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Old Vinyl


Eagleboy99

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No, I am not talking about your vintage CCR record, but old Malibu vinyl upholstery.  Here's the thing - I have white main but dar accents and the dark stuff is cracking and crazing.  Local (outstanding expert) tells me that it is because malibu used crappy accent vinyl back in the day.  Anyone else with a late 90's/early 2000's boat with dark vinyl issues?

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I don't think they used crappy vinyl, it's because it's 20 years old and seen lots of sun, water, sunscreen and other abuse. Probably not conditioned properly over the years as well. The dark color would dry out in the sun.

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The vinyl on my '94 Echelon still looks great.  I do put effort in to keeping it nice, tend to drape a towel on the dark stuff if boat sits in sun, use towels on seat cushions when sitting on seats with wet suits after a ski run and the boat does sit under a lift.  Other Malibu's on our lake still have good interiors, but in reality the new materials are certainly a step up from stuff made in the 90's.  If anything, I have no real complaints about the quality of a 90's Malibu.

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2 hours ago, Ronnie said:

I don't think they used crappy vinyl, it's because it's 20 years old and seen lots of sun, water, sunscreen and other abuse. Probably not conditioned properly over the years as well. The dark color would dry out in the sun.

No, the dark vinyl ( I still have the factory samples Brian from Merced sent me) is substantially different than the white vinyl.  The White vinyl, still in perfect shape in the boat, is much thicker and has a woven-like backing.  The dark vinyl is thinner and has a fuzzy backing.  As for taking care of it, I should have bought stock in the makers of 303 Protectant.  Used it religiously.  Like to the point the wife said stop since everyone was sliding around.  :)

I  just wonder if the dark vinyls today are the same.  I do think that  the darker colour absorbs more heat so that is probably part of it.  It would sure give me pause today if I was ordering a new interior.

As for Woodski's comment on the 90's Malibu, the dark vinyl accents and the POS Kysor Medallion electronics are the only things that ever bothered me.  The the local custom boat upholsterer will take care of the former this fall and the latter is gonna go soon too since it is better and cheaper to go analog than try and find  reasonably priced replacements.

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Gotta buy condition sauce separately. I’m also a fan of both products. Use the vinyl sauce every time we use the boat to clean it. The condition sauce a few times a season.

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2 hours ago, Ronnie said:

Sell your stock in 303 and get Boat Bling Vinyl Sauce. Not slick and conditions. 

I always use vinyl sauce to clean then I follow with condition sauce which is very slippery. I’ve always thought the vinyl sauce was just a cleaner...I didn’t realize it conditions as well. 

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26 minutes ago, Ronnie said:

The owner told me at Surf Expo that it will condition. He recommended once a month to use Condition Sauce to rally condition it. 

Yeah I was curious and just looked at the website and it said to use vinyl sauce daily and condition once a month. Good info! 

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I've had really good results with babes boat care soap and conditioner.  2006 and still looks great.

Edited by MileHighVLX
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1 hour ago, oldjeep said:

But the smell is unbearable. Unless you like pina cola da and getting caught in the rain. 

Which one?  My wife hates the condition sauce smell and really hates Hot Sauce.  I don’t particularly care for the smell of Hot Sauce but it’s a awesome product!

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1 hour ago, Cazan said:

Which one?  My wife hates the condition sauce smell and really hates Hot Sauce.  I don’t particularly care for the smell of Hot Sauce but it’s a awesome product!

Smells like Summer to me.

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10 hours ago, Cazan said:

Which one?  My wife hates the condition sauce smell and really hates Hot Sauce.  I don’t particularly care for the smell of Hot Sauce but it’s a awesome product!

The condition sauce is what i bought.  Seems to work ok but im never appying it in the garage again. 

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