Has anyone tried to die seat belts using RIT dye - like you use for sheets or curtains? I was thinking of trying to dye some light blue ones black.

Why? Never heard of a dye job, not even a pair of jeans, that worked well. New belts or new ribbon can be had. A local tailor is capable of sewing them for you. Go that route.

FWIW....
New webbing is kind of expensive. I used a can of fabric dye from a local auto parts store. I went from tan to black, it turrned out pretty good.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BAD415:
FWIW....
New webbing is kind of expensive. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I have to respectfully disagree. I bought new webbing and restored my own belts. The
belting material cost me $1.00 a yard. However I don't know what someone would charge to sew them up. Shouldn't be too much thou. Its pretty straightforward stiching.

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best regards
Jack

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Many people have used RIT dye. It works OK for a few years and does seem to fade a bit. I did mine 6 years ago and the black is fading to a deep red. Might be time to re-do them.

Do a search on this subject. I saw some good info a few weeks ago.

Importtech, thank you for being so polite http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif
Where did you find the webbing at?, I looked for quite some time before dying.
The only places I could find were seatbelt restoration, hence the comment on cost.

BTW..sweet looking 68

[This message has been edited by BAD415 (edited 02-17-2003).]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Where did you find the webbing at?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Most automotive trims shops should have the belting..Barring that a trim supply shop will. I bought mine locally at a trim shop.
They keep black in stock.
jack

Dying cannot last long enough. Think of the nylon and other plastics in the belts, that which gives them wearability & strength. $1 a yard is not a lot. You don't want that stuff coming off on your lady's clothes do you http://www.chevelles.com/forum/tongue.gif ??

Thanks for the input guys. The only thing that worries me about new webbing is getting them strong enough to hold in an accident. There is a guy at a show i go to every year who redoes seat belts himself and sells them. As well as the price (about $400 a set) i haven't bought any because i wondered about the strength of the stiching. Think i will try the dye on a junk belt and see what happens.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by 66chevelleaholic:
Thanks for the input guys. The only thing that worries me about new webbing is getting them strong enough to hold in an accident. There is a guy at a show i go to every year who redoes seat belts himself and sells them. As well as the price (about $400 a set) i haven't bought any because i wondered about the strength of the stiching. Think i will try the dye on a junk belt and see what happens.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Geez $400.00 !!! Maybe I should go into business... I did mine in one day. Anyone who
has a commercial machine upholstery machine like mine would be more than capable of sewing belting together which will hold. Most
everyone uses nylon thread now which is much stronger than 30 year old cotton thread however if $400.00 were the going price I'd
be dyeing mine too..
jack

Ok, here's the cheap, and yet still very effective, way to do your belts:

1. Get them out of the car and disassembled.
2. Put them in the dishwasher. No soap needed as I understand it.
3. Go to the grocery store and buy a $3 bottle of instant shoe polish (if you need black belts - can't recommend this for any other color). The liquid polish with the sponge on the end. Use the polish on the belts and on the black plastic. THE BELTS AND BUCKLES WILL LOOK LIKE NEW.

I've done this on my belts with only 1 negative - I didn't wash one of the belts and that's the only one that the die comes off of. I know others here have done this also, similar posts happen every year.

C'mon, give it a try - what have you got to lose?

I think a big factor in rewebbing is the liability... Thats why the pros get big bucks...

I agree, for black, you might try the RIT or shoe polish. I have used the Rit with satisfactory results (single belt, not a full set).

I guess its been a few years since I had mine rewebbed... It was pretty expensive back then. But I had Ssnake-Oyl reweb them, and I got to choose the color (they sent some sample swatches) and they polished the hardware...

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"Once you go RAT, you never go back..."
TC #1366
Tony
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Yeah, i think i would prefer snake oil if i get some rewbbed. The belts i was speaking of were outright - not redoing mine and they were the fancy belts (with the brushed al looking buckles.) Thanks for the help. I believe i will try the shoe polish too.