How to paint shifter boot?

Hey guys im looking to paint my shifter boot flat black but i dont think taking just taking regular spray paint to it would be a good idea would it? Any advice on how to do this?

 

I think rustoleum has a vinyl dye you can use on it. Madjik Man may chime in, I believe he has done it.

 

Thanks! Yeah i saw that when i searched so i pm'ed him. Just wondering if normal spray paint will work though? If not ill just go get some of the vinyl dye, but i still need to know how to prep it and everything so it lasts.

 

It's super simple.

I used Duplicolor Vinyl & Fabric Dye (you choose flat or gloss black).

Lots of people swear by SEM paints too (they have a vinyl dye as well).

At Oreillys in the paint section there are Duplicolor surface prep wipes. I think they were $1.50 for one large wipe. Get that, wear gloves, wipe down the shifter boots and let it dry.

Then apply the vinyl dye. I did three or four light coats. The more dye you use, the stiffer the vinyl will become. After 14 years my boots were very well worn in, right after the dyeing, they were kind of stiff. But now a couple of months later after use, they broke in nicely.

Here's my ghetto rig for dyeing my boot(s)



Let me know if you have any more questions.

 

Madjik: How's it holding up after a few months?

 

Perfectly.

The dye is permanent and gets absorbed into the vinyl.

It's not like spray painting plastic or metal where you can scratch it off if you please.

You'd tear the boot before you ever scratched off the dye.

It holds up just fine to cleaning too (spray 303 aerospace on a microfiber towel and wipe down the surface)

Same goes for the shifter knobs themselves.

 

I like the "other" uses for those type of clips! LOL

 

I worked at my dads upholstery shop for years, we used SEM on the parts we needed to dye, but it all works, the key is surface prep, there can't be any armorall or wax or grease on it for the product to work, if there is anything like that the dye will fisheye and then it has to be re-dyed. Nice work Madjik

 

Thank you.

I am very pleased with how it turned out using the Duplicolor product.

 

Just did it tonight was pretty simple! Thanks

 

And so it begins...

 

lol'd.