Practically Classics Forum

Hi all,
I'm nearing the end of my Rapier restoration and need to remove 48 years of cigarette smoke and grime from the vinyl headlining.
I've been using Autoglym interior shampoo which I had 'in stock',with only limited success.I have very little left and the job is far from done does anyone have any suggestions for products auto or domestic which will do the job?

Regards
John

Vinyl silk emulsion. Seriously, it covers even those yellow glue stains that appear on roof cloth after a few years, it also hides nicotine smell and it tightens the cloth slightly as it dries. Result: One new-looking roof cloth.
There's a thread at the Dolomite Club forum right here that shows this being done, I followed the poster's instructions on my own and found that it worked a treat there too.

Don't use vinyl matt! I discovered that it can rust the bows in the roof cloth, which would cause brown lines to appear after the paint had dried, but with the vinyl silk, this wasn't an issue as seen in the linked thread there.

I got good results using a product called Decosol. It's like an orange gloop that you apply with an old toothbrush, then wipe off with a damp cloth.

I have also seen the vinyl silk paint treatment done and was very impressed, but lost touch with the guy that did it, so I can't comment on any long term effects.

Also I can remember PC testing an aerosol product back in the 90's. It was intended for vinyl upholstery and claimed not to be a paint, but a product that actually changed the colour of the surface layer of the vinyl. Again, not sure of its long term effects or whether it's still around, or whether it was produced in white.

Have a chat with the chaps at Woolies.

What I'd suggest would be getting part of the vinyl dye/paint kit that they sell - the cleaner solution mainly, and use that. If that doesn't work to your satisfaction, then buy the rest of the kit and "dye" it back to white?

I dyed the vinyl on our Moggie uphostery, and believe me the cleaner was so good, it removed every scrap of embedded crud and left the vinyl looking like new. If the original colour hadn't faded, I'd have left it like that!

I'm sure Woolies will sell you just the cleaner on its own - give them a bell!

Cheers

Maaarrghk wrote:....I can't comment on any long term effects....

Still going strong in the Dolomite, some 30,000 miles since applied. Like I say, as long as it's not matt emulsion, which makes the bows rust, then it'll last fine.

In my mini projects I always used traffic film remover which always worked well. Afterwards a wash with some washing powder brings it up lovely. You can put TFR onto an old towel undiluted (slightly rough material helps with the cleaning) and work in a circular motion. I always spray a thin film of TFR on first with a garden spray bottle and let it soak in before I start gently scrubbing.

Interested in this too. I have heard of the emulsion paint trick (from 40 years ago). However remember that once you emulsion it there is no going back - you cannot remove the emulsion.
Sadly my old Datsun Bluebird estate (that JPB saw @ Ryhope) has a darkish blue velour type headlining - that I will not dare to emulsion. It was affected, as was the rest of the car inside & out, by 37 years of London smog - a bit like cigarette smokers tar even though never moked in. I have cleaned the rooflining (and indeed the rest of the upholstery) with success using my old upholstery /carpet cleaner machine (one that blows in a shampoo solution & sucks it straight out again), and using Screwfix's carpet machine shampoo (which I find far superior to the usual Vax stuff). However it has left much of the upholstery very slightly streaked despite repeated efforts - there is always the danger with these machines that the muck is washed further into the fabric. I will just keep at it again when the weather is warmer & drier. However the rooflining itself has also faded slightly in patches - with age - so I think a either a dye or a "live with it" will be appropriate.
Ed

That gorgeous Datsun is a very good advert for any product that its owner recommends!

Hi all,
Thanks for the replies.
I've considered the emulsion option but as the headling is perforated I'm concerned the emulsion could block the holes and leave a 'blotchy' appearance.
I've e-mailed Woolies and they don't have a product specifically for cleaning vinyl and suggest 'painting' it with their spray system.
On balance I think I'll persevere with the Cilit Bang and Autoglym cleaner option which removes much of the grime but does not restore the original white but leaves it a pale cream colour which is not unacceptable.
Regards
John

johnc wrote:I've e-mailed Woolies and they don't have a product specifically for cleaning vinyl

They do, I assure you! The "painting" kit contains 3 liquids:

1) Cleaner - a thin, clear alcohol-like liquid
2) Primer - also thin and clear, a bit like the cleaner but a slightly different smell
3) The Vinyl paint itself - couloured as you wish, arrives in an aerosol can

I think you just need to get them to supply you with a couple of bottles of 1) above - it's specifically for vinyl, and specifically for cleaning it, and it did an amazing job on mine!

I'm certain that they will sell parts of the kit seperately, as I needed some extra of one of the liquids (can't remember which) and they were only too happy to ship it to me on its own.

Anyway, hope you sort it out!

Cheers