Research help needed for old Meguiars product...

[Hoytman]

...called Plastic/Vinyl Prep...that's the name of it...and it was the predecessor to todays M 39 (at least it would seem). I was almost certain that this products old number was 36, but I wouldn't swear to it. However, I used well over a dozen bottles of it over 25 years ago to clean the rubber floor in my truck.

I've searched the internet for hours on end on numerous occasions, and even mentioned it here on this forum and AGO before, with no luck. So, it's going to take someone from Meguiars possibly researching old Professional Line product brochures and catalogs. I know it used to exist, I useds to buy it at NAPA and KOI Autoparts paint supply store in Hamilton, Ohio, and...I used far too much of it years ago to not be able to find a single picture on an internet search. That's odd...and something I'd like to see researched by Meg's personnel if for nothing but to prove I'm not dreaming or crazy.

The product was used for heavy duty cleaning and prepping plastic and vynil for re-coloring, or dyeing.

Would someone mind to do a little leg work, please?

Bill

[Jarhead0754]

M36 is hi tech wheel cleaner maybe m39 which is a heavy duty vinyl and leather cleaner used to prep vinyl, and such and removes compounds and polishes from bumpers and mouldings. If this is it? It's available on Amazon at least.

[Selectchoice]

Re: Research help needed for old Meguiars product...

Maybe I'm missing something in your original post but what are you trying to do? Find that product to use again? Find a similar product to use in it's place? Or just put your mind at rest that the product existed?

[Hoytman]

Re: Research help needed for old Meguiars product...

Just wanting to see a picture of an old product that I used to use. Mike Phillips and others have started threads showing old bottles of Meguiars products, yet I've never seen a picture of the plastic bottles of the product I used so many times, so many years ago. I simply find it odd that I can find no picture even on the internet.

To add to the story...

I even kept some of the used bottles empty of product after finding out that Meguiar's no longer made the product. I had those bottles for several years...even carried it in the at least two of the places I used to buy it at just to show the sales clerk what I was talking about and to prove to him that he had indeed sold me the bottles. A few years later, around 1997, I got married and consequently discarded the bottles when I moved from my parents. By that time I guess I hadn't been able to buy any more of that product for at least a mimimum 3-5 years. Used it many times in my early and late teens.

I've asked Mr. Phillips about it, as well as (I think) Mr. Stoops, and they don't recall it either. I just thought if I could locate a bottle or two that either of those two fellas might want to add it to their collections of old products, that's all.

[Hoytman]

Re: Research help needed for old Meguiars product...

Maybe I'm missing something in your original post but what are you trying to do? Find that product to use again? Find a similar product to use in it's place? Or just put your mind at rest that the product existed?

No, not really trying to find the product so that I can use it again. However, I will say that I have found nothing, not in any of the current Meguiar's lines nor any other brands, that were as good at cleaning rubber floors and vynil in work trucks, especially the floors, as the old product. Nothing! Nothing that took as little of product and nothing that cleaned as thoroughly. It was the king of clean when it came to rubber flooring and rubber floor mats. If they made it again I'd certainly try and aquire a 50 gallon drum so as not to ever run out, but am I posting this specifically to try and find some to use again? No.

Apparently this product was before Mr. Phillips, Mr. Stoops, and possibly even Mr. Penningtons time, thought I've guessing on the latter two men. That's why I said, it may take some real digging at the home front to locate the proper name and number and get a picture of the bottle so folks can see what I'm talking about.

[Hoytman]

Re: Research help needed for old Meguiars product...

M36 is hi tech wheel cleaner maybe m39 which is a heavy duty vinyl and leather cleaner used to prep vinyl, and such and removes compounds and polishes from bumpers and mouldings. If this is it? It's available on Amazon at least.

By the way, all of my internet searches have turned up pictures of M39 Heavy duty vinyl and leather clearner and this is NOT the product I am researching and M39 doesn't even come close, as does nothing else from any other brand name product, to cleaning vynil and rubber floors in work trucks as the product I'm looking for did. It's too bad that at some point it was discontinued...which is what my old sales rep told me years ago. He even recognized the old bottles I took in to him, but another less worthy product apparently replaced it.

[Hoytman]

Re: Research help needed for old Meguiars product...

Come to think of it, I just recalled cleaning the grips and banana seat on my old Schwinn Stingray bicycle...which take it back when I was around 14...somewhere around 1983-84. My dad actually had a bottle of it in our garage. Not long after I used it to clean the floor in my 1983 Chevy pick-up, and later my 89' Chevy, then shortly after I could no longer get it. So there's the time frame for it.

[BillE]

Re: Research help needed for old Meguiars product...

Bill,

Been kinda running your quest thru my addled brain...I have one brain cell that sees this product. Back when Meguiar's sent out the yearly Brilliant Solutions catalog is where I remember it from. Year? Not a clue.

These were glass or plastic bottles? Brown ones? I thinking that it may have been in the 'marine line' prior to shifting the (now) blue bottles. My oldest marine cat is 1996, nuttin' there.

Bill

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Research help needed for old Meguiars product...

Crazy as it sounds, this is drawing a blank around our offices as well. We've got a couple of employees who have been with us for 25 years, and it's quite possible that this product was discontinued even before they started here. Barry is travelling the world doing episodes of Car Crazy so he's rarely in the office any more. This product is just not ringing a bell with anyone here, sorry.

[Hoytman]

Re: Research help needed for old Meguiars product...

Please bare with me in typing. Recently tore my bicep on my dominant arm and had to have surgery recently. So, I,m down to using a few fingers.

Bill,

Been kinda running your quest thru my addled brain...I have one brain cell that sees this product. Back when Meguiar's sent out the yearly Brilliant Solutions catalog is where I remember it from. Year? Not a clue.

These were glass or plastic bottles? Brown ones? I thinking that it may have been in the 'marine line' prior to shifting the (now) blue bottles. My oldest marine cat is 1996, nuttin' there.

Bill

Actually, it was in the Professional line, in kight tan...light tan... plastic bottles. Man I wish I could find an old bottle for all to see.

[Hoytman]

Re: Research help needed for old Meguiars product...

Crazy as it sounds, this is drawing a blank around our offices as well. We've got a couple of employees who have been with us for 25 years, and it's quite possible that this product was discontinued even before they started here. Barry is travelling the world doing episodes of Car Crazy so he's rarely in the office any more. This product is just not ringing a bell with anyone here, sorry.

It is indeed possible it may have been discarded earlier than I mentioned.

Thanks Mr. Stoops. I would appreciate any help with this in the future. This would surely be a product that collectors would be interested if if it's this hard to remember.

Just to reiterate, though I can't be exaclty certain if the numbers anymore it's been so long...

...just think early plastic bottles, Professional line, and the words/ with slash...Plastic/Vynil Prep. Used not only to clean, but to prep for dye...so it was obviously a strong cleaner back before the latest VOC regs.

[BillE]

Re: Research help needed for old Meguiars product...

Bill,

First off, sorry to hear about your 'wing'. Going thru the same thing, rotator cuff (took a header in/on the snow-ice last winter). "They" say surgery, if I were 50 or younger-I'd do it. 60 to 70 really think about it. At 70+, hell, I may not even live long enough to complete the re-hab! LOL!

Back on topic...What sticks in my minds eye is the word, "prep," and yes, I too remember it being in the brown/tan plastic bottles. As to year...really leaning towards the 1970-75 era. Only because (if I remember correctly) most of Meguiar's products were in the 'pro line' then.

More thought...was there any company that produced products in tan bottle that resembled Meguiar's? Maybe what I'm remembering wasn't a Meg's stuff. Ya think?

Take care of that arm!

Bill

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Research help needed for old Meguiars product...

As to year...really leaning towards the 1970-75 era. Only because (if I remember correctly) most of Meguiar's products were in the 'pro line' then.

You remember right. Prior to 1973 quite literally everything we made was in the pro line, meaning we only made body shop and OEM specific products (and of course we still made furniture polish back then). In 1973 we introduced A12 Cleaner Wax as our very first consumer product. 42 years later it's still one of the best selling waxes in the country.

[Hoytman]

Re: Research help needed for old Meguiars product...

Bill,

First off, sorry to hear about your 'wing'. Going thru the same thing, rotator cuff (took a header in/on the snow-ice last winter). "They" say surgery, if I were 50 or younger-I'd do it. 60 to 70 really think about it. At 70+, hell, I may not even live long enough to complete the re-hab! LOL!

Back on topic...What sticks in my minds eye is the word, "prep," and yes, I too remember it being in the brown/tan plastic bottles. As to year...really leaning towards the 1970-75 era. Only because (if I remember correctly) most of Meguiar's products were in the 'pro line' then.

More thought...was there any company that produced products in tan bottle that resembled Meguiar's? Maybe what I'm remembering wasn't a Meg's stuff. Ya think?

Take care of that arm!

Bill

If you do decide to do surgery finishing therapy is of utmost importance. Never had a torn cup, but did have impingement surgury where they cut the bone to make more room for the bursa sack. It was a rough surgery, but had to be done. Hope it gets better.

Glad at least one other person recalls the word "prep" being on the label.

Definitley was a Meg's product...used far too much of it.

You remember right. Prior to 1973 quite literally everything we made was in the pro line, meaning we only made body shop and OEM specific products (and of course we still made furniture polish back then). In 1973 we introduced A12 Cleaner Wax as our very first consumer product. 42 years later it's still one of the best selling waxes in the country.

A12 is almost as old as me...43 next month. Still thinking it was around 1990-1983 that I used it, though it may have been made first in the early 70's it was still around in 90 when I was 17 because I was driving to get it at my local KOI autoparts/paint supply house on Maple Ave. in Hamilton, Ohio and then Meguiar's Mirror Glaze Professional line was their top selling line with 3M being included today. Not long after that, 2-6 years, would have been the time frame I could no longer buy it, though it's possible but doubtful it could have taken a few years to reduce their inventory.

The first place I bought it was at our old NAPA store and that's when dad would have purchased it, me too, and I cleaned my bike seat and handles with it, then later on our 83 3/4 ton Chevy.

[BillE]

Re: Research help needed for old Meguiars product...

Really going off the 'reservation' with this thought.

Back in the mid 70's, there was another "Meguiar" (note the missing 's') product out there. My understanding that this 'Meguiar' is/was a relative of Barry Mequiar and started his own company.

I only saw his product once, at a car show in San Diego in late 76 or super early 77. Don't remember what the bottles looked like, or better said...remember anything about it except the 'decals' they were giving away.

I did try searching>nuttin' there with Mequiar (minus the 's').

So, do ya think the "prep" just might have been THAT Mequiar vice 'our' Meguiar's?

In the mean time, I'll just keep thinkin'.

Bill