75 Park Ave Steering Wheel dissolving

Hello all,

First time posting here if anyone can help. Should be the first of many visits for our loooong time project. We've been restoring my dad's Park Ave since the late 80's (yes, looong time) and the last time we touched it was before the internet appeared! We guessed it was about time to start again here and there and so would like to ask about an issue that's been a long time in process if anyone has any insight. Back in the late 80's, someone gave me a bottle of Armour All vinyl cleaner of which I used some to wipe the grime off the steering wheel. Shortly thereafter, and ever since, the wheel began to "dissolve". An orangey-gooey " liquid ooze appeared and to this day it drips a drop of this stuff maybe once or twice a year and the wheel appearance overall is that it is sweating. . Don't know why it's doing it except maybe the cleaner started a reaction and breakdown of the petroleum based tan steering wheel or something else. The big question is, does anyone have any ideas on how to stop this reaction and save the wheel? I don't want to try anything to make it worse but it's not great now! I've seen other wheels that don't have this issue and are just as old. Thank you for any help!

Lou

Replace the wheel. Finding it may be difficult but I suggest French Lake Auto Parts in Minnesota. They have a huge inventory, and are northern cars where the heat may not have impacted the plastics so much. Plus they do pull parts and ship em. Click here for their web site: http://www.frenchlakeautoparts.com/

Steering wheels are in abundance on Ebay, just be patient and watch the low starting bid auctions. The mid-'80's cars with the woodgrain insert crack and break off with age. My convertible did. I wasn't in a hurry and wanted matching colors (like matching numbers, but more noticeable). I scored one for a buck. Where do you find two bidders for a 30 year old steering wheel.

Bernie

I don't recall the particular Buick steering wheel, but the one on my '77 Camaro has been in a "state of gooey" for quite some time. Not runny, just kind of yucky soft. With time, the texture has worn smooth (almost 700K, so it's seen a little "touch" over time). The oil on my hands would accumulate on the wheel and it would become sticky to the touch if it stayed there a while, like on the edge of the spokes. During one cleaning, I discovered the "mold holes" on the backside, which also accumulated the grunge. I suspect that if some cleaner got inside of them, they would "drip" or "ooze" gunk, especially on warm days, which would end up on the seat cover. When I discovered this issue, I paid more attention to any excess cleaner (later water) which might tend to liquefy the gunk in the holes.

I found the best cleaner was a towel soaked in hot water. The "oil" would dissolve quickly and nicely. Only thing was that it'd return with time and use. As if it was wicking out or something? As the texture wore off, it became easier to clean the now-slick surface. Not sure what kind of material they used on those "soft" wheels, but it added to the interior maintenance from time to time on the Camaro! The gunk tended to accumulate more on the back of the outer surface of the wheel and also on the spokes' edges. Definitely sticky and yucky to the touch.

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467