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SEM Classic Coat vinyl seat paint

5K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  jimsjinx  
#1 ·
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Last night I refinished a GL1100 Aspencade seat. Went to the NAPA store and bought some SEM Classic Coat vinyl paint.Bringing the seat at NAPA, I matched the dark grey and light grey. The result is fantastic; looks like new. It will be a while until I know how durable it is.
 
#2 ·
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I've used it in automotive interiors, seem to hold up fairly well. Don't know about bike seat.
 
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#4 ·
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I sell the SEM products in my store and they are very high quality.

I haveused a charcoal on the drivers backrest on my bike early last spring (2007)and it is holding up quit nicely.
 
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#6 ·
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SEM us good stuff and I too haveno complaints. I used it on vinyl seat and plastic trim. Had the store change color and add a flattener to make it a semi-gloss.

One thing on vinyl dyes, I tried Dupont on a pair of leather truck seats. These seats are leather and vinyl combination and looked good after color change. Immediate use, paint did not stick to the leather. I was pretty irked. I still am. Been over a year now. Stuff still flakes off the leather, but on the vinyl sides and head rest, dar-n good.

Sure, we are talking vinyl dye/paint here, but that is what is used on leather too. I won't say beaware, I just got snake bit for some unknown reason.

GW seat two plus years ago. No flaking, one small top seam seems to be fading and bleeding through to the original color after 15k miles.
 
#9 ·
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:)I found out while doing some corvette restorations,inside and out, that the leather has "conditioners" in em, namely silicone and oils, thus,no stickie. The leather had to be dyed with an aniline dye(alcohol based,heavy metals,dangerous stuff),and it penetrated the leather.It is essentially "skin". SEM does seem to "melt' into vinyl. Grips like crazy! Hmmm, now I'm thinkin' Mreced green seat?..Nahh. Jim:waving:
 
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#10 ·
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Hey jimsjinx,

Any idea what we can use to refinishleather?

When I talked to the paint store guys and gals, they reallyrecommend the SEM and Dupont for leather too. SEM is about half the cost, but I used Dupont on a pair of 2002 Tahoe leather seats. They said that I may want to wipe the leather with lacquer thinner to prepthe paint for adhesion. But, that did not work for me.

If you had leather, paint would be better thanfinding the green cow?
 
#11 ·
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:DHi Foose! In my day, I would get stuff from "Tandy"leather company,geared for hoobyists and pros. They had actual dyes for leather.Some of the pro stuff was fantastic,but you needed a respirator, and it was later found to be REAL nasty for lungs and skin. The hobby stuff was just as good,and was alot safer to use.Any shoe repair shop can hook you up with good material. If you are staying in the same color range,ie. going from charcoal to black, or black to black,or brown to brown,it's a breeze. But if you are, say going from black to brown, you gotta strip the leather of the black first. Acetone is the stripper of choice. One important thing is that the acetone sucks out all the colligens and natural oils from the leather,so don't soak it. just wipe with a small rag dipped in it.(DO NOT do this on the bike!It'll melt your paint!!:shock:) You'll start seeing blackor brown on your rag, you're doin' it right.You don't have to get it all, just what's on the surface.Now you can blast it with what ever color in that range. Light colors or even pastel colors can be done, but that is a job for a pro, as it needs a basecoat of white or other light color, and it can get ugly quick, if you havn't used thier materials before. Now some leather expert out there knows light years more than me, all my work was with cars or vehicles of some sort,not furniture! I do have a friend that restores leather furniture as a buisness. I will see him soon and I'll see what's still out there, and let you know. It will be a week or so, but I have to take some restoration work that I did for him back to his place. A nice guy.:waving:Jim PS-I bet SEM will help you find the right stuff.
 
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#12 ·
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So what can be used to color the ABS dash panels and such?
 
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#13 ·
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:)Assuming ABS plastic, I'd go with the SEM. Go with severallight coats, to avoid distorting the plastic with the solvent. Be sure to ask SEM about newer products for plastic ABS, they may have stuff now, that wasn't avail. to me when I was doing it for a living.( 1980's). The plastic on my Triumph Spitfire came out great, I even freshened up the convertible top with the stuff, and it lasted till I sold it years later. And that was in theArizona heat!!! Jim:waving:
 
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