SEM on Seat Covers?

[Marty Rogan]

I won those blue OEM seat covers that were on EBay recently. They do have some odd staining in a couple of spots. I want to try scrubbing it off first, but if that doesn't work I will have to use SEM on them.


Has anyone out there used SEM on seat covers? What kind of results did you get? Did it hold up? Rub off?

TIA,

Marty

[Carl Beck]

Hi Marty:
I've used SEM products for years. If you wipe the vinyl down with lacquer thinner - then apply a VERY LIGHT COAT of SEM Vinyl Dye, allow it to dry for 24 Hours, then buff with a soft cloth... it will wear will and well and not come off on your cloths. The lacquer thinner will soften the vinyl so the dye will soak in/or adhere.

That said - I would not want to use it on the new seat covers unless the stained area is significant and there is no other way to clean it up...35 year old vinyl is not the best thing to attempt dying and the SEM might be a shade off the original.... in which case you'd wind up dying the entire surface of both seats...

I'd try using a clean terry cloth rag, with some lacquer thinner to see if you can get the stain to lift off the vinyl. Make the terry cloth fairly wet with lacquer thinner ... hold it still on the stain for about 20 seconds.. then wipe gently, turning the rag to keep a clean surface in contact with the seat vinyl - and see if you can work the stain out.. (then wipe it dry).

FWIW,
Carl B.


Carl Beck
Clearwater, FL USA
http://ZHome.com

[hls30.com]

Carl suggested exactly what I would have had I been here first.
One other note, if the stains are darker than the original color(I missed the auction to know), sometimed very careful application of 409 (of all things) will lighten them-even consderably with repeated application.
Will

[Marty Rogan]

Thanks for the replies. 409 eh? That's interesting.

I have used SEM in the past with good results. And I did use the method where you use lacquer thinner first. I did that on the driver's door panel (dyed it from a new black one), because I could not find a new blue one. That was 6-7 years ago and it has held up very well. It does not have the same sheen as the new passenger door panel I was able to find. It is slightly dull.

I was not sure if this would work equally well on seat covers. They obviously get a lot more wear than a door panel.

I will do everything I can to clean them first and resort to SEM if I have to. Having original blue covers was just too good to pass up. These wer the only ones I have seen show up since I bought the car in 1998.

Thanks,

Marty

[bob m]

If you need to "repaint" your seats or change the color prep them with rubbing alcohol. Spray a light coat of 3M adhesion promotor and spray color (paint with flex additive). When it drys, spray with SEM satin gloss clear.
This looks, feels and wears just like the original color treatment. (depending on the color match)

Bob M