Older Vinyl Dashboard Care & Procedures

[AAT]

Hello,

I have a question regarding what is the best procedure/products to use on Vinyl interior Dashboards.

I read in an earlier post that protectants, such as ArmorAll can contribute to cracks and deterioration. I also heard that Plasticizer was also commonly used in such products years ago to help keep the vinyl well lubricated. But, it was found that it only instigated the “cracking” process (http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=982)

I have an older model coupe (1980) with a vinyl dashboard. Are there any suggestions as to which products/procedures (i.e. apply said product and let it sit, apply and immediately wipe off with a micro fiber towel, etc) would be safe?

I’ve used Meguiars Interior Quick Detailer before with good results but I am not sure if this is the right choice for my vinyl dash (since the dash is much older; almost 30 years now!).

I read in the same forum that there is a Meguiar’s M-40 Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner, which is a protectant and a safe cleaner.

Would this work on this older vinyl dash?

Is there a conditioner that would soften the vinyl dashboard and prevent it from UV cracks? Is the M-40 that conditioner?

Unfortunately, I’ve also used ArmorAll before and I am not sure on how to effectively switch over, either. That is should I clean the dash with soap and water then apply the new conditioner?

My dash is in good shape (there are no cracks) but I noticed that there is some very very minor warping that is beginning on the driver’s side (not noticeable to the eye, but can be felt).

Any suggestions or help would be very helpful and appreciated. Thank you all for your time in reading this post.

-Andrew

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Older Vinyl Dashboard Care & Procedures

Hello,



I have an older model coupe (1980) with a vinyl dashboard. Are there any suggestions as to which products/procedures (i.e. apply said product and let it sit, apply and immediately wipe off with a micro fiber towel, etc) would be safe?

Any of our vinyl dressing would be safe for you vinyl dash from 1980, our M40 is a very popular product and has a very long history of success. I personally don't know when M40 was introduced to the market but it's been around longer than when I first went to work for Meguiar's which was in 1988, not that having a product around for a long time proves it works well but in this case having been around for a long time as it relates to M40 is a very strong indicator that it really is a very good product.

I’ve used Meguiar's Interior Quick Detailer before with good results but I am not sure if this is the right choice for my vinyl dash (since the dash is much older; almost 30 years now!).


I read in the same forum that there is a Meguiar’s M-40 Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner, which is a protectant and a safe cleaner.

Would this work on this older vinyl dash?


Is there a conditioner that would soften the vinyl dashboard and prevent it from UV cracks? Is the M-40 that conditioner?

M40 won't soften the vinyl but it will in my non-professional opinion give your dash the best chance to surviving into the future out of all your other options just from what I've seen over the years. I used nothing but M40 on the custom high back bucket seats in my Sanger Drag boat for as long as I owned the boat, (20 years).

These custom made high back bucket seats used a very, very thin vinyl and for 3 months out of each year were exposed to lots of sun and water as well as wear and tear and when I sold the boat they still looked brand new.

1970 Super Sanger Flat Bottom Drag Boat - V-Drive
National Title Holder - 1976 Super Modified Class 1/4 Mile in 9 seconds at 122 mph.
Owner/Driver: Rick Baker




Here's my son Rand about one and a half years old sitting in dad's boat before I sold it.






I just boat this boat, an all original, one owner 1976 Starline Deville with the original orange vinyl interior and this Thursday we're going to do an extreme makeover to the entire boat including the vinyl and we're going to use M39 Vinyl Cleaner from our Professional Line and M57 which is the Marine version of M40 for a protectant. That's where my trust lies.

1976 Starline Deville - All original, one owner boat

Unfortunately, I’ve also used Armor-All before and I am not sure on how to effectively switch over, either. That is should I clean the dash with soap and water then apply the new conditioner?


My dash is in good shape (there are no cracks) but I noticed that there is some very very minor warping that is beginning on the driver’s side (not noticeable to the eye, but can be felt).


Any suggestions or help would be very helpful and appreciated. Thank you all for your time in reading this post.


-Andrew

Answered a similar question this morning here,

Newbie Question on Interior Vinyl/Plastic (APC+Natural Shine+QID?)

Here's the reply from the above thread... same information would apply to what you want to do...

If you want to switch dressings then in a perfect world you would clean the vinyl first and the apply the new type of dressing.

You could probably get away with using QID and something like a small terry cloth towel to apply, work in and wipe off the QID and after one or two applications of this product go ahead and apply the Natural Shine.

It's going to be pretty hard to remove any dressing that's penetrated into the vinyl, (to whatever degree this has taken place), so most of your cleaning with no matter what you use to clean with is going to be mostly topical.

You could also use a dedicated vinyl cleaner like our M3916 Vinyl Cleaner

#39 Heavy Duty Vinyl Cleaner

Hope this helps...

[AAT]

Re: Older Vinyl Dashboard Care & Procedures

Thank you for the reply and sharing those awesome pictures.

It's been very hard to find the right choice of cleaner and protectant to use on older vinyl dashboards. I have a few quick follow up questions though:

How often will I have to apply the M40? I take the vehicle to about 4 car shows during the summer which means that at least four times it is sitting in the sun with the windows closed and no sun shade protection.

Also, is it best to apply the M40 the day of the car show, the night before or even earlier?

Is there any product I can use to soften the vinyl? Is it to my best interest (in terms of longevity) to even consider softening the vinyl?

Again thank you very much for the advice.

-Andrew