Looking for a suggestion for a product or material to preserve and seal original running board rubber. I have a 1936 Packard

[V16]

Looking for a suggestion for a product or material to preserve and seal original running board rubber. I have a 1936 Packard which is a very nice original  car  which is showing some cracks and deterioration on the running boards. I would like to seal and protect the material for the future. Any suggestions?

[BucketofBolts]

A very attractive Packard. I am envious. 

[SC38dls]

These are my 38 Studebaker running boards before and after using Areo product. We use it on all the rubber of airplanes and it softens and protects very well. 
dave s 

Automotive Products 

Amazon's Choicefor "aero cosmetics"

Amazon's Choicefor "aero cosmetics"

 

 

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Edited November 15, 2022 by SC38dls (see edit history)

[bryankazmer]

The risk is that any coating applied itself flakes/peels.  The original mats are almost certainly EPDM, but now degraded to where it can't be trusted to act like "normal" EPDM.  My suggestion would be a clear polyurethane, with a lot of UV absorber (not too much or it could bloom), and gloss modified to the right level.  I would want to try this on a junk part first.

[Scooter Guy]

I would use Wurth's Silicone Free rubber care (it's a spray) and then leave it alone. It will not "seal" it, but will help keep it from getting totally dried out and will offer a little protection. It will not fix damaged rubber that is already cracked or discolored. 

[West Peterson]

I don't have any suggestions, Allen, but just want to tell you how beautiful that car is. Is it dark brown? Or black?

[V16]

It is black, came from the Crawford family of Cleveland. They started the Crawford museum. Nice original car. Would love to find some Laidlaw 734 Broadcloth, new or used to repair some minor flaws in the drivers seat.

[Flivverking]

Darling, old rubber compounds ,like every thing  else in  life are only going to last just so long.

You can only do so much to preserve what you have ,with products and avoid wear and tear,but in the end,life is to short to worry to much.

Sludge it up and  it will make it look good on the top service but eventually the base matt thickness will give out.

   Just enjoy the beast,and keep it up best you can.

We all will love you just the same when the running boarded mat's crumble.

Life goes on...

 .

Edited November 16, 2022 by Flivverking (see edit history)

[Restorer32]

We've been told that Pine Sol  cleaner will soften dried out rubber but we have never tried it.  Nice car Allen.  Wish it was mine.

[zdillinger]

6 minutes ago, Restorer32 said:

We've been told that Pine Sol  cleaner will soften dried out rubber but we have never tried it.  Nice car Allen.  Wish it was mine.

That's very interesting. My '40 180 has some pretty dried out running board rubber that I was planning to replace, and I'm sure there is some Pine Sol under the kitchen sink... I'll give it a try and report back.

[SC38dls]

I’ve soaked my running boards two or three times since above pictures were taken using the Aero Cosmetics rubber care and it really does work well. It was developed for all the seals on airplanes. We would wipe them down once a month or so and they always sealed well. The last thing you want is an air leak in a plane as the noise along will drive you crazy. These club planes sit out in the sun for long periods of time and have been around for 30 or 40 years in many instances. 
dave s 

[Restorer32]

I've often wondered if that "Spray and Seal" rubber stuff constantly hawked on TV might be useful in this context. Tape up and spray the worst areas?  May be worth experimenting with.

[Soupiov]

Don't know how it would wear on a running board but I used flex seal on the original top of my 1922 Model T Centerdoor.   It sealed the top making it waterproof and filled in the cracked and alligatored top material.  I used several coats to fill in the cracks but the first coat did a good job of waterproofing.  My only issue with it is that it had a gloss finish that was out of character on an otherwise unrestored car.  It eventually faded to a nice mat finish after sitting out in the sun.

[Jim Mead]

This is a fascinating topic.

Well done…..

[alsancle]

Allen you have the coolest stuff!

[60FlatTop]

That is a high quality car and not one to cut corners with. I would think replacing them would be appropriate.

 

A few year back a friend had new running board rubbers made for his 1938 Cadillac Model 75 coupe. I am pretty sure it was this company: http://www.runningboardrubber.com/contact_us.html

 

I know it was in western Canada. They machined a set to exacting specifications. You don't notice them on his car because it just looks natural.

 

I remember them being in the $1200 to $1500 each range at the time. Certainly worth looking into.

[V16]

Thanks for the lead, I have heard that this company does nice work, but they do not show the correct pattern for my car. Besides, it is my intention to preserve and maintain as many of the original features on this car as possible... they are only original once and I feel very fortunate to be the caretaker of this fine machine. There is something very special about the smell of the of an original car, the wool broadcloth, the wood garnish moldings and the aging carpet that have absorbed into their core a sense of history and quality of a bygone era. What cars of today would have held up as well 86 years later?

[EmTee]

Maybe this: https://www.amazon.com/Ru-Glyde-Mounting-Rubber-Lubricant-Bottle/dp/B000CIJUGK