.I am going to guess about the same for the rears. I am assuming in the prices that all the material would be new and none re-used from the seats you bought. This will of course should effect pricing (lowering it) if you are only having certain panels re-done, etc. Again, these are rough estimates, so the actual price could be higher or lower depending on where you go, etc. I hope this helps a bit.

[Markgase2000]

Well do a basic price on 2 front seats if hes got seperate rear seats like the front instead of a bench seat for 3. I would also be curious what it would cost to do a rear bench type seat. Id guess he has a 95 cavalier and I have a 2000 grand am (interior seats are close) could you do a quote for us from your work and post our options and what the cost will be?
I gotta note that you were saying the dye doesnt look good well when I finished my seats it looked like I reapholstered them infact some folks have asked me how much the racing seats costed.
Dye bombing has alot of professional potential but reapholstering with suede's and leathers is far superior. Unfortunately and I think eckoman will agree reapholstering is a dying art..... well around here anyway. Used to have shops in almost every town now a days there a hidden buisness. Since more and more people are turning to do it yourself or simply buying new parts these buisnesses have been weened out of the circle due to lack of money bein thrown at them.
My hats off to folks like ecko man cus like I said its a dying art form and there keepin it alive. I know moms and sisters or friends can sew but they dont have the automotive bug like auto reapholsterers do so they wont be as creative unless you instruct them. The reapholsterers get ideas and if customer willing can suggest and do what they think the customer wants. I know how to sew and reapholster as well but unless im doing a classic car or a project that requires me to have extra love put into it or more of a original look (classic car restorations) I dont pay myself enough to take the time lol but ecko man is more than right a tight stitch always beats dye unless your a freak like me and can dye profesionally. Ummm sorry for goin on.....

[eckoman_pdx]

LOL...it's okay to run on with thoughts, lol. Yea, uphostery is a dying art is seems. Very few places teach it, and the ones that will (like wyotech) charge way way to much. You mostly have to kmow someone that knows and will teact you. Either that or try an do a apperenticeship like people used to do. Most people now days forgot how to look into learning to do things, old style apperenticships, etc. If you have the time it's a great way to learn a skill. If you take the time to learn the basic processes of how something is done, and then call around asking about an apperenticship, you'd be suprised at what you can find. Thats how I learned uphostery. Studied into how it was done, learned as much as I could over a good period of time. Then opened the phone book and started calling around looking for a place that would train me, as an apperentice so to speak. I found lots of places that had done it in the past but none were looking to do it right then. Still, I kept calling and I finally found a place. I guess most people today are too busy or not creative enough. As you said, they just but pre-made stuff, buy a set of Sparcos and call it a day.

Dying is somehting very hard, like uphostery it is an art. Most people can dye something worth a darn. It's the same with Uphostery, most people have no clue where to start, what to do, how different materials react, etc. There are a few people aound here who can dye decent. They charge so much though, it's like damn...I'll just re-wrap the door panel or seat myself in vinyl or leather, etc. I wouldn't mind learning how to dye and dye bomb well, there are certian times it could come in handy. Still, I perfer uphostery and re-wrapping if there is the time to do it and wait. As you said, nothing beats a nice tight stitch. Plus it looks so nice when you're done re-uphosterng if you do a good job.

I haven't hide time to get into the uphostery shop this week as I had to detail some cars, but I will check on pricing next week when I get back to there. I'll try to get a basic quote for you on 2 front seats an a rear bench type seat like most cars today have. I'll also try to figure it out in both a good basic vinyl and a decent leather (there are various grades) as long as I have time. If I can I'll also try and throw in a price on novasuede, though the labor cost will go up a bit probably cuz it's harder to work with, requires a few more steps and such. Suede is spendy but it looks really nice when finished.

Here is a picture of the seats I recently finished re-wrapping for my car. I wrapped them in Black and Bordeaux (Burgandy) Novasuede.