Dyed my top!

[dragonfire6]

So, my new to me Alpine White Z4 had a Split Pea Soup Green/Gray top and since it was in great condition, I decided to look into dyeing it black. I decided to go with Forever Black's Black-Top (Black Pigment) dye. This says for use on vinyl tops but after calling the company they said it should work but would require more dye since the material would absorb it much more than vinyl.

I ordered two 8oz bottles and was able to completely do the top with just one bottle. I plan on doing a second coat at some point but for now I am happy with the results.

I'll take some outside pics tomorrow, since it looks like rain is coming pretty soon but it looks worlds different. I used the included applicator and a paint brush to get the edges/corners. All in all, it took me about an hour and a half to do one coat that that includes taping everything off.

[Nate4641]

Wow looks good!

[IN10SS]

Looks good. Let us know how well it holds up. I've got a tan top I've often wished was black so I'm very curious.

[chickdr]

That looks like it did an excellent job. I would put either 303 ,or Ragtopp protectant on after you finish. That Florida sun will be rough on a black top.

[dharper]

I always wondered if this would work. I have the same color top on my '03 that you have, and have considered dying it. It looks like crap, but the top overall is in really good shape and I can't justify replacing it right now.
Nice work. If you don't mind, post an update after some time has passed to let us know how it holds up.

How well (or not) did the top take the dye? Seems like a few applications may be needed for best results.

[dragonfire6]

Thanks guys and I am looking into 303 or Raggtop now.

The top took the dye a little too well. Also, the applicator is definitely not he best thing to use to apply the dye. It soaks up the dye also so it was difficult to get it to look even all the way around. The middle area is slightly off (darker) because I was starting there and working towards the edges. I wonder if diluting it with something would make it more spreadable?

Dharper, if your top looked anything close to mine, I suggest strongly suggest picking up two bottle ($35) and doing this. Even in the short period of time that I have had the car, I had become used to the faded, ugly top. It wasn't until I had completed half of the top that I realized how bad it actually looked.

[Huz-Z]

I would suggest that you wait a few days to be sure that the dye has fully dried and stabilized before applying anything else to the roof, and to test on a small inconspicuous area first. Does the manufacturer have a recommended drying period?

[whatcubed]

Lookin good Do you have any before pictures, for comparison?

[dragonfire6]

Originally Posted by whatcubed

Lookin good Do you have any before pictures, for comparison?

The very first picture is the before picture.

I would suggest that you wait a few days to be sure that the dye has fully dried and stabilized before applying anything else to the roof, and to test on a small inconspicuous area first. Does the manufacturer have a recommended drying period?

The drying time is 15 minutes but that is for vinyl. I had the car in the garage overnight will let it bake outside today.

[RossBMWZseries]

Wow looks great! My car is all blacked out so my faded cracking top is very noticable on a black car. My top overall is in good condition so I don't want to dish out $650~ for a new top, but 2 bottles of that stuff is definitely worth a shot!

[Knoxes]

It'll be interesting to see how this turns out. I'm checking to confirm with our R&D guys, but if this is a factory top, it's a solution dyed acrylic fabric, which is completely synthetic and shouldn't "absorb" any dyeing solution. The yarn for this fabric is actually spun from a dyed fiber, so it should be the same color to the core (unlike a piece dyed fabric). I would expect better long term results from a really good cleaning. I think I would be prepared to mitigate the dye running if it gets wet. YMMV.

[Knoxes]

Ok, here's the response from our R&D guys

The acrylic can be dyed but the dyeing process would kill the integrity of the laminate. The acrylic would have to be dyed before adhesion to the butadiene and to the liner.

[chickdr]

And I have no idea what the above means... It appears to have worked from the photos. I guess time will tell how it holds up. Personally I would let it bake in the sun for a couple of days and then apply a protectant.

[whatcubed]

Originally Posted by dragonfire6

The very first picture is the before picture.

So it is...I couldn't tell due to a crappy monitor. Top looks great, hope it holds up for you.

[Kimo]

One thing that's always bugged me about my ragtop, and that is clearly illustrated in the OP's first picture (enlarged below), is the way the visor assembly's outline (including it's fastening points) can be seen through the damn fabric, particularly when it is damp, i.e. morning dew.
I've seen it in other E85s too, but have not noticed it on any other 'vert tops except for these cars.
It's particularly odd to me since the tops are triple-lined.
What's up with that?

[dragonfire6]

Originally Posted by Kimo

One thing that's always bugged me about my ragtop, and that is clearly illustrated in the OP's first picture (enlarged below), is the way the visor assembly's outline (including it's fastening points) can be seen through the damn fabric, particularly when it is damp, i.e. morning dew.
I've seen it in other E85s too, but have not noticed it on any other 'vert tops except for these cars.
It's particularly odd to me since the tops are triple-lined.
What's up with that?

Kimo,
That isn't the visor outline, that is a part of the tonneau cover. It's the only section of the top that is actually hard.

[MYovichZ4]

It hasn't been that long, but how is the dye job holding up?

[fiberguy]

Originally Posted by Knoxes

It'll be interesting to see how this turns out. I'm checking to confirm with our R&D guys, but if this is a factory top, it's a solution dyed acrylic fabric, which is completely synthetic and shouldn't "absorb" any dyeing solution. The yarn for this fabric is actually spun from a dyed fiber, so it should be the same color to the core (unlike a piece dyed fabric). I would expect better long term results from a really good cleaning. I think I would be prepared to mitigate the dye running if it gets wet. YMMV.

Knoxes is spot on. The fabric for the top is not dyed like an apparel fabric - the yarn in the fabric has the color mixed into a melted chemical solution, that is then extruded a device that looks like a shower head with very small holes and then is solidified into a fiber by cooling or chemical reaction.

A good vacuuming and cleaning is about all that you can really do to improve the appearance of the top. Uniformly applying a topical treatment to your top is going to be very difficult and I have real concerns about the longevity of the treatment - it's just sitting on the surface of the fibers.

The fabric manufacturer (Haartz) has some good cleaning recommendations.

[StickMon]

True, but ...
Let's see what happens with dragonfire's dye job.
If it only lasts a year or two, still sounds like a good deal.
My car sits in SoCal sun all day all year, and I think I'm noticing it starting to fade.

[dragonfire6]

The top still looks great and has gotten wet a couple of times and my car is still white

I'm not sure how long it will last and I have not applied the second coat yet but for the little amount of time and money spent, it was WELL worth it. The top before was just ugly and I'm am so much happier with the way it looks now.

I'll post pics in a little bit. Sorry I don't have more pics of the top before the dye.

[dragonfire6]

Hey guys, here are pics as promised. I can't stress enough how much better the top looks than before! The second coat would even every thing out a little better but I am extremely happy with the results so far.

[dharper]

How is the color holding up? Any changes after some time in the elements?

Still thinking of tackling this over the cold season.