Restoring rubber mat?

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Christian Guthrie
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Restoring rubber mat?

#1 Post by Christian Guthrie »

I have the original tan floor mats for my 58' cabriolet however they are stiff and brittle. A friend of mine read an article about soaking the mat in a garbage bag with brake fluid to restore the flexibility but I'm afraid of being the guinea pig with my tan mat. Does anyone have any suggestions they could share? Thanks in advance.

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Mike Wilson
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Re: Restoring rubber mat?

#2 Post by Mike Wilson »

I just Googled the topic and there are several suggestions. One is using a heat gun to soften the rubber. There also might be some commercial products available, vinyl and rubber dressings for example, that might work.

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Mike Wilson
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'63 B coupe

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Mike Wilson
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Re: Restoring rubber mat?

#3 Post by Mike Wilson »

Considering how hot it is right now in Phoenix, just setting it outside might help!

Mike
Mike Wilson
Lomita, CA
'63 B coupe

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John Lindstrom
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Re: Restoring rubber mat?

#4 Post by John Lindstrom »

I wouldn’t do anything to it. I would leave it as is.

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Martin Benade
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Re: Restoring rubber mat?

#5 Post by Martin Benade »

You may get them looking good again, but I doubt if anything will ever make them soft again, except maybe while they are hot, sitting in the sun. I once rejuvenated a vinyl top with brake fluid, it was great for a week. Then it was worse than before.
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Christian Guthrie
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Re: Restoring rubber mat?

#6 Post by Christian Guthrie »

Thanks for all of the advice, my goal is purely to make it flexible so it doesn't tear or break when installing/ removing. I'll try the 115 degrees in the sun tomorrow.
 

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Mike Wilson
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Re: Restoring rubber mat?

#7 Post by Mike Wilson »

Yipes! Keep us posted and you keep cool!

Mike
Mike Wilson
Lomita, CA
'63 B coupe

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John Lindstrom
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Re: Restoring rubber mat?

#8 Post by John Lindstrom »

Hair dryer will get it a little warmer than sunlight if you need

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