Ok, looking for votes to sway me either way here...

Really bugs me that I have this beautiful red stitching on my JCW interior package, yet there is this oddly non-matching silver stitching on my otherwise-beautiful black pearl seats. So I'm thinking about dying the stitching red. Sounds like it's a simple process with a sharpie marker. Am I nuts?? Below is my photoshop test.

 

Gotta admit it looks good, but holy cow! that's gonna be a whale of a lot of work!! Are the rear seats stitched too?

 

You may want to check to see if the chemicals in the Sharpie ink could damage the thread. Probably the thread is polyester and up to the challenge, but it would be too bad if the thread "rotted" and the seats fell apart.

 

With the warmth of your legs and friction against the red stitching, your slacks may get red stripes as well.

 

Would silver thread marked red look the same, or even similar, to the red stitching? How about after one or two soakings or some sun exposure?

I'd be cautious and test first - maybe on a part of a back seat.

 

i agree that the red stitching would look cool, but don't take a sharpie to your seats!

 

If you could make it look like the photoshop, then I'd say go for it. That said.... I think it would be VERY difficult to make it turn out that good and last. First, it would be hard to stay right on the thread and not spill onto the seat (at least in parts), second, who knows how that is going to age/fade? Might look great for six months, but then what?

I'd look to at least see if anyone on the webs has done something similar, then test in an obscure area if you decide to go forward.

Good luck.

 

Quick search turned up this
Fabric paint instead of sharpie, but I'd still do more research.

 

 

Id be scared, the video looks interesting, might not hold up welll but you can always reapply. DO IT and report back to us.

 

Yes you are nuts, but please do it!!
Looks really good on the photos, so the concept is right.
Maybe you can try on the backside, or under the seat? Some place where it does not matter if it looks like ****.

 

Mistake imo. You will not get red dye to cover black stitching and look good. If the stitching was white it might work. Better to get new covers made for such a nice interior as yours.

 

J-L
Those Pearl seats are very nice.
We have them.
Let them exude their own aura.

 

The stitching is white on the Black Pearl seats.

 

I wouldnt try any of the above lol.
Is either done right or dont do it at all.
I dont think u want to pull the seats and get everythign restitched

 

If you were to try. Pull the back seat bottom and try a sample on a piece of stitching that is hidden.

 

Does look good. But that would take a bunch of work to get right.

Good luck.

 

Hi guys- thanks for all the replies.

Yes I have seen that video posted above. That marker is more like a paint marker- the stuff seems to sit on top of the thread and not soak in. You could even do black stitching in red with it. But it sounds like it'd look like crap and can flake off.

People on forums elsewhere are saying that red sharpie works well- hold it to the stitch, and it wicks it up in a couple seconds. Yeah I imagine it would take several hours to do it all. Yes rear seats are the same. Guessing it would last a few years- worst case, I have to re-apply... oh but I'm about to get Crystalline tint, so I'm pretty sure fading isn't an issue! I'll test if the ink rubs off on clothes- good idea.

I'll have to look again closely, but the original looks to be very light grey. I wouldn't call it white. But I think that it's light enough that the red ink would take just fine.

I would test this somewhere first of course. And I am reasonably confident that it will look just like a re-stitch. Although that is a good question- let me get a quote on that and see what I'm actually messing with- maybe it's reasonable enough. Or at least I'll know the cost to go back to stock if it doesn't turn out.

Here's a video that shows good results with a sharpie.

 

I am the type of person where I could see enough ways this could potentially either not go well or create unintended consequences down the road, that I would personally shy away from trying to dye the stitching after-market. If the red color is something you really want and you want to be sure it looks good and doesn't hurt the seat, one option is the Wet Okole seats in black with red piping. I realize you'd be covering up your leather though so that may not be a route you'd prefer (although on the other hand your seats seats would stay new underneath for a long time).

 

A picture of the Wet Okoles with red piping from another post in this forum:




Thread is here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...installed.html

 

I did the exact thing on my 370Z and it came out great. I picked-up a red dye pen from Michaels. It's been three years since I did it and it still looks like it came that way from the factory.


I found the brightest red came in the variety pack of pens. My car came with silver stitching so dyeing it red was no problem. Do a test on an inconspicuous place first just to be safe.

 

Great- glad to hear first hand info! Do you remember the markers? These by chance? Thanks!

Stained by Sharpie Brush Tip Fabric Markers, 8 Colored Markers (1779005) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004O6M8Z6/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_cYV7tb10FBWZH

 

I've got to run off this morning, but I will dig that up today. Here's two pictures of my interior. The light washes out the red a bit.


http://www.the370z.com/members/gurne...stitching.html


http://www.the370z.com/members/gurne...stitching.html

 

The dye marker pens I purchased at Michael's are manufactured by Uchida. They are called "Fashion Fabric Marker".


I found that the "reddest" red came out of a variety pack that I bought. You can do the first pass in orange just to make the red pop more of you like, just experiment on a non-conspicuous spot first like the lower back of a seat.


Like I mentioned earlier, I did it almost three years ago and it still looks great.


Do a Google search on "dyeing interior stitching" and read the Camaro and Z car forum threads; that's what I did. It will help with you confidence. There was a lot of back and forth originally on paint versus dye pens. It eventually settled on the dye pens which is what I went with.


Good Luck!

 

I would love to hear an update to this post.......anybody actual try this on their F56? Is it holding up? Pictures? I have a 2015 MCS about to arrive in so cal soon and I think this looks great and I would like to do the same.

Thanks, Hoopty