Say no to crack.

[bayareaberk at yahoo.com (T Berk)]

--- Greg Pallett <greg.rocco@gmail.com> wrote:

> So, my scirocco dash is *mostly* crack free. (runs
> and knocks on wood).
> I'm concerned about keeping it that way, since it's
> no longer my daily
> driver.  It'll sit for a few days at a time and bake
> in the DC sun. I fear
> the greenhouse  effect will bake it into nice
> cracks.
> Would anyone recommend this
> *http://tinyurl.com/phx9f*
> or this
> *http://tinyurl.com/nuj3n*
> *?*

I'm concerned about the dash overlay trapping heat
underneath it and baking the original even worse.

> Another option:  Use my car cover? 
<snip> 
> Or, go the el cheap-o route and just get a white
> towel to lay on the dash when the car is parked?
> 

One thing to consider; most cloth products aren't
woven tight enough to actual provide adequate UV
radiation 'shielding' so to speak. A really heave,
high nap, dense terry cloth towel might just do the
trick, but if you can hold it up and kind of see
though it, it ain?t doing much protection wise.

> I reject those sun shades that go inside your
> windshield; they baked off my
> rearview mirror twice last summer.
> 
> Thoughts, questions, concerns, comments, ideas,
> suggestions, salutations,
> lamentations, etc appreciated.
> 
> GP

Other than something to throw the _bad_ radiation back
out I am going to advocate 
1. Avoiding dash products with Silicon (Armor All,
etc) in favor of treatments that replenish the
flexible components in vinyl (Klasse, etc). Vinyl is
primarily made of two things; a plasticizer that keeps
thing pliable and a plastic that keeps things tough
and rigid. 

Over time (and heat and the use of 'bad' products) the
plasticizers 'float' out of the vinyl and you get
cracks. This is accelerated by the use of Amour All
(although I have no hands on proof, and it it is
anecdotal knowledge on my part.)

2. Maybe layer two towels on the top of the dash;
it?ll increase the absorption of the UV as well as
provide a little insulating air gap.


Thems me rambling thinks,
TBerk


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