Anyone have any comments regarding Meguiar's Vinyl Protectant(#40 I think) vs. Mother's equivalent? Does one leave less of a shine than the other (I'm looking for a matte finish)? Should I be avoiding products with silicone in them and, if so, why? Thanks in advance.<p>DG<br>'97 1.8tqms Wett

 

Vinylex made by Lexol is the BEST! Very low shine.

 

nt.<br>

 

Avoid any vinyl/rubber protectant with silicone in it! Read the following info I saved from the Corrado-L mailing list. Also, I'd recommend Vinylex (made by Lexol)....great stuff, not too shiny and not "oily" feeling.<p>-----------------------------<p>From: James Bratek <jbratek@interactive.net><br>Date: Thu, 09 May 1996 12:20:17 +0000<br>Subject: Re: Armol-All in Engine Bay<p>> On the subject of engine detailing:<br>> I use Fast Orange "natural citrus cleaner degreaser" spray to clean the<br>> engine. It is supposed to be more environmentally friendly, not that<br>> everything you clean off will be. After cleaning, I spray the whole engine<br>> bay with Armor All, close the hood and wash the rest of the car. After<br>> running the car I wipe off the excess Armor All. It really looks great on<br>> the hoses and even leaves the aluminum of the head looking nice.<p>I'm surprised no one responded to this sooner. Stop using Armor All!!! <br>It has been proven to accelerate the drying-out process of rubber and <br>plastic materials. This can lead to cracked hoses. And what about <br>using a silicone agent on those belts (leading to slippage?). Do <br>yourself a favor and don't use Armor All at all. And I wouldn't ever <br>recommend spraying any plastic conditioner (silicone or non-silicone) <br>in the engine bay ever!<p>---------------------------------<p>From: DesEdge2@aol.com<br>Date: Fri, 10 May 1996 09:16:20 -0400<br>Subject: Re: Armol-All in Engine Bay<p>I second that on the Armor All! Not only does that stuff make your plastic<br>"addicted" it also leaves a nasty brown residue!! Pure marketing BS scam,<br>not good for your car!!<p>------------------------------<p><br>From: Jan Vandenbrande <jan@edsug.com><br>Date: Fri, 10 May 1996 10:19:16 -0700 (PDT)<br>Subject: Re: Armol-All in Engine Bay (fwd)<p>> <br>> I second that on the Armor All! Not only does that stuff make your plastic<br>> "addicted" it also leaves a nasty brown residue!! Pure marketing BS scam,<br>> not good for your car!!<br>> <p>There is/was indeed a class action suit against armor all because<br>they allegedly knowingly sold a product that did exactly the opposite<br>of what they claimed (accelerate degradation of plastic, vinyl and rubber<br>rather then protect). The offending ingredient seems to be Silicone.<p>I have never had a problem with it, but have long switched to Meguires<br>or Clear Guard. Naturally, I have no solid proof that either is better.<p>- --<br> o ___|___ [\\] | Jan Vandenbrande jan@ug.eds.com<br> __0 /\0/ /-------\ _ | http://alicudi.usc.edu:80/~jan/ <br> \<,_ O \\ (_________) .#/_\_. | "Aerodynamics are for people who<br>(_)/ (_) // [_] [_] |_(_)_| | cannot build engines" - Enzo Ferrari<p>------------------------------<p>From: James Bratek <jbratek@interactive.net><br>Date: Fri, 10 May 1996 16:33:25 +0000<br>Subject: Re: Rubber/plastic reconditioners<p>> Please advise what's the better( or best ) alternative for Armor-all.<br>> I've been using it more than three years. The original one a bit<br>> too shiny, there is a low gloss one too I haven't tried it.<br>> Until now it haven't caused any problem.<p>Anything without silicone.<p>I use Black Again ($12 per 8oz bottle) on the exterior black plastic <br>trim and black rubber window seals. For the tires, I use a first coat <br>of Black Again and a second coat of Meguiar #42 Rubber Treatment ($10 <br>per 16oz bottle). Using either one singularly will tend to wash off <br>after the first drive through the rain or puddle, but by using the two <br>products together as layers, you can see the lasting effect through a <br>month's worth of rain drives and washes. This process works equally <br>well on the other exterior rubber/plastic items. On the dash and <br>interior plastic trim, I use Wurth Cockpit Cleaner Spray ($12 per <br>300ml bottle). I've heard that Lexol's Vinylex Protectant ($10 per <br>500ml bottle) is highly recommended as well.<p>Jim Bratek<br>1992 Corrado VR6 (black/beige)<br>informal concour and detail specialist

 

Prefer Formula 303 to all the others: no silicones, good UV protection, not greasy &amp; slimy. [e]

 

These guys carry great products and have some really good write-ups on car care.<ul><li><a href="http://www.carcareonline.com/">Car Care Specialties</a></li></ul>

 

Protectants and waxes that have silicone in them are not necessarily bad. I believe the Meguiar's #40 has silicone in it, as does Vinylex (check their WWW page). It just depends on how the silicone is formulated/used in a product that makes it either good or bad. I have used the #40 for the last two years and have never had anything but excellent results, and all surfaces I use it on are like new.<p>I thought the main problem with Armor All was that it contained formaldahyde [sp?], which would lead to the browing, deterioration and drying out of the things it was applied to. Stick to the better products (Meguiar's #40, Vinylex, etc.), some of which can be bought by the gallon which makes them as cheap to purchase as the inferior mass market products.<p>Dave M

 

Dave, thanks for the info

 

303 on inside, Meguiar's #40 for the tires though