Winston's 65 Riviera tip of the day

[Seafoam65]

                   I do something with my Riv that I thought I would pass on to fellow 65 owners. As you all probably know,

the trunk lock emblem is notorious for losing it's color, especially the red lens. I have a pretty darn nice one on my car and

what I do to protect it is whenever I'm not driving or showing the car, I put masking tape over the lock bezel to shield the lenses

from the sun, as it is sunlight exposure that fades the lenses. I just thought I'd pass this on to those who hadn't thought of this idea. Bonus tip: I treat all my interior wood with Armorall once a month. The previous owner of 45 years did this and that is why my original wood looks like new at 50 years of age. also on my car all interior paint, upholstery and the dash pad have been Armoralled forever. My 50 year old dash pad looks like a new part.....believe it folks, Armorall works, along with always rolling down the windows a little when parked out in the sun.

[Pat Curran]

You are right about the red portion of the emblem Winston and you are not the only one who puts tape on it.  As I posted yesterday, that 65 parts car on CL for $1,500 has what appears to be a good trunk lock emblem still intact.  I would put paste wax on the emblem and then wipe it off at shows.  It was enough to cover it and protect it from the sun.  I don't think anyone has ever reproduced this part but like the horn bar for the wood wheel, I would think there is a market for it.

[Guest Kaber]

                   I do something with my Riv that I thought I would pass on to fellow 65 owners. As you all probably know,

the trunk lock emblem is notorious for losing it's color, especially the red lens. I have a pretty darn nice one on my car and

what I do to protect it is whenever I'm not driving or showing the car, I put masking tape over the lock bezel to shield the lenses

from the sun, as it is sunlight exposure that fades the lenses. I just thought I'd pass this on to those who hadn't thought of this idea. Bonus tip: I treat all my interior wood with Armorall once a month. The previous owner of 45 years did this and that is why my original wood looks like new at 50 years of age. also on my car all interior paint, upholstery and the dash pad have been Armoralled forever. My 50 year old dash pad looks like a new part.....believe it folks, Armorall works, along with always rolling down the windows a little when parked out in the sun.

 

Winston,

 

We have the factory "wood" wheel on my Sons '63. I store it in a non-climate controlled garage behind a residence during the winter months. It gets pretty cold here, -10 in occasion over the months of winter storage. I always worry that the wood on the steering wheel will crack or split. I pretty sure it is not real wood, but is there anything I could do to help prevent cracking short of pulling the wheel and keeping it in my home.

 

Thanks,

 

Kaber

[RivNut]

You are correct, it is not real wood.  You probably wouldn't have a problem if the "wood" were not attached to the metal ring.  The two materials probably have different coefficients of expansion.  One will shrink/expand more/less that the other. That would cause the "wood" to split if it shrank in the cold and the steel didn't or if the steel expanded in some heat and the "wood" doesn't then the wood would split as well.  Climate control is the best solution,  I don't know if there's a second best.

 

When I worked for Dr. Vinyl, we ran tests on different "preservatives."  We found that the silicone in Armoral caused plasticizer migration.  The plastizers would migrate out of the vinyl leaving it brittle and prone to cracking.  We conducted these tests using extreme heat and cold.  We came up with our own formula (AP Labs Vinyl Dressing) but it's no longer available.  The service end of the company was sold and the buyer did not continue the product end.

 

Ed

Edited September 23, 2015 by RivNut (see edit history)

[Pat Curran]

The horn bar is a delicate piece and I'm sure age doesn't help it.  The wood wheel itself is fairly durable and as Ed pointed out, it is not real wood.  Some people have installed a button under the dash for horn purposes to avoid the possibility of breaking the horn bar.

[Seafoam65]

                        Ed I am not a chemist....I just know Armorall works. I have a dash pad in my 69 GTO that I've Armoralled since 1971 and it isn't cracked and looks new. This is unheard of. These dashes normally crack all to pieces and did so back in the 70's......I know Armorall works because I've done a 42

year field test on it.  It worked on my Riviera dash as well. It looks new and doesn't feel brittle. I also have a 45 year old original custom wood style steering

wheel on my GTO and I've always Armoralled it and it has never developed a single crack in it anywhere, which is also unheard of. As far as protecting the

wood wheel in the previous post, I would get a wool steering wheel cover, Armorall the steering wheel real good and cover the wheel with the wool cover

when the car is exposed to extreme cold. Obviously keeping the garage warm at least up to 32 degrees would help.

[1965rivgs]

I had a very bad experience with Armorall. Used it on the dash and upper side panels of a daily driver (not a first gen Riv) which was never put into the garage, plenty of sunshine, no shade. In a couple of years the vinyl completely discolored from a tan to a very dark brown, almost looked like it burned, and the vinyl became very brittle. The car was less than 10 years old when applied and the deterioration was complete at about the 10 year mark. Maybe it depends on the type of material it is applied to? But I dont like the way it looks and I especially dont like the way it feels. I cant tolerate the feel of silicone on the steering wheel.

My wife formerly ran her car thru the local car wash and when the kids would wipe down the dash and steering wheel there must have been a silicone based chemical being used on property because I always needed to wipe the wheel with a strong cleaner to remove it.

I dont detail my cars (wish I had that free time) so I am the last to consult on detailing products but I cant bring myself to use Armorall. Before the silicone based detailing products I used liquid floor wax on vinyl tops....it worked great and held up well!

Tom Mooney

I

[Paul K.]

I don't doubt your good luck however, it may not be Armourall. Your awareness and constant care keeps dust and dirt off the surfaces and prevents etching of the wood and deterioration of these surfaces.

 

As a kid I used to detail my Mother's 72 Cadillac often and used Armourall on the black vinyl top. This was in the late 70s when Armourall was becoming a popular product. Unfortunately, after a few years, the top literally shredded and became tassles that blew in the wind. The outer grained vinyl had separated from its backing.

 

Armorall. Never again.

[Guest Kaber]

You are correct, it is not real wood.  You probably wouldn't have a problem if the "wood" were not attached to the metal ring.  The two materials probably have different coefficients of expansion.  One will shrink/expand more/less that the other. That would cause the "wood" to split if it shrank in the cold and the steel didn't or if the steel expanded in some heat and the "wood" doesn't then the wood would split as well.  Climate control is the best solution,  I don't know if there's a second best.

 

When I worked for Dr. Vinyl, we ran tests on different "preservatives."  We found that the silicone in Armoral caused plasticizer migration.  The plastizers would migrate out of the vinyl leaving it brittle and prone to cracking.  We conducted these tests using extreme heat and cold.  We came up with our own formula (AP Labs Vinyl Dressing) but it's no longer available.  The service end of the company was sold and the buyer did not continue the product end.

 

Ed

 

Thanks Ed, that is what I figured. Sadly climate control is not an option. It's been OK the past 2 winters. I should pull it off, it would be a good theft deterrent too!

 

K

[Pat Curran]

Tom, you are right about floor wax on a vinyl top.  I use it once a year on my 71 Monte Carlo which I bought new and the roof looks as good today as the day I bought the car and it now has 177,000 miles on it.  If you buy Turtle Wax vinyl roof wax it is actually floor wax that you get in the can.  With regard to Armorall, the previous owner of my of my former 65 Riv (black interior) used it too much.  The vinyl had a milky appearance to it and it took me a while to eliminate it.  I hate interior finishes that have a greasy silicone feel to it which is what Armorall gives you.  Who wants to slide around in the seat anyway?  It may have its uses on certain items but not inside my car.

[RivNut]

  It may have its uses on certain items but not inside my car.

X2.  When you find out what it's good for, let me know.  Armor All on a dash, besides what I've described above, puts a nice shine on the dash and that helps reflect sunlight into your eyes; I love driving while I'm squinting.  Now if I still were in high school and wanted my girlfriend sitting close, I'd Armor All the seats and make a quick turn and slide her my way.

 

Ed

[68RIVGS]

There are numerous vinyl and leather products available on the market.  As we all well know, some products work better than others, so it's a matter of experience and personal preference as to what product best achieves the results your after.

Over the years I have tried quite a few of them before I chose the products that are used on a regular basis.

Edited September 24, 2015 by 68RIVGS (see edit history)

[Seafoam65]

                        Upon further reflection.....you guys are right.......armorall certainly has destroyed the 50 year old interior

in my Riviera.......Anybody know where I can find a good upholstery shop?

[1965rivgs]

X2.  When you find out what it's good for, let me know.  Armor All on a dash, besides what I've described above, puts a nice shine on the dash and that helps reflect sunlight into your eyes; I love driving while I'm squinting.  Now if I still were in high school and wanted my girlfriend sitting close, I'd Armor All the seats and make a quick turn and slide her my way.

 

Ed

After 30 years of marriage there have been times when I might have turned in the opposite direction, surprised I never thought of that,

  Tom

[1965rivgs]

There is no right or wrong, just different experiences and resulting opinions. If it works for you keep doing it. Nice interior,

  Tom

[RivNut]

After 30 years of marriage there have been times when I might have turned in the opposite direction, surprised I never thought of that,

  Tom

Too funny.

[JanZverina]

Has any one had experience with Armorall weakening the seat stitching? That's why I stopped using it. I prefer Meguiar's products, but that's just my two cents. Comments welcome.

[RIVNIK]

303 brand Aerospace Protectant is said by many (you know, "them") to be the best conditioner and UV protectant available. I've used it for a couple of years and am pleased with the results, especially with the finish it leaves on my interior. Check out 303s products and testimonials on their site or on Amazon, where I find the best prices on this kind of item ( and you might find it on your doorstep the next day)       Drew

[RIVNIK]

Anybody watch Car Crazy? Old man Maguiar is startin' to give me the willies. Someone should ask him to step off a bit.

[rapom]

I stopped using Armorall years ago because it was too greasy and smelled and damaged my dash.  I believe it even accelerated the sun damage on the plastic parts on my Camaro.  Plus I had to keep applying it as it would dry out the plastic.

 

 

 I was told to use Pledge back in the early 90's and haven't had any problems since.  It's not real shiny or greasy and has a better smell plus you don't have to use it as often.

[Seafoam65]

                    I'm compiling a list of the evil things Armorall does to your car as ammunition for a class action lawsuit against the

company, so everyone keep your comments coming. So far we've learned that it causes vinyl to completely fly apart and dry up

like a gully in Arizona, and it completely dissolves  the threads that hold the seat panels together, and causes dash pads to crack in 

a thousand pieces. It also causes the vinyl to turn a chocolate brown color, and I've heard rumors that it causes skin cancer and the

children of Armorall users have been born with a third eyeball in their forehead! That this company is still in operation is an outrage

and makes me question what our government is doing to protect consumers. If you or a loved one has used Armorall in the past

and want to get in on the class action suit, call Frankel and Frankel at 1-800- lawyers.

[RivNut]

For these kinds of class action suits, I've always heard the Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe were the attorneys of choice.

[1965rivgs]

For these kinds of class action suits, I've always heard the Dewey, Cheatum, and Howe were the attorneys of choice.

Sounds like a script from The Three Stooges

  Tom

[RivNut]

I think they just hired the CEO of Volkswagen.

[Pat Curran]

YUK, YUK, YUK!