What's the best way to preserve a good dash?
 

My newly aquired 1982 240D has a perfect black dash. I would like to keep it that way. I keep it out of the sun as much as possible but it is still old. What products do y'all recommend for preservation of vinyl dashboards? I even tought of buying a carpet cover just to save it but that would kind of defeat the purpose and I would be preserving it for the next guy. I used Armor-All just to clean it and get the grime off but I have heard bad things about this product. Thanks, Paul

use Aerospace 303

1. Avoid sun (you already do that) with a dash cover, windshield shades, under-cover parking, etc.
2. Use 303 occasionally, not Armor-All. I used to use it a lot but it has a tendency to soften some plastics over time and it attracts dust.

mercedes benz recommend to use mild soapy water and a towel. lightly wet the towel and wipe w/o pressure, dry w/o pressure. IDK what soap they use.

303 x3

Sweet find Paul!! NO Armor-All EVER!! I've not used 303 as of yet but may try it myself.

Why no armor-all? Is this MB specific or in general?

Also, get a garage :P

I'll try and get this right so please don't flame me if not:
Armor-all is a popular product as is STP Son of a gun, the draw back(imho) is it's petrolium based(think that is right) which actually causes deteriation/dry rott. I use to show a truck and sprayed gallons of that stuff on tires, engines and everything else. I wondered why after seemed like a short time my tires looked dry and cracking? It's the Armor-all! Looks great at first but over time is BAD! And this is for ANY make/model car, bike, truck.

I believe it has alchohol in it which attacks the plasticizers of rubbers and plastics making them hard and brittle, best to not use it. 303 is sold over the counter at MB dealers, before that I used it because my mustang club recommended it

Armor All (and probably any oil based junk you put on the dash) eventually coats the inside of the windshield as it goes into the vapor state when sunlight heats the dash.
Removing the greasy film on the windows requires constant use of glass cleaner. THATS why I stopped using it.
Use a damp cloth as was suggested and cover the dash

Coat it in 303, wrap it in a cotton sheet and store it in the closet.......;)

303. It can be found at West Marine.

silicon issues
 

I've heard that Armor All has silicon, as does silicon brake fluid. Silicon seems to ruin the ability to paint any bare metal it touches, and I had Armor All ruin a speaker grille for a (non auto) radio. Paint on it now has bad "fish eye." Cleaning did not help, solvents would not take the Armor All off. So with my car, I try to avoid silicon applications. If using silicon, try not to get it anywhere but where you want it, and wipe off any extra.

I did cover my '71 220D dash with a carpet cover last year. It had one crack, rather wide. Now it has many hairline cracks. My theory is that it gets hotter under that mat, and stays hot longer. Maybe the mat protects from the UV, but not from the heat.

There's no good solution, but to store the dash in the closet until you want to use a nice one. Ron

I'm a fan of Meguiar's #40 Vinyl and Rubber Cleaner and Conditioner.

About half the cost of Aerospace 303, easier to find, has UV protection, attracts less dust, and has superior cleaning powers. In my opinion, it smells okay, plus it really does a good job of cleaning and maintaining door seals and the like.

Which one affords the best UV protection? I have no idea.

I am a proponent of the Dash mat for this. Particularly some sort of Mod color Shag carpet!

I've never heard of 303 but after reading this i'll definatly consider it. I always put up the sun blockers even in the winter and thats really the #1 most important part however and i'm probably going to get flamed for this one.....

I've always wiped the dash with Meguiars leather wipes even though I know it isn't leather....thus far the results have always been very good, I hope i'm not damaging it.

www.303products.com
 

Check out their site and look for comparisons and testimonials. Take what you will from online customer testimonials but there is one where a whitewater rafting company sprayed 303 on half of a life vest, threw it on the roof, and forgot about it for quite a long time. The untreated side nearly disintegrated while the treated side still appeared functional.

I have used it exclusively for a few years and it is fantastic stuff. The interior of my W220 S430 has this strange "soft touch" coating on some of the interior panels and buttons. (Headlight switch surround/steering wheel buttons) This coating picks up anything that touches it, including body oils, which makes them wicked sticky. 303 actually does a nice job of cleaning and protecting them. Everything else I've tried just adds to the sticky mess.

If you're going to use Meguiars stuff us the Natural Shine or the other interior detailing stuff and make sure it has UV protection. The interior quick detail doesn't have UV blockers.

303 Aerospace Protectant is available at West Marine

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SiteSearchView?catalogId=10001&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&keyword=303+protectant&Ntt=303+protectant&N= 377+710&y=0&x=0&storeId=10001&Ntk=Primary+Search&ddkey=SiteSearch

Is there anything out there that'll help stop cracks from forming/growing? Vinylex is good stuff w/ UV blah blah blah, but it doesn't stop crack growth. Not sure anything will...just wondering.

In theory, yes. The process of drying out and cracking can at least be slowed down, but once they've started forming, their probably isn't much that can be done. As I stated before, I use Meguiar's #40. It conditions as well as provides UV protection. It's been around for decades, and there are examples of older interiors out there that have managed not to crack, seemingly because of their treatment with #40. Blocking UV, as you suspect, is not the only thing needed. I believe that heat in a car will still act to accelerate the ageing of vinyl and rubber no matter how much sunblock it is wearing.

of course, nothing is ever going to beat keeping the car in a cool dark place, but most of us don't have that option.

Use Aerospace 303 protectant can be found at Camping World!

super glue
 

I have heard if you have a crack starting, drill a small hole at the end and then super glue to stop the continuation of the crack. Any other opinions?

I've had a decent amount of success with melting a hole through the dash at the end of the crack with a hot thumbtack.

I use 303 on the dash, wood trim, bumper covers, tires, etc. I like the shag carpet mat idea, but my 300cd came with a genuine 80s aftermarket sunshade; it's teal with pink geometric shapes :rolleyes: Of course I use it.

DITTO 303. Great stuff. Its "Sun Screen for stuff".