Seat paint?

[Ldog33]

I'm building an old kids bike for my 6 year old. The seat (Troxel) that came with it is made out what looks like a plyable rubber with an S on it. It's two toned, but I would like to paint it, is this even possible? I would change the seat but this bike has a wonkie skinny ... seat post, I mean it must be half an inch or something.
Thanks.
P.S. I thought of covering it with some german vinyl that I have but I'm not sure how I would attach it under the seat with these weird plyable rubber looking seat material.

 

[RustySprockets]

There is such a thing as vinyl dye--a product that sprays on from an aerosol can just like spray paint. It's intended for car seats and you can find it at auto parts stores. I've used it on door panels, seat backs, etc and never had the stuff peel off the way paint would.

I've also recovered several bike seats using castoff remnants of leather and suede. That task required some patience, a sewing machine, and a can of contact cement. An upholstery stapler would've made things easier, but I didn't have one and still got the job done.

My earliest effort...not quite smooth.

 

[pick]

I used white paint for painting on vinyl upholstery on this seat:

Before:



It actually is holding up pretty well, you have to make sure you get the surface as clean as possible before painting
After:



Sorry, this is the closest pic I could find of it. I was satisfied with the results.

 

[Ldog33]

Thanks, going order some up and give it a shot.

 

[pick]

I just got mine at an auto parts store, O'Reilly's I think.

 

[B607]

Rattle can vinyl paint is what I use to restore an old Schwinn seat. Came out okay, including painting a new "S". Gary

 

[Ldog33]

You can't buy spray paint here in chicago off the shelves, you either have to go out of the city or buy online. This .... bike is causing me a small fortune, thank god I got the bike as a trade, but my son wants it to look like my black and blue felt so I have buy pretty much all new parts.

 

[B607]

Too bad they don't still sell spray paint. You could put your bike out on the curb and the taggers would have it painted by morning. Looking at the train cars, some do nice work. Gary

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Too bad they don't still sell spray paint. You could put your bike out on the curb and the taggers would have it painted by morning. Looking at the train cars, some do nice work. Gary

Or it might be gone... Lock it well and you should be right! I would love to see a graffiti bike!

Luke.

 

[Araya51]

Thers a product called "SEM" that you can use on vinyl, plastic and leather. I work in the auto body shop supply business as a color matcher and paint tech.. and I use SEM to do color matches for customers that need matching in there automotive needs like interior and exterior plastics bumpers and claddings.. Works really good but I highly suggest you prep it rite so it will hold up for a long priod of time..

 

[jamesdart]

I have a pretty nice electra seat that is just ugly, I was thinking of trying the sem product also.

 

[twomorestrokes]

Yep vinyl leather and carpet dye from auto parts store. I'm a detailer and have all different colors that I use often. Glorified spray paint but works SO much better. Automotive leather seats are almost always just surface dyed with this stuff so that tells you how durable it is.