M
ustang enthusiasts aren’t crazy about dyeing
their cars’ interiors. They worry about the
color flaking off or scratching through. What
most enthusiasts don’t realize is that some of all Mustang
interiors are dyes from the factory. For example, most ’87’93 dashes are two-tone — black above the glovebox while
the rest of the dash is grey, red, blue, etc. The black portion
is dyed, and all of the ’79-’86 dashes were dyed. So it’s not as
bad as some might think.
TOOLS AND SUPPLIES
The keys to a successful dye job are proper technique and
equipment. We’ll walk you through the steps, but before we
do, let’s define a few terms we’ll use in this article.
Flash or Flash Time: Time needed to allow the solvents
in the dye or cleaner to evaporate off of the part
Fisheyes: Round, ring-like craters in the dye caused by
contamination in the dye or on the part
Plasticizer Migration: The movement of plasticizers
moving out of the plastic and onto the surface, usually
caused by time and/or heat exposure. Plasticizers help to
make plastics flexible
Dusting: Spraying paint or primer on very thin, allowing
you to partially see through it
Wet Coat: Spraying paint or primer thick enough to
appear wet for a short time, until drying begins
Next, let’s cover the materials and tools we’ll use. I’m not a
fan of aerosol paints or dyes. You can achieve a much nicer
finish and have better control of color with a good-quality
paint gun or air brush. At Fox Mustang Restoration, we use
the SEM color-coat system. All of our colors are custom
mixed in-house for the best color match. You will also need:
• MEK (methyl ethyl ketone)
• high-quality, lint-free rags
• chemical-resistant gloves
• Bulldog adhesion promoter
• lacquer thinner
• a good, filtered, painter’s respirator mask
Do not use a cheap paper and rubber band mask. They
do not do a sufficient job of filtering fumes. Also, do not use
MEK on vinyl or leather — only on plastic.
Ok, we’re almost ready to get to work, but we need to
know which plastic is best to dye. The harder the plastic,
the less plasticizer it has. Dashes and center consoles can be
dyed with no issues. You can easily dye these components
any color or even change from the original color. Kick
panels, rear interior quarter-panels, seatbelt sleeves,
armrests, and sill plates are very difficult to dye. Extra coats
of adhesion promoter are recommended for these parts. It is
not recommended to change the color on these pieces. For
the best results, acquire these pieces in the desired color,
and if necessary shoot a fresh coat of dye on them to freshen
up the color.
HOW TO DYE
To get started, clean the parts thoroughly with a degreaser
(Simple Green works well) and a plastic bristle brush. Rinse
the part and let it completely dry. Hitting it with compressed
air is not a good idea because there may be compressor oil
and moisture in the air. Any soap residue, dirt, oil, or water
will cause fisheyes in your work, so be careful. Make sure
to remove any brackets, bumpers, bezels, or any other parts
that attach to the dash. You want to dye under these parts so
you will not have any lines. I use two different paint guns for
all of my dye work. I have a large primer gun for applying
the adhesion promoter and a smaller detail gun to spray
the dye. On my detail gun I run the needle in the full back
(open) position and the fan at full pressure. The air pressure
regulator is set at 25 psi.
Before applying the dye, you need to prep the plastic by
applying the MEK. At this point, make sure to use your
respirator mask and chemical-resistant gloves. You may
need to change the gloves frequently because the MEK will
attack and break down the gloves. This is also why we want
to use it — the MEK will do the last of the cleaning on the
part and will also loosen up the plastic molecules to allow
the dye and adhesion promoter to soak into the top layer of
plastic. Take a lint-free rag and fold it or layer multiple rags
in three to five layers. Soak the rags in MEK and wipe the
entire part down, trying to wipe in one direction. Shortly
after the MEK makes contact, the plastic will start to become
tacky and grab the rag. Do not wipe any more at this point.
Do not let the MEK pool up on your parts because it can
swell and damage the plastic.
At this point you need to move quickly. Before the MEK
completely flashes, spray on your adhesion promoter. Spray
a wet coat but do not allow runs. The adhesion promoter
helps prevent plasticizer migration. Plasticizer migration is
what keeps dye, paint, or adhesive from sticking to plastics
or vinyl. Still moving quickly, switch to the detail gun and
apply a dusting coat of dye. Spray once in a side-to-side
motion and then up and down. This ensures full coverage.
Now you can relax because you have your base coat down.
You can spray on additional wet coats of dye as needed
to achieve a satisfactory color. Let the part sit for 48 hours
before handling or installing to allow the dye to cure. It
will be dry to the touch in about 10 minutes, but it can be
scratched before it has a chance to cure.
Your spray equipment cleans up in lacquer thinner. Now
sit back and admire your new interior.
Issue 8 FOX Mustang Magazine 37