Dying a steering wheel???

[txtaz]

I have a white Dino steering wheel that the color has faded. I think it's a leather wheel. Any ideas to dye it or should I pony up the $80 for a new one? I've checked ebay, and they didn't have one that matched mine.
Thanks,
Wes

[RedDog]

Not sure how it would work - should work well?

At auto parts stores you can get a spray vinyl interior dye (paint, coating, something). Used for old dashes, door panels, etc. I used it on a tonnque (sp) cover once with pretty good results.

[txtaz]

Thanks RedDog, I will check into that.
Wes

[slick]

Found a product called COLOR COAT by SEM that is a Flexible Coating that changes or renews color on most flexible & rigid plastics, carpet, vinyl, and velour. Their color Sailcloth White is a match for the white classic interiors. :propeller

[txtaz]

Thanks Slick,
I found their website and looking at the product. It looks like ti might be just what I need. I will post results for others.
Wes

[rayjay]

I will post results for others.
Wes

Just like to pass on a bit of my experience in this area. I've dyed steering wheels and interior pieces for a number of my cars with excellent success. Depending on where you live there are any number of professionals who dye plastic interior parts for customizing cars. But if you are just trying to renew the white of your wheel you should have no problem doing it yourself.

Clean the wheel, or whatever part, throughly with DAWN Dishwashing detergent, rinse until you think you have rinsed it throughly, and then rinse it again. My restaurant friends turned me on to DAWN, it is great for getting rid of wax (including mold release), grease and oil, including the oils in your hand (so wear gloves), but it is hell to rinse off. I use a "used" scrubee (plastic scouring pad) as it took the sheen off the surface for the dye to have some tooth but did not hurt the plastic's skin. Let the wheel dry throughly. I then put it in my gas oven w/ pilot light over night. When the oven was off the pilot light was just warm enough to dry it throughly. Then wipe it down with denatured alcohol and let dry again for an hour or so. Do NOT use paint thinner or anything that will eat into the plastic! A couple of thin coats, letting the first coat dry pretty well before any additional coats. Then back into my oven oven night. A closed box with a low watt (15 - 25) filament bulb would do the same thing as a gass oven with a lit pilot light.

I prepared and painted a hot orange 13" Grant GT wheel (found in my garage, probably from one of my late brother's VW projects) to match the Burgundy interior of my Caballero over six years and 80K miles ago, and I am just starting to get some wear / fade at ten and two.


rayjay

[Fish boy]

Great info Rayjay. This would be a good post for the tech section at some point.

I am constantly amazed by the wealth of knowledge there is amongst the many members of this site. Pretty much ask how to do anything and someone here has probably been there, done that, and can save you a ton of frustration learning the hard way.

[txtaz]

Thanks RayJay,
That is good info. I knew about the Dawn aspect, I use it on everything, but didn't realize I needed to dry the part so much. Did you use paint or dye on your projects? I plan on doing this myself. I have a nice little shop heater that in the spare restroom should be good for drying. Hymmm, I better do this while the future misses is at work...LOL
Thanks again,
Wes

[rayjay]

I have a nice little shop heater that in the spare restroom should be good for drying. Hymmm, I better do this while the future misses is at work...LOL
Thanks again,
Wes

Nor do you want them to come home and find you normalizing your heads in the oven after welding the ports in them or.... Funny, she was much more receptive to those types of things before we were married. Could be why she is the former missus. Since yours is still "future" she may be more tolerant at the moment, but wait 'til after the honeymoon (LOL).

I used Vinyl Dye from I believe Fabricoat. It's the brand of Fabric Dye and Vinyl Dye that is in most major auto part stores like NAPA or Pep Boys.

As to drying, your wheel may be different than the ones I did. The covers were sewn on to most wheels I had. The first one I did had the dye not stick very well around some of the seam. After that I started letting them dry overnight after washing and at least an hour, if not more, after using the alcohol. No more problems. Interior panels always seem to have nooks, crannies, stitching, pleats, or folds that trap some water and moisture. So I am careful about drying them too.

Fish Boy, I find it amazing how many people have been there, blowed that up and what you can learn from their experience if they are willing to part with the information and you are willing to ask and listen. But even more amazing is how many people do not ask nor listen, and how many still have to repeat the process over and over again, not learning from the first (or second...) time.

:smash:

I for one am very glad the people in this group are willing to share!!

rayjay

[MOP]

Funny how they get after you hook up with them, nothing is as right as it was before! Kinky become a foriegn word also, gee I could go on for two or three hours but fingers would get tired! :outtahere

[txtaz]

Nor do you want them to come home and find you normalizing your heads in the oven after welding the ports in them or.... Funny, she was much more receptive to those types of things before we were married. Could be why she is the former missus. Since yours is still "future" she may be more tolerant at the moment, but wait 'til after the honeymoon (LOL).

RayJay, Too funny. Fortunately for me when I met her, I was rebuilding an outboard in my kitchen. She thought it was funny, but got tired of eating out all the time. Trust me, even though she is a "future" THIS is her kitchen. It baffles me, I do most of the cooking.
I will say this, after taking her out on the "new" boat and teaching her to drive, she is VERY tolerant. And she is definately a Donzi girl now. We will post pics as soon as I find my friggin USB cable for the camera.
Wes

[rayjay]

I will say this, after taking her out on the "new" boat and teaching her to drive, she is VERY tolerant. And she is definately a Donzi girl now. Wes

Then congratulations! You have found that one in a million.

My partner / significant other (can't get married until the last kid is out of college for financial reasons) just wants me to call the boat "Ray's Diva" after her and paint it a golden yellow like the picture below. Guess I found the right one too.

rayjay

[BUIZILLA]

Hmmm, another bench seat 22 ??

J :shades:

[rayjay]

Hmmm, another bench seat 22 ??

J :shades:

Eventually, but it will be a Phantom Boat like the Phantom Cars that are being built. Something the factory should or could have built but didn't. It would be like the Crit II or SS, but based on a 22' Classic instead of the F-22. I've even thought of doing a X-22 or a Crit based on the X style. I've had the idea of doing it for some time but seeing Lenny's X-18 coming to fruition is really giving me the impetuous to do it at some point in the future. With the response this has gotten maybe I should build the deck and get Donzi to offer it as an option (lol, wishful thinking).

rayjay