Driving Gloves? Yes or No?

[Delorean3610]

Hey everyone, I've been kicking around the idea if picking up some driving gloves, mostly so I don't get prints on my own car. And I'm just curious if they would be worth it. And if so any suggestions for a decent pair?

[skill]

A pair of deerskin gloves would be nice. I've been pondering the same for awhile, but not ready to buy a nice fitted pair in black. :) Here's a URL for you to look up, but the images and shopping cart are down;

http://www.deloreanowners.org/store/

Anyone else know of where to pick up an affordable pair of deerskin driving gloves?

[Michael]

Driving gloves pretty much do nothing but add to the vintage retro allure of the car. Do you know why driving gloves are even used? It goes back to the days of thin wooden steering wheels. Peoples hands would sweat and against the smooth hard surface of a steering wheel and that had consequences. That's why driving gloves are almost always perforated for max ventilation and cut very short at the wrist.

Most all of today's cars have leather or synthetic wheels which negate the need for gloves for open road driving.

Still though, there is something "not right" about having a Delorean and not having a nice pair of driving gloves. They just seem to go together. It's more of a romanticism than a necessity I think, but if it adds positively to the experience of driving then go for it.

I would suggest a cheap pair of eBay gloves, no more than 20 or 30 bucks will buy. Most likely you will get tired of them and only wear them when it's cold rather than warm....which is exactly the opposite of their use.

[Kane]

You should also get a sweater vest, a newsboy cap, and a monocle to complete the look... Tally Ho, old chap!

[David T]

Driving gloves will keep the interior cleaner and prevent your hands from slipping on the steering wheel. You can find them at places that sell driver stuff like shoes and helmets. Good ones can be pricey. A bit of overkill for a Delorean. Necessary if you track a car. When you track a car you don't use the A/C and when your hands get sweaty they can slip on the steering wheel or the gearshift.

[Delorean3610]

I just don't want to get mad at myself for getting my own fingerprints on the car.

[Michael]

I just don't want to get mad at myself for getting my own fingerprints on the car.

In that case pick up a few pairs of latex gloves. Ask the concours guys what they use. :tongue2:

[Delorean3610]

In that case pick up a few pairs of latex gloves. Ask the concours guys what they use. :tongue2:

So my options are driving gloves and looking like an asshole(no offense to anyone who does wear them) or looking like I'm going to inspect an asshole?

[Jonathan]

So my options are driving gloves and looking like an asshole(no offense to anyone who does wear them) or looking like I'm going to inspect an asshole?

Well..... Dr. Cosmo Kramer just happens to have the perfect license plate for that sort of thing!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2X_XNdmWws

[Michael]

As far as keeping my own prints off the outside of my car I just don't touch it. I use the rub strips as handles. At most I may get a smudge or two right above or below the strip...easily removed in a jiffy.

[Mark D]

Driving gloves :hmm:

I don't think I would be able to take myself seriously wearing driving gloves. Then again, I'm usually wearing a tee shirt, shorts, and sandals when I'm driving my car. I doubt adding driving gloves to that would look right on anyone.

If you think you might 'need' them to avoid finger prints on your car then you're probably taking yourself way to seriously. If you're wearing them to go with the rest of your vintage 80's look while driving the car then that is slightly more reasonable.

If you're wearing gloves while driving, it's above 40 degrees outside, and you're not on a race track, if I see you I'm probably going to think you are a wiener and laugh at you. But that's just me.

[GS450-Junkie]

Don't forget that using driving gloves will add weight to the car. Granted it's only 12 or 13 oz. or so, but it's very important to drop weight in your Delorean in any way possible.

Ok, I'm done. Just had to say it.....yes, that was all sarcasm. :partyhat::partyhat::partyhat:

[NightFlyer]

In that case pick up a few pairs of latex gloves. Ask the concours guys what they use. :tongue2:

As a concours guy, I don't use any gloves - I'm just extremely mindful of where I touch my car (and always wash/scrub my hands before touching anything in the interior).

As to the concours judges, even Dave M was surprised at how lax and unmindful they were of touching my car when judging it. There were several times when a judge left finger, palm, and arm prints all over the stainless and glass, which I immediately wiped off afterwards with a microfiber towel (even though you're supposed to stop polishing once the judging starts, I felt such actions were justified seeing as how they were the ones who were making the mess). I actually had a conversation with one of the judges about that, who said that they'd recommend gloves for the judges at future competitions.

[Kane]

Don't forget that using driving gloves will add weight to the car.

So does that second bean burrito. :)

[sdg3205]

So does that second bean burrito. :)

The fatter I get the slower my car goes.

Tally ho! Cheerio ol sport!

[PB Co]

Someone once recommended baseball batting gloves to me instead of driving gloves. Very similar.

I used to wonder why the DeLorean steering wheels were always so worn out even with low mileage. Until I drove one, without any power assisted steering I'm sure the wheel sees extra wear and tear. I could definitely see wearing gloves to preserve an original or even a costly recover.

[dustybarn]

You should also get a sweater vest, a newsboy cap, and a monocle to complete the look... Tally Ho, old chap!

I recently bought a monocle. If you're middle-aged and going gradually farsighted like me, a monocle is remarkably convenient and practical for looking at your watch or cell phone.

Handball gloves (the non-padded kind) make excellent driving gloves too.

[Dangermouse]

Someone once recommended baseball batting gloves to me instead of driving gloves. Very similar.

I used to wonder why the DeLorean steering wheels were always so worn out even with low mileage. Until I drove one, without any power assisted steering I'm sure the wheel sees extra wear and tear. I could definitely see wearing gloves to preserve an original or even a costly recover.

I'm not sure that leather-on-leather wouldn't cause more deteriorization than skin-on-leather

[topcop66]

I have always used just a plain old pair of the "Mechanix" gloves found in most auto parts stores. They are usually under $20 bucks and come in different color combos to suit your particular tastes.
I myself prefer the black ones with white lettering on the face/top of the glove.
They are nice and light/thin, so not many worries about sweaty hands when removing after driving.
Makes griping the wheel during turns much easier than with bare hands, plus the wheel and the interior do get hot on those summer days !

[PB Co]

My understanding is that the sweat and oils from our hands wear out the leather more than the friction. For the record I have never worn driving gloves but I support anyone's decision to do so.

[Chris4099]

Toby from DMC-NW uses driving gloves. His steering wheel is the best looking original one I've ever seen. So wearing gloves definitely helps with the wear and tear of the wheel. If I ever recover my wheel, I'll seriously consider getting a pair to start using for long drives.