Anyone got any ideas of what to use on old glass rubber gasket seals to look better. Mine are old and dry looking. ( the actual rubber glass gasket/ seals.. like windshield seals etc )
I found a spray can of 'rubber restorative' at an estate sale so a search should help you. It may have been a WD40 brand https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/can-it-be-done-restoring-rotted-rubber/
Brake fluid or silicone lube both act like moisturizer for rubber. It will take several applications (wipe it on with a rag) let it sit (not on the paint if using brake fluid) and keep working in more. Kind of like moisturizing old leather seats, eventually the rubber will look pretty decent. I do this on my vehicles yearly.
Only thing that works on dry and cracked rubber tire paint. Not the silicone dressing but the actual black paint. Anything else and you just end up with shiny cracks
When I worked at the Cadillac dealer back in the 60's, GM sold weatherstrip conditioner that was simply silicone grease we rubbed into the rubber to bring it back. I still have about 3 big tubes of it that they were tossing out simply because it began to separate. I use it on all of my old cars, even on new weatherstrip to keep it new.
Glyserin, drug store item, will work. Or find Lestoil in an old grocery store. It's a cleaning liquid hat will make the rubber soft like new. And it will clean tires like you've never seen before.
This^^^! In later years at least, GM Service Manuals and Owner Manuals specified using dielectric grease (GM branded, of course . . .) to soften and restore trunk, tailgate, liftgate and door weatherstripping. It also works well to stop squeaking and creaking noises from loose or poorly fitted plastic panels. And it helps make "snap-in" plastic panels easier to assemble and disassemble. It doesn't have any solvents that will deteriorate or dry out rubber or plastics.
Bleach works good for softening rubber. The longer it soaks, the better. We used to use it on our race car qualifying tires till it was outlawed. BE CAREFUL using it around painted and bare metal surfaces. It is slightly corrosive.
That Gummi Pflege is the stuff Bavarian Motor Werkes recommends...I “think they been recommending itsince before 1965”...LOL
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