staticguitar313

iTrader: (2)

Lets face it, the tan interior is very hard to keep nice and most of them by now have been swapped for black, or are rotting and ruined. Which is why I have started this thread. My FD interior is in fairly poor condition. After seeing the price that people are charging for used black interior pieces it seems only logical to attempt to change the color of the existing pieces instead. After searching long and hard and sifting through buried threads with missing pictures, unfinished thoughts and forgotten threads. I decided its time to compile all the knowledge on this subject into one informative thread.

Please post any personal experience and information regarding interior color change techniques. I'm hoping we can get more information on which dyes and paint products work best and have the most durability.

Would like more information on the usage of dye on the door panels and headliner. If there is anything that can be done to recover the sun visors?
Are there any plastic dyes or coatings safe enough to use on those lower kick panels or the storage bins that doesn't chip, flake or scratch easily?

Which Carpet dyes are best? What are the correct methods of carrying out such a large task?

Share your information and please post up pictures!

This is the starting point for my project:

muibubbles

iTrader: (36)

i dont know about dying the carpet......... thats a lil too much but i know a guy over the v8rx7 forum used vht paint for the rear bins and they loooked better then my real black ones.... i cant remember who it was and it was in their build thread so i cant find the pics......

Callsign_Vega

iTrader: (3)

I also have a tan interior and I have to change it. I bought brand new black carpet from one of the group buys a while back. I will also be purchasing black low sitting racing seats. I plan on covering the tan panels in black Alcantara. It will be expensive and labor intensive for myself but I think it will look great when done. For contrast with the Alcantara panels, the trim pieces I will paint gloss piano black.

Click here for some information: http://www.alcantara.com/en_US/exper...icazioni.shtml

1QWIK7

iTrader: (33)

I did my tan to black interior about 3 years ago.

You're better off sourcing the black interior and hoping you can sell some tan pieces to compensate the cost.

If not, the cost of going black anyway is worth it.

Im glad i did it.

It cost me nearly 1000, that includes the JDM rear seat.

I didnt salvage any of the tan parts, no one wanted it. I sold my tan seats though, thats about it.

Here was my interior 3 years ago.



Cant really see the entire tan interior but you get the point.

Here is my interior now.





The best mod i did to my car ever. Next to the 99 spec front bumper.

staticguitar313

iTrader: (2)

the point is some people can't afford paying $400+ for black door panels that often times aren't even in good condition. I'm going to recover my headliner myself to save money there. If there's a dye that works with great results on the panels then id rather do that, everything else I would be OK buying.

I'm going to try to use this product on the panels, I'll give it a shot, it'll be a nice temporary alternative, while I track down what I need.
http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/p...&keyword=11449

1QWIK7

iTrader: (33)

400 for door panels? LOL

Who paid that?? I got mine for 100 bucks.

It cost me 1000 bucks for the entire shabang, and thats with the jdm rear seat.

Sure you can paint it for alot less but its an easy way out, its a shortcut, a half *** job that will look like crap.

Who the hell wants to retouch it every couple of months?

Thats like getting a maaco paintjob for 250 bucks but the paint fades at the end of the year and you go back each year for a touch up.

Do it once, do it right.

Bluewind

iTrader: (16)

Don't condescend. I haven't seen panels sell for $100. $400 is the average price with $500 being the higher. Show me some nice panels in $100 and I'll throw you a bone.

muibubbles

iTrader: (36)

yeah u just got lucky for 100 for door pannels they average from 300 (poor condition or reallly lucky)- 400/500

blizzaga

iTrader: (2)

Interesting, I'd love to see this get finished! As for dyeing the carpet, I wouldn't do it. Like Callsign_Vega did, you should do the same. I forget where that group buy thread is though...but hey, found this old thread, it should give you some ideas

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...oup+buy+carpet

and here is some black interiors for $260. They don't look like their in too good of a condition though.

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ghlight=carpet




~Shar

spandy

iTrader: (1)

Here is a link to a member that painted their tan panels, and had amazing results, probably the best I have seen on here.

I still think you should just clean them up, I prefer the tan.

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ight=tan+black




If and when you do this, if you are just going to throw away your tan pieces, I'll buy the little plastic push pin clip thingys that hold the kick panels in place, mine are going to break someday I'm sure and I have no spares.

staticguitar313

iTrader: (2)

Thank you for linking Rizen's Thread to this one, I couldn't find that one (I had forgot who wrote it) I think that its time to take the power out of the hands of people who think $400+ for door panels and $100+ for kick panels etc. Its over you *******!
Carpet though? Not so easy to dye, seats can be recovered.
Does anyone know if you can purchase the cloth base model OEM seat skins from Mazda?

spandy

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, but you can re-carpet it yourself with a roll of thestuff, I've seen first timers do awesome jobs just by taking their time and paying attention to detail.

I am having a katzkin dealer here locally reskin my seats this year. I will get the tan leather with black suede inserts and a black rx7 logo stitched into the headrest. Then some new tan floor mats with black edging and rx7 logo.

Damn all you black lovers.

cpnneeda

iTrader: (1)

I used Duplicolor Vinyl and Fabric paint for everything but the seats, which I am going to have covered. Clean it well. I can't remember the thread on here, but the guy used a degreaser and a brush to scrub everything down, cleaning the gunk and build up out of all the cracks. Let it dry, then wipe it down with rubbing alcohol. For the plastics, then spray it with Duplicolor's Adhesion Promoter, and once that is ready spray on the paint. I chose Flat Black, it is nearly identical to the color of the dash. I will say that I would recommend multiple coats. I think it would help it last longer. I also redid the door handles, center console and dash panels, and a lot of the misc items on the door with the Silver vinyl and carpet paint. It's a nice contrast and looks pretty nice. I did spray the carpet the same way. If or when I ever had the money for it, I would either have it dyed professionally, or just buy another carpet. It looks okay, but if you were to look under the seats or floor mats closely, you would be able to tell it isn't black carpet. I'm under a tight budget in life right now. With the economy the way it is, it's a lot easier for me to spend $6 bucks on some paint than $1000 on a new interior. I think I may have $60-$70 bucks in it right now. I'd love to replace them all, but right now it ain't gonna happen.

staticguitar313

iTrader: (2)

How are your door panels holding up?

1QWIK7

iTrader: (33)

Sorry maybe i was unclear.

100 bucks EACH.

Well actually one panel was 125 and the other was 100. I even bought the 100 dollar one from 2MCHPWR if you dont believe me, you can even ask him/pm him.

ANd it was in excellent condition 9/10.

So where's my bone?

staticguitar313

iTrader: (2)

in your butt. I have not seen them that cheap, frankly i'd rather dye them for the sake of a challenge more than anything. i'd spray my bins too because they wont be in there long, i must acquire another rear seat setup.

Bluewind

iTrader: (16)

Good for you, like I said find me one. Show me that price can be duplicated and that it's the norm.

If you shoot the ground and oil springs out does that mean that you are one god damned lucky red-necked hill billy or that every time you shoot the ground oil comes out?

Thank you and good night.

1QWIK7

iTrader: (33)

1st page results for "black door panels" show a good amount of them for under 500 shipped for the pair. And in excellent condition.

I dont know what kind of condition you're looking for but there is no substitute for the real thing. And please dont say cost.

Staticguitar, you even posted in a thread where one guy was selling a pair for like 250 shipped, what happened there?

carlb

iTrader: (6)

I'm nearly done with my conversion to black.

I put in new carpet myself - cost me $130
Two black door panels - cost me $350
JDM rear seat conversion - cost me $600
Black seat belts - cost me $60 (or was it $100, I can't remember)
I recovered the seats myself in black leather with red sticthing (very nice) - cost me $350
I painted the floor kickpanels and door scuff plates black with plastidip - cost me $5

I'm about to purchase a black headliner - will cost $250

So, all in all, not very cheap. But, it looked like *** before. Now it looks like class. Money well spent.

1QWIK7

iTrader: (33)

Wow, i guess prices went up then.

My black headliner is MINT condition, i got it for 125 back then..

Damn i guess i was lucky to have such good prices lol

staticguitar313

iTrader: (2)

Yeah i saw those, $260. Did you not notice that the driver's side door has a nice big hole in it for a tweeter?

Yea nice try. Furthermore this isn't a Painted vs. OEM Black panel thread. Your taking up usless space, your opinion has been noted and is appreciated.

Supernaut

iTrader: (83)

My paint guy tells me vinyl is the way to go with interiors. The trick is really in the prepping. As someone said before, degreasing etc. is necessary to make the paint stick right. Im going to get mine painted as soon as my exterior is finished for around $500 (charcoal gray). If I could replace my plastics for 1k, I would do it in a heart beat but its true, black pieces are really expensive right now.

Note: In the thread someone posted, they used armorall to degrease, I've been told that this is a bad idea and that after, you have to get rid of the armorall as well.

1QWIK7

iTrader: (33)

That post wasn't to mock you so relax, I was curious as to why you didn't get it but I see you didn't want the tweeter holes. All I was saying is that if you wait patiently you can find them relatively cheaper. I'm not starting a paint vs oem because it's clear which is better, I originally posted here cause your thread said tan to black which I did, just not the same way you're thinking.

staticguitar313

iTrader: (2)

Eventually i may cover or buy OEM blacks, but there's no reason to NOT paint my interior, its very bad and painting will only help. I've only heard good reviews about using the Duplicolor products.

How much are you selling those suede seats for anyways?

1QWIK7

iTrader: (33)

Yeah true, i actually thought about doing the paint thing back then believe it or not.

But then i thought, might as well convert it. And since my car was semi down anyway (diagnosing a stalling problem), i had time to source all my black parts and do it little by little, which i did. Took me about the entire summer to actually complete the entire conversion since i bought the parts piece by piece. Then do the JDM rear seat at the very end.

Im not sure about the price for the suede seats, i have to take pics of it this weekend and post them.

Honestly, i will ONLY sell them if someone really wants them. I really want to buy some memory fab seats but i dont want to have these suede seats taking up space. So i wanted to get a buyer, then when the money is sent to me, ill take the seats out and send them. Then order my memory fab seats.

Its in DECENT condition, no rips or tears that i can remember but when i go through it thoroughly this weekend and take pics, ill find out for sure whats the condition and price it out. Look for my thread this weekend lol