A gentleman on Facebook/reddit with a red interior showed how he started slowly changing the color of the white stitching inside the cabin to a red to match his interior. I've disliked the lack of color in my interior since I bought the car, so I recently undertook the same task to change to the stitching from white to blue to match my paint, ambient lighting, and new steering wheel.

The person who suggested the mod is using a very fine tip paint brush with actual ink, dipping the brush and letting the ink absorb stitch by stitch. I'm sure this is the more durable route to take and the way to get a deeper finish, but I do not have that level of patience. I am using a fine tip permanent fabric marker from Amazon to achieve this.

I too am going stitch by stitch, but I'm moving at a pretty quick pace because any marks can be very quickly buffed off of the leather before they dry. So I am going 10-15 stitches at a time, dabbing the marker on the stitch and letting the ink from the marker wick into the fabric of the stitch. Then I quickly buff away any ink that's landed on the leather.

I am not sure yet how I'll manage the backseat which has stitching in the alcantara, but I surmise I will go very slowly and very carefully since ink won't be able to buffed out of that like it is on leather.

Anyway 2 hours and I've completed the entire drivers side and the look is very clean, and exactly what I wanted and expected!

 

Very cool trick/technique .... glad you didn't go Orange.

 

LOL the thought crossed my mind but I don't have any orange inside the car, and also halloween theme is certainly not what I want 😂

 

After the Knicks win the championship this season, you'll dye the stitching orange.

 

I mean if that happens I will put every bit of orange I took off back on and drive it up for the parade 😂

 

Have to admit, I like it.

 

Very nice. I have to see if I have the patience for this.

 

Thanks for sharing the tip/trick. Nice to file away for future reference.

 

Brilliant, I wonder how it works with other colors other than white

 

I've been unhappy with the white stitch color since Day 1 My ISF had a black interior with blue stitching. I specified blue stitching for my new steering wheel. My Silverado came with cloth seats, and I installed black leather covers with red stitching Let us know how it holds up over time.

Lou

 

try a fabric marker. More permanent than a paint or ink

 

This is the exact marker I'm using

 

OP, The color came out very nicely. If I had same interior color then surely would have followed your route. I have to appreciate your patience though and I am sure you have a steady hand to work on a tiny thread.

 

I just looked at my black interior stitching closely. Here are some concerns. Obviously, once you start, you have to do the rest. The stitching are two different color. The whitest gray will probably soak in the color marker better than the blackish blue stitching. The blackish blue stitching are on the armrest. The dash where the driving mode is. The grab handle and the seatbelt strap. the bigger concern is the Alcantara seats in the rear where the stitching is on the seat itself.
I think I’m going to pass. Lmao.

 

Agreed on your point about all or nothing. Also consider it's likely a permanent change as I don't know how effectively you'd be able to clean this dye back out if you wanted to go back to white or some other color.

I'm not touching the black stitching. It wont work there so that will remain black. I don't know why they decided to use black stitching in these spots vs. white everywhere else.

I was able to do the gauge cluster cowl where the drive mode switches are (which is covered in Alcantara and white stitching across it on mine) with no ill effects, but I have a similar concern with the rear seats. I was planning to inspect closer and decide today if I want to do the rear seats or not. I probably will, just very very carefully and going painstakingly slowly.