How to get your switches back to black....

[nebogipfel]

I did mine 7 years ago with an aerosol of satin black vinylkote (actually made for soft plastics although there is a hard plastic one available) and they have lasted well.

[Sea Ranch]

This sounds good, John (3380); thanks for the experiment! And thanks for the PM.

And that's a great testimonial and tip, John (nebogipfel) (I have to ask: what does that moniker mean?)

I can certainly understand the plastic oxidizing again readily for two reasons that come to mind: not enough of the deteriorated plastic on the surface has been removed, and the surface has not been "refined" enough, ie the finish was left too coarse.

It might not be possible to remove enough deteriorated plastic to stop the quick return of oxidation because it's possible that UV and other pollutants have contaminated/damaged the plastic too thoroughly and deeply.

It seems to me that applying a new finish to the switches is also a perfectly legit approach, except that one would want a good quality material to put on, as the last thing you want to deal with is rub-through of the "paint" or flakes, etc.

Having said that, I'm not sure what the fascination here with nail products is. Are we revealing our "softer" side, perhaps "coming out of the closet" just a little with our "cross-dressing" side . . . ?

Just kidding!!!!!! Seriously, I would think any quality coating would work here. Pick your poison - and sheen - and have at it.

But I wouldn't give up too quickly on polishing/resurfacing. And perhaps the rub-on silicones, dyes, etc. would have a longer-lasting effect on a well-refined/sanded/polished surface.

Just thinking out loud . . .

Randy

[nebogipfel]

And that's a great testimonial and tip, John (nebogipfel) (I have to ask: what does that moniker mean?)

You're welcome Randy,

I used VinylKote some years ago to recolour some red seats in a Morris Minor (they needed to be blue) the results were impressive and long lasting and the product seemed to have penetrated the vinyl and proved very durable.

Nebogipfel was a character in a short story by H G Wells and was also used as the name of a small ugly hairy Morlock in "The Time Ships" by Stephen Baxter which is the authorised sequel to The Time Machine and happens to be my favourite book.


As I'm small ugly and hairy it somehow seemed appropriate

[Sea Ranch]

I don't want to confirm or deny reports of your stature, visage or hairy-ness

But I would like to try VinylKote some time soon to see how it works. I will at some point be putting a "finish" on the headliner in my car which is otherwise in beautiful condition (it has the staining around the edges of the "C" pillar trim pieces and so far it doesn't look like the stain will come off, even with a cream kitchen cleaner that has mild abrasives and chlorine in it.

The Time Machine I know and love; Time Ships is new to me. I'll have to check it out. Thanks, John . . .

[ardee_selby]

Nebogipfel was a character in a short story by H G Wells and was also used as the name of a small ugly hairy Morlock in "The Time Ships" by Stephen Baxter which is the authorised sequel to The Time Machine and happens to be my favourite book.

As I'm small ugly and hairy it somehow seemed appropriate

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morlock

"Morlocks....maintaining ancient machines that they may or may not remember how to build"

Sounds more like me!

Cheers - Richard

[Sea Ranch]

Ha, ha!! That's so funny, and erily appropriate for us: maintaining ancient machines while trying to figure out how they were originally put together!! We're all Morlocks

[Spyder fan]

Just a thought, but it's quite a small problem to have faded switches on the dashboard, it doesn't really affect the running of the car and some might call it 'Patina'.
There was a brown (russet?) and silver +2 on the Elan section stand at Donington that had original paint complete with complimentary micro blisters, stress fractures and touched in stone chips. I was reliably informed that this shouldn't be repaired or improved and that it was a rare thing to see a totally original car.

The above school of thoughts doesn't sit well with me however; I'm quite keen to have a car that looks at least as good as the day it was delivered and even happier to have one that looks better.

Keep the solutions coming to smarten these things up, I'm still with the silicone treatment, but happy to let others experiment with the wet & dry or plastic paint. The type of plastic used for the rockers is thermo setting, this is a hard cast plastic that has a pourous texture and will absorb oils and dead skin etc from your fingers in use, thats what at least half the faded milky white oxidised surface is caused by.

Regards

[trw99]

The rocker switches went dull grey quite early on in their lives. On my first Sprint they were like that after only four years.

Alan - "There was a brown (russet?) and silver +2 on the Elan section stand at Donington that had original paint complete with complimentary micro blisters, stress fractures and touched in stone chips. I was reliably informed that this shouldn't be repaired or improved and that it was a rare thing to see a totally original car."

That was andyelan's tawny brown with gold roof 130/5; unfortunately the Donington lights turned it green-brown. And you heard right, it is a wonderfully patina'd original car and as such acts as a good reference point for how the cars left the factory. Any 'ole fool can make any 'ole car go better using modern technology and materials, after all!

Tim

[stugilmour]

...But I would like to try VinylKote some time soon to see how it works. I will at some point be putting a "finish" on the headliner in my car which is otherwise in beautiful condition (it has the staining around the edges of the "C" pillar trim pieces and so far it doesn't look like the stain will come off, even with a cream kitchen cleaner that has mild abrasives and chlorine in it.

Hey Randy, for portions of the headliner material I used the spray vinyl paint available from Canadian Tire. It is a flat white and matches well. You have to cover everything well though as the paint fogs around a lot. Although my headliner material is replaced with new, the paint finish has held up well on the sun visors.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4 ... ?locale=en

[Spyder fan]

. Any 'ole fool can make any 'ole car go better using modern technology and materials, after all!

Tim

Tony, Mark B, John Pelly etc etc we are all fools for making our cars go better using modern technology and materials. Are you sure you don't want to retract the 'make them go better' Tim? Surely not better than original?
Mark (Elan in the forest) will be busting a blood vessel at this point!

I must admit to feeling a slight fraction sheepish when you pointed out that Andy's car was original paint, it just wouldn't stay that way round my house. Loads of pictures would be taken and the paint would be sympathetically removed and replaced with the same colours, the interior and mechanicals would get a similar treatment, no spyder parts everything original as possible. I like original specification cars, I have mentioned this on many occasions.

Any ole fool can criticise another ole fool

[trw99]

Alan

No criticism intended, I was merely making a point. Furthermore, I've set up 24 hour patrolling around the house to protect myself from Tony, Mark B, John Pelly etc!

A point I too have made before is that for me, the essence of Elan ownership is to recreate the driving experience of the car as it was at the time it was on the market; I have always acknowledged that an owner can do what they like to their car and some I admire, whilst others, not quite so much, for example respraying a perfectly good Sprint in Jaguar Heather and then fitting a tow bar!

Now to let you in on a wee secret Alan. I harbour a wish to have a Zetec +2 as my daily driver. It would be tricked out with air con, oatmeal leather interior (with contrast piping and Wilton carpeting), convertible of course, central locking etc. Probably resprayed in a modern metallic dark blue. Bring on the bling! It would share the garage with one totally original Sprint though.

Tim

[types26/36]

some I admire, whilst others, not quite so much, for example respraying a perfectly good Sprint in Jaguar Heather and then fitting a tow bar!
Tim

Well I like Elans with "period mods" and Mike Spence was supplying a tow bar as an option at the time for ?15 although I don't think the Jag colour does anything for the car

[Spyder fan]

Brian,
Nice old advert, at the risk of going too far off topic (again) do you have any idea what the conversion kit for the 5 speed gearbox was?

Regards

[types26/36]

I'm afraid I don't know Allan, possibly the Hewland as described in the article also from 1967.

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Any 'ole fool can make any 'ole car go better using modern technology and materials, after all!

Tim

John Pelly, alias "GrUmPyBoDgEr"