Recommendations on vinyl care

[kobachi]

What do y'all recommend for cleaning and "moisturizing" the vinyl in the DeLorean interior? (I asked a guy at a local shop who told me that the vinyl center console was "definitely leather" and suggested Armor All )

[pezzonovante88]

What (I asked a guy at a local shop who told me that the vinyl center console was "definitely leather" and suggested Armor All )

lol yes, shoot me too. Often times leather care products can also effectively treat/moisturize vinyl. You could also try a vinyl/rubber care product. I like AutoGlym.

[kobachi]

lol yes, shoot me too. Often times leather care products can also effectively treat/moisturize vinyl. You could also try a vinyl/rubber care product. I like AutoGlym.

Thanks for the recommendation. I'm working off the (perhaps-uninformed) assumption that the products my local O'Reilly's carries might not be ideal. I generally don't trust aggressively-marketed products like Armor All, and they have several shelves full of it. That's why I asked =)

[David T]

There really isn't anything you can do for vinyl as you would for leather. Vinyl won't soak in anything to preserve it. As vinyl ages the plasticizers get hard and brittle and the only thing you can do is reduce exposure to the sun for it to last longer. All you can do with vinyl is clean the surface. As for the leather, only the seating surfaces, pull straps, steering wheel and shift boot (on the 5-speeds) are leather. For that go to Leatherique.com for information, cleaners, dyes, repairs, and Rejuvinator. Armor-all just makes things greasy (and shiny) and that attracts and holds dirt. For good car cleaning products take a look at Griot's Garage.
David Teitelbaum

[kobachi]

Indeed I was JUST looking at Griot's (they are just 50 miles from me). I also found this product, which is a bestseller on Amazon and the reviews make it sound like it's the best product in the history of human manufacturing:

303 Products Aerospace Protectant: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004R1CK56

[jawn101]

Indeed I was JUST looking at Griot's (they are just 50 miles from me). I also found this product, which is a bestseller on Amazon and the reviews make it sound like it's the best product in the history of human manufacturing:

303 Products Aerospace Protectant: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004R1CK56

Every car show I've ever been in has given me samples of this and I've never tried them. I worry extensively that it is silicone based (never found any evidence either way) and will leave an un-removable residue on the surfaces you protect with it. I also worry about it out gassing and contaminating the windows, etc. I have seen DeLoreans with permanently and un-cleanable greasy windshields that are downright dangerous when the lighting gets glare-y out.

I just prefer a regular old damp microfiber cloth for the vinyl surfaces. I haven't quite settled on a product for the leather seats yet but have heard great things about Lexol.

[kobachi]

I worry extensively that it is silicone based (never found any evidence either way) and will leave an un-removable residue on the surfaces you protect with it.

303's own marketing claims it's water-based and that silicone-based products are bad, so I think you're safe on that point.

[jawn101]

303's own marketing claims it's water-based and that silicone-based products are bad, so I think you're safe on that point.

Look at that, so it does. The very last place I look when evaluating any product is the manufacturer's own info. Guess I forgot to look at all

[kobachi]

Look at that, so it does. The very last place I look when evaluating any product is the manufacturer's own info. Guess I forgot to look at all

Well, to be more specific, it says it contains no "silicone oils". The fact that they specify "oils" might be suspicious...

In any case, it's reviewed ridiculously well on Amazon, by people who say they've been using it for 6, 10, 12 years. I ordered some, along with some Lexol cleaner and conditioner.

EDIT: there seems to be considerable debate about the use of silicone in interior products. The post from the guy who works at Meguiar's is particularly interesting: http://www.crossfireforum.org/forum/...armor-all.html

[Mark D]

Do not use 303 aerospace protectant on your dash, binnacle or any other vinyl. I have some nice dark brown spots on my (once) pristine dash thanks to 303. It works great on my newer car, but the old materials didn't fare well at all as soon as the sun hit it.



If your dash and binnacle look good now then leave it alone. Wipe it down with a damp cloth to keep it clean, and avoid letting it sit in the sun for extended periods. 30+ year old synthetic materials do not react well when they're suddenly infused with cleaners and products intended for protection. I learned that one the hard way.

Leather is completely different story than vinyl. Leatherique is a great product that is PH neutral and will rehydrate and clean your leather seating surfaces and steering wheel. I followed the instructions to the letter and my seats are now much softer and flexible like they originally were. They've relaxed and loosened up so they're not stretched tight and prone to tearing at the seams. You can even see some of the original ripple texture has come back in places. I highly recommend.