Renewing Vinyl

[Verse]

For dash pads and door panels, one option to make them look almost new is to use vinyl dye. Another though is to rub down with glycerin. I used to work in the vinyl business, and this was suggested by a company scientist. It will put flexibility back in the vinyl.
Glycerin can be found in the drug store. It is used on burns.
Can you see the difference?

 

[DocMcNeedy]

I'm thinking of all options to fix this piece...trying to keep it original...but, want to give it that clean look.

 

[Turboomni]

Interesting with the Glycerin, never heard of that. I would guess the dash pad too then? I was warned years ago not to use Armor All because it actually dried up vinyl. Is that true?

 

[The Goose]

Interesting with the Glycerin, never heard of that. I would guess the dash pad too then? I was warned years ago not to use Armor All because it actually dried up vinyl. Is tht true?

Yep. Armor all turns dashpads rock hard then they split. One thing I was told on the big 69 thru 70’s dash was remove the screws from the speaker grills and tack them down with rtv. This is a Big problem with e bodies.

 

[CBODY67]

The main thing with ArmorAll was its UV light ray protection, which can also cause the various "oils" in rubbers and such to "dry out" from exposure.

I heard the same thing about using AA on fabric items. But the one thing about AA is that it washes off of harder surfaces or softer surfaces where it didn't soak in.

I came to like "Son of a Gun" better for its more natural sheen.

CBODY67

 

[Turboomni]

Is that why the 69 jury's dash pad always cracked in the same place starting near the speaker area? They are just too tight?

 

[CBODY67]

When all "dashes" were usually made of metal, painted with "suade texture" paint, no big issues. Just don't rub or wax them.

The padded dashes of the '50s all shrunk and look bad several years out, by observation. On MANY of those pads, there was a waxy coating on the backside of the pads. Possibly there to keep "the oils" in the padding so it wouldn't shrink with time and age? ALL of that stuff looked nice when it was newer, but age will usually "happen", no matter what.

Surface coatings aren't the real answer, I don't think, although they can delay things somewhat, from the "visual" side of things where the UV light lands.

Even the later hard plastic exterior trim on the LH cars will shrink and become "loose" from the retainers, by observation.

CBODY67

 

[CBODY67]

Is that why the 69 jury's dash pad always cracked in the same place starting near the speaker area? They are just too tight?

Almost any perforated speaker grille area was usually the first section to "give way" on the instrument panel pads. Fords included, by observation. Just less support between those holes, which made them harden first (more of the base material exposed in the sides of the holes) and crack out from the least pressure.

On the '69+ Chrysler surround pads, I suspect that where they crack in the middle has to do with how the liguid material was injected into the basic mold, from each end of the mold, where the two "injections" met and didn't really bond/absorb to become "one". That's my theory. As they all seem to have breaks in the same place.

Many of GM's pads were on a fiberglass backing, with retention clips added to the backside and the pad and texture applied to the top side. They usually didn't crack, with the harder surface texture and "pad" under it, but they would certainly deform and curl at the front edges, no matter what. Even the '79+ Camaros with the better designed pads.

Everything in "soft trim" has a definite "use life", by observation. We can help to preserves and extend said life, but there's a limit somewhere. Sometimes, it's not the external areas that are where the base issue might be, but what's under that, which we can't get to.

CBODY67

 

[stubs300]

Another though is to rub down with glycerin. I used to work in the vinyl business, and this was suggested by a company scientist. It will put flexibility back in the vinyl.

Glycerin won't do crap for dried out plastic or Vinyl, period! I too worked in the Vinyl industry as well and when the "plastizers dry out there is nothing that can restore it without replacement. The only thing I see is a dried out panel with some shiny crap on it! I think your scientist has play playing with to many chemicals.

 

[Big_John]

I used to work in the vinyl business

I too worked in the Vinyl as well

 

[Turboomni]

So i guess there is nothing that works then.

 

[stubs300]

Is that why the 69 jury's dash pad always cracked in the same place starting near the speaker area? They are just too tight?

I can't and won't argue your point. I don't know the history of cracking on the dash in question, as I've never owned or repaired that model dash.

So i guess there is nothing that works then.

IDK? What are you really lookin for???? Big Q isn't it?
These are my best leads to help, if I was closer? Maybe better help for you, maybe? Good Luck
Dr. Vinyl | Professional Vinyl & Leather Repairs, Stain & Odor Removal throughout the United States.
Doc's Total Package Automotive Interior Leather and Vinyl Repair and Restoration Products
Fibrenew Leather Repair, Plastic, Vinyl, Fabric Restoration

 

[The Goose]

Is that why the 69 jury's dash pad always cracked in the same place starting near the speaker area? They are just too tight?

I don’t know for sure but after my first split ebody dash I always pulled the speaker screws and went without armor all. I had much better luck after that.

Look at how some of those speaker grilles warped. That can’t have helped things...