I just purchased an extremly clean 06 JCW convertable..the only thing I dont like about the car is the blue top...which I decided I wanted to change from blue to black.

So doing my homework...I searched the web pretty exhaustively and really didn't find but one or two video's and only a couple of short articles on how to dye my top...one I did find mentioned the use of Leatherique dyes from www.leatherique.com Apparently they are the end all for most high end auto restorers. This is the place they get thier dyes for the priceless cars. I called and spoke to the owner who directed me to the right Canvas dye for the job along with some helpful advise on how to apply etc.

I have already blacked out all the chrome..put on a JCW grill and black wheels, the only left to do is the top..


I dont have any current pics with the top up (DOHHH!!) but I'll get before and after pics to show the end result.

wish me luck!

 

Good luck on the project!

 

so this is what I started with this morning...



here's a close up...



and here after dyeing the top to black...


here's a close up...



I used a little more than 3/4 of the 16 oz bottle... I applied 3 even coats and waited about and hour in between... you might not be able to tell in the photo's... but I went from a med-dark blue to a real dark black. I used a 3 inch foam roller and 1/2 inch foam brush to apply the dye. Extremly pleased with the final product- the Canvas dye was just over $50 delivered..looks like a factory black top to me now, We'll see how it holds up! now the only downside.. instructions say to not lower the top for 48 hours!!! its 75 deg and sunny! thats the anguish!

 

Looks good. Great work!

 

Wow , I am completely impressed. That looks amazing

 

Scared for that first big rain at All? Awesome looking MINI too

 

I have used Leatherique products years ago to restore/re-color a leather Jaguar interior. They worked well and I ended up with an interior that basically looked new. I generally recommend their stuff to anyone for leather restoration.

What worries me about your top is that it's not canvas but a synthetic fiber that derives it's color from the polymer that it's made of. It is not absorbent at all and will not technically change color. Think of it as trying to dye a plastic bottle. You can get the color to sit on top, but at the end of the day it is painted, not dyed.

Leatherique dyes stand up well and I have seen them used for a lot of automotive things that are beyond the intent of the product. I think where you might run into some issues are the high wear/abrasion areas and fold marks.

Car looks good though and I hope it works out as a long term solution.

 

Nice job. Hope it hold up for you.

 

Interesting -- two years on, how'd the dye hold up?

 

Only been since last week...time does fly...but not that fast!

Im pleased so far! really looks so much better than the blue..now all the black is tied together.

 

Oops! I missed that. Well, given that you're in the SW, keep us posted after some more heat & the occasional downpour. Would be interesting to see how it lasts.

Sure looks nice now -- great looking JCW!

 

Good to know I used a good product...didnt know that the top was a synthetic fiber though... guess I'm the guinea pig them I pipe in down the road to see how it goes! thanks all for the compliments!

 

Researching doing this to my ugly blue top (why the heck did they make blue tops?).

if you’re still around - how did thedye hold up? Been a number of years so I’d love to hear is it ran out like Rudy Juliani’s hair dye.



T

 

I am very interested in how you died your top on your mini. I just currently purchased a 2006 mini Cooper S convertible. It is the orange color body with a green top. I would like to die the top black to help match the accents I’m doing to the mini. I live in the Southwest, Albuquerque New Mexico and wondering how the top is handling the heat and sun. Your home looks like you might live in the same area. Would you recommend this product to go from green to black? Thanks and Advance.
Tom M
Tomakazie2@gmail.com