Brian Hartl
7/12/2018 5:49 PM
I bought a 1992 Allante that set outside in the hot AZ sun and as a result it has several black spots on a gray dash the size of half dollars.Any advise on how to remove other then a dash mat?
Gerald Aquilina
7/12/2018 6:29 PM
It is my belief that the spots cannot be removed. They are the result of UV interaction with the chemicals and pigments within the vinyl. The dash can be repainted with a vinyl paint/stain. It first has to be scrupulously cleaned of all products. I would then recommend a sealer before re-painting to prevent the dark spots from coming through the new paint/stain. Companies such as LeatherMagic sell the products to refinish vinyl. A re-spray is a messy and tedious job but if done well gives a good result.
Keeping the dash out of direct sun and applying a UV protectant (like 303 Aerospace Protectant) will prolong the re-spray job.
(2( 1993 V4J Pearl Mist and Opaque White
Will Ayers
7/13/2018 8:09 AM
I second 303. Just picked up my 89 which thankfully had slept in a garage most of its life. Brown and saddle interior trim looked like it never had an application of anything but dust - it took 3 coats of 303. Use it on the black door handles, rubber antenna boot as well - even though those are all faded and/or cracked by now. It will help from wash to wash.
This is marine and aviation-grade stuff with no silicone. On some of my cars, I even apply some on the outer corners of the seats near the side and back windows, after I've applied Lexol. Just an extra step of UV protection.
I have a dye guy locally, but they are hard to find. Call around to local interior shops and see if they have someone they can recommend to color-match and mix up some dye. When dyeing interior, always do the matching and dying outside in sunlight - never under UV light in the shop, and don't rely on "spectrometers." There are more variations in the computer than you can imagine. Eyes-on match/dye both in full sunlight.