HOW TO PREVENT OR FIX A CRACKED DASHBOARD

Keeping your car looking great without sweating... that's my motto!

Your dashboard gets a tremendous amount of sun, solar heat and solar radiation. The natural tendency of the vinyl is to break down or deteriorate resulting in cracks and peeling. If you think about it, most of us park our cars in the sun... here in the tropics it's almost impossible not to. But, did you know that the interior of your car is literally baking in that heat? It can get to over 60 degrees Celsius inside. THAT's HOT!

But... don't worry.. IT CAN BE PREVENTED... and that prevention doesnt cost you more than $30!

Here's how... excerpted from a blog called: datingsite.blog...

Weather change is here and the cracked padded dashes are rolling in. With every weather change I get the phone calls. “My dash is cracked and what can be done to fix it.”

Due to the exposer to old mother nature, these materials become dried out and crack over time leaving you with a crack in your dash. Left unattended this small crack can and will get larger.

There are measures that can be taken to prevent the dash from getting cracked in the first place. Now I know your dash is already cracked and your wanting to know how to fix it, but this will prevent further cracks and keep your car cooler and looking nicer, and well…. for further reference.

One way to prevent this is to use a sunshade. This will not only protect your automotive dash from the sun but also keep your vehicle cooler keeping the plastic pieces cooler and less likely to warp and then crack.

Another way to prevent the materials from drying on your dash is to condition them with a good vinyl conditioner-protectant. Now I know I’ve always said to not put the slimy stuff on your interior pieces and parts … But if your vehicle is exposed to the sun on a constant basis, then I would recommend you use a vinyl conditioner. Now I’m not going to say that any old vinyl conditioner will work, because it won’t. Tire shine is not vinyl conditioner! This is probably one of the biggest mistakes made, and I do a lot of repair because of it. Tire shine contains solvents, which as you know from previous articles, it doesn’t mix well with the water based dyes being used on todays cars. What it does is lifts the dye from the surface, causing it to peel.

So no tire shine…What I recommend to my customers is a product made from a leather conditioning producer that I feel from some of the research I’ve done is safe and should work very well, it’s made by Lexol and it’s called Vinylex. Designed by the guys that really know their stuff when it comes to interior conditioning and protecting.

The last and final tip to keeping your automotive interior, including your dash, looking it’s best and lasting longer is window tint. Now in some states you need to be careful with the tinting laws to make sure you don’t get it too dark, plus you need to think of your safety too. I have tint on our family Tahoe and I kinda wish I would have gone a little lighter, at night it’s really hard to see, my Tahoe stays nice and cool, but it’s a pain in the butt at night. I have to roll the window down sometimes just to see. So keep it light and you will be impressed with the results, plus it looks cool.

Now on with the fix for that crack in your dash.

Depending on where the crack is and how big it is will depend on how to fix it and how expensive the repair will be. If the crack is bigger then 2″-3″ and curled up on the edges, the repair will probably not look that great. There is a limit to the size of crack that can be repaired, too big and it probably won’t hold and will look like crap. If the crack is too big, replace the dash pad, don’t try to fix it. Another thing is location, if the crack is up close to the windshield then it’s almost impossible to do a repair without removing the windshield, which can be costly. So with that said you be the judge.

The first thing I do before I start any repair is to mix my color, this insures that at least the color will be right.

Next I inspect the crack in the dash, if the edges are curled up then you will need to trim that off with a razor blade or Xacto knife. The goal here is to get the area as level as you can. Now when doing so cut at a 45 degree angle and don’t bring the ends to a point, what I mean by this is trim all the way around the crack rounding off the ends of the crack, this will insure that the crack will stop and not crack further after your repair.

Of course your next step is prepping the repair area, use your prep solution with a scotch brite pad and clean the area thoroughly. You might need to clean the entire dash depending on where and how large the crack is.
Now it’s time to determine what fix you going to use.

If the crack is smaller then an 1/2″ I usually grab the super glue and do a super glue repair. I do this by spreading the glue in the crack then sanding it smooth with a 240 grit sandpaper, texture with your water based spray grain, then dye.
But there are times when your vinyl repair compound will need to be used, after all this is vinyl. The low cure usually works best because high heat tends to warp the repair area. This is where your patience comes in when doing your repairs. Thin layers of compound work best, curing and dying between coats until the area is level and smooth. You can texture while layering your compound with your grain pads. One little trick I use to help level the repair when using a grain pad is a little rubber squeegee about 3″x5″, it’s what body shops use to squeegee the water off the painted surface when they wet sand. This little thing works great, when you use your hand to imprint your grain into your repair, your hand kinda molds around the area and doesn’t leave a level area but with the rubber squeegee it gives you a little more backing when you go to imprint. Now graining your repair can be tricky, the low cure compound doesn’t grain that well, but if all else fails make sure the repair is level, this is your best hide. If that is achieved then texture with your spray grain.

One last trick up my sleeve is the use of a great product from Urethane Supply Co. This is a two part epoxy like substance that is specifically designed for padded dashes and the name says it all, Padded Dash Filler.This stuff is the bomb, when it comes to dash repair. Mixes like Bondo and is even applied like bondo, but its flexible. It’s just what the doctor ordered when it comes to dash repair. If the crack is larger then 1″ this is the stuff to use.

Now this product will require you to trim the area and then sand around the area about 1″ to 2″ out with a heavier grit sandpaper like a 180 grit, this gives it something to bite too. Trim down into the foam a little to, so that you make like a little groove for the compound to lay in.

Mix your compound on a small piece of tile, I like using small tile pieces, they clean up easily and are easier to hold when mixing and applying. Now when you get the product they send you the red catalyst, try the blue, it seems to set up a little quicker. The blue you can get at any automotive parts shop. But the red works just as good just takes it a little longer, time is money in my business.
Apply your compound liberally over the repair area, don’t worry about getting your first coat really smooth, all you need is to get it covered, you’ll be sanding it smooth later. Let it set up for a while, depending on the weather will depend on how long this stuff takes. You can speed it up a little with a heat gun but don’t melt it just give it a little boost.

Once hardened start sanding, I usually start with a 180 grit to knock off the big chunks then progressively move my way up to a finer grit like 240 and then to 400.

One coat won’t be sufficient, I promise, this is another layer thing. Sanding between coats. Each coat you apply you will need to make smoother. Again what your trying to achieve is a smooth level repair.

After all is smooth and level, grain with a spray grain then dye.

As far as texture goes, I use two types of spray grain. One is a water based spray grain and the other is Sems Texture Coat. In fact the Sems Texture Coat almost matches the some of the Pontiac dashes to a tee. Now the Sems Texture coat is a solvent based, but I haven’t had a problem with it peeling up against the water based dyes on the dash, so kudos to Sems.

One other trick I have found with the the Sems Texture Coat is after sprayed if you let it flash out a little but not dry completely, you can take your grain pad and imprint your grain into the texture coat, pretty cool huh.

Dash repair is an art and a craft, just like all automotive interior repairs. If the steps are followed right and patience is used in your repairs you success will be good.

Hope this helps in your dash repair adventure. One thing to always keep in mind is to keep your repair as level as possible, this is your best hide.

About the author: Mike Warrenhttp://theinteriorguyllc.comThe Interior Guy, LLC., Automotive Interior RepairI’ve been in the business for a long time and know a lot of the ends and outs of repairing interiors, from leather and vinyl repair to plastic repair and dyeing of all interior trim parts including carpet and cloth. Need some advice or a tip to fix your automotive interior, I’ve put together some really helpful material with some great products I recommend and use in my repairs. Visit theinteriorguyllc.com for more articles just like this one.

LEXOL LEATHER CLEANER, LEXOL LEATHER CONDITIONER ... What some users have to say!

If you've been following my blog for a while, you know that I love to keep my car's in tip-top condition, BUT I DON'T LIKE WORKING UP A SWEAT TO DO IT!

Lexol, Vinylex and KozaK are 3 products I have used for decades (sounds better than 40 years huh!)... and I swear by them. They are reasonably priced, easy to use, and work beautifully. They are also idiot ptoof... you just don't have to worry about them... They CANNOT hurt your leather or vinyl!

You can find them at many retail outlets including Autobacs, Stamford Tyres, Castilla Furniture, Groomwerks, D'Best Respray (at Malayan Motors), TS Automotive, many DIY shops or online at www.lexolasia.com

Here are some more comments from ordinary people like you and I who have tried Lexol in their cars, and homes. If you have leather... you should have Lexol to take care of it! NOTHING ELSE WORKS AS WELL!

Here's why:

Charlie from the USA says on 13 Sept 2008...

"The Lexol pH cleaner worked extremely well to clean automotive leather upholstery and surfaces. Just follow the instructions on the bottle and it does a fantastic job. Always use the pH cleaner before you apply the Lexol conditioner since you don't want to apply new oils over existing dirt. The pH cleaner comes out as a clear liquid that is more viscous than water. I recommend using a terry cloth sponge to create more lather than just using a cotton cloth or terry cloth. I have tried several over the counter leather cleaner/conditioners and Lexol beats them all. Pros: Cleans leather without drying it. Very easy to use. The product is a bit expensive and hard to find compared to the over-the-counter products, but it should be the only product to buy. It's concentrated so it lasts much longer than the other products out there. Overall: If you own any leather accessories or cars with leather interiors, Lexol pH cleaner and Lexol conditioner should be on your list. "

Mr. "Tennis5" on 6 Feb 2008 said:

I" have been putting this on the leather in my 2001 Montero since I purchased the vehicle. I apply it about 3 or 4 times per year. My leather looks practically brand new and most people that get in it comment on how new the leather looks. I can only assume it is because I use Lexol conditioner on it. I see other cars that are 7 years old and the leather is trashed...not mine. Leather still looks and smells new! If you own a car with leather, this is a must have product!"

Charlie from the USA added on 13 Sept 2008:

"The Lexol Leather conditioner contains special oils that rejuvenates and softens leather surfaces. It is easy to use and the instructions on the bottle provide the optimal application method. I have a leather wrapped steering wheel that has grown stiff due to its exposure to dry summer heat over the years. I had been using B##$$* M##%%*'s Leather Conditioner/Cleaner combo and some other OTC products without much success. The Lexol pH cleaner worked well to clean the leather, and the Lexol leather conditioner was just amazing. It turned the leather almost brand new and all of the creases were soft again. I recommend using a terry cloth or cotton cloth to apply it onto surfaces. The Lexol conditioner is an amber liquid that is only slightly more viscous than water and has a unique smell. Very easy to use, and works as advertised. It should be the only leather conditioner you use - the over the counter stuff doesn't work. Hard to find and expensive, but worth the money as you only use a little. Overall: If you own any leather accessories or cars with interior leathers, Lexol pH cleaner and Lexol conditions are must-buy items."

Mr. R. Copeland from Alabama says:

"My car is 10 years old and I've used Lexol on it since it was new. The leather hasn't cracked. It smells good and works great. "

Jennifer Baretta from Billings Montana said on 6 Oct 2008:

"So far it seems to work great on my leather living room furniture. I also plan to use it on my van and truck seats as well. I also got the cleaner which I havent used yet, but anticipate to work well too."

VINYLEX TESTIMONIALS

I've used Vinylex for quite some time now and it's something that I recommend all my friends use regularly to keep their car in first class condition. In the hot sun and humidity here, it is critical that your dashboard and interior be conditioned and protected against the effects of solar heat and radiation. It only takes 3-4 minutes to do, and it will pay huge dividends in the lifespan and appearance of your car.

Here are a couple of testimonials from others that have bought Vinylex recently:

Great cleaner and protector (2008-08-12)
I used this product on my BMW leatherette interior and rubber surfaces on the exterior. Also works with plastic under the hood too! You get superior results for just a little money. I also used it detailing my wife's woefully neglected SAAB right before a trade-in estimate and made the car look worth much more than a previous estimate. This stuff is a must own if you want your car looking great. And one more good thing is that I keep it in my car's trunk all summer and the heat doesn't appear to spoil the Vinylex's effectiveness.

Great Stuff (2007-11-18)
I keep cars for a long time. My current vehicle is 10 years old, and I've always used Vinylex on it. The vinyl dashboard really looks as good as new.

I used a popular silicon based product on the car I had before this one, and the vinyl on the dashboard cracked after five or six years. Like the other reviewer said - Vinylex does not contain silicon.

Works great on the dash and bumpers (2007-10-31)
I bought Lexol Vinylex because I saw it mentioned on a Subaru owners chat room. I found that it did put my dash back to the way it looked and felt when I drove it away from the showroom. I did the black bumpers on my Subaru Forester and my neighbor, who has a classic car, came over and asked me what I used. It is supposed to keep the plastic/vinyl from cracking. I am very impressed with Vinylex and I will keep using it. I give this product five stars.

Great Product - hard to find (2007-02-19)I've used this product for years. I stay with it because it offers non-silicone protection (I understand silicone can promote dash cracking with age), non-greasy touch (nice for not slipping off the steering wheel), and a non-glossy look to the dash. Non-glossy means it won't collect dust the way most shiny products will. It has UV protection. Just try it.

Well, I could not have said it better! Try Vinylex, and for leather, try Lexol products. Again... they are value for money!

INTERIOR LEATHER MAINTENANCE WITH LEXOL and VINYLEX

Our cars are HUGE investments these days, and many of us are planning to keep them for a few years. Proper care of the leather and vinyl interior is critical to prevent your seats and dashboard from cracking, fading and deteriorating.

I have used Lexol and Vinylex for many years, and have found them to be outstanding products. They are highly concentrated, so using just a little bit goes a long way! DON'T OVER DO IT!!! A few light coats are better than one heavy coat!

What I always liked about them is that they NEVER made my seats feel or look slippery, greasy or sticky. They just left the laethaer and vinyl feeling clean and natural and beautifully conditioned.

Go to: www.lexolasia.com for more detailed information about Lexol and Vinylex.

I found this website that evidently is for professional Auto Rental companies and offers a lot of advice on how to keep the rental cars in good shape. I guess they use Lexol... here is an excerpt from a recent post:

"Avtorentacar.com presents you “Secrets in Auto Detailing Products for Mobile Car Washing”, an article written by Lance Winslow. We hope you’ll find a lot useful information in here.

Avtorentacar.com will present you every article we find interesting and educating, and which has no copyright protection. If available we’ll link the source.

All the professional auto detailers and mobile car wash operators realize that every dollar they save on auto detailing products is a dollar earned. Most professional auto detailing products are not over costly, but the costs do add up. Efficiency in the use of these products will definitely help your bottom line.

Wash & wax soap is the most commonly abused product by your auto detailing crews as they end up wasting it. The secret is to use only one cap full per five gallon bucket, it depends on how dirty the cars are however if you are soaping the whole car figure two or three cars per cap full, so it can last a month in a mobile detail operation.

Degreaser and cleaner; well you will want to use it fairly strong for whitewall figure a pint will last about 10 cars. You can cut it for rims and other uses but not more than 3/4. Heavy-duty degreaser; This works better for rims etc, I would use this instead and the other for more mild issues. Otherwise you will use too much and not get the desired results

Glass cleaner; You can buy distilled water and mix it with RTU or ready to use glass cleaner 50% / 50%. If you use window cleaner concentrate then mix it 75% distilled and 25% product.

Leather cleaner & conditioner; I recommend using Lexol and I would say you will spend about $15.00 per month cost on products. It will last a long time with a gallon, so unless you waste it and use too much further you should have a gallon for a couple of months anyway.

Clay bars; they last a long time, but you have to keep them moist and not allow them to dry out. If you are doing a lot of fall-out type removal then you need two Clay Bars, use AutoMagic products if they are available. Always keep them in a small container with moisture inside.

New car scent; A gallon of new car scent will last a few months, never spray on dashboard plastic always two squirts under each seat to conserve product, as any more is a waste." FROM Secrets in Auto Detailing Products for Mobile Car Washing at http://avtorentacar.com/en/2008-10-04/secrets-in-auto-detailing-products-for-mobile-car-washing/

I would not recommend saddle soap... it's alkaline and will damage your leather. Lexol is pH balanced to the exact pH of leather and will never damage your leather.

Lexol will leave your leather feeling soft and supple, but never leave it feeling greasy or sticky like some other products out there. Believe me, I have tried a lot of them, and I prefer Lexol! (You can also use it on all other leather products from shoes to briefcases to furniture... it works very well! Just don't use it on suede.)

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Some KozaK Auto DryWash Testimonials!

SINGAPORE!!!

We've sold quite a few KozaK cloths in Singapore over the past few weeks, and have received some very nice complements. Many people are just amazed when they see how easy it is to clean and polish their car, without water, without scratching... and in just a few moments.I thought that I would share them with you.

Daniel F. MD from Singapore wrote: "I was very skeptical because I just had my car detailed, but with the first use, I was impressed. It cleaned my black BM 750i perfectly. It removed all the dirt and left my car looking freshly waxed. By not washing as frequently, it should prolong the wax job and save me money."

Michael Wu, a Consultant in Singapore wrote: "It works! I thought it would scratch, but I was amazed when the dirt wiped off my new Suzuki without a scratch! And, easy to do too! Just 5 minutes! Definitely Value for money!"

Bernard Chia, a Salesman in Singapore wrote: "My van was filthy from the rain. KozaK took all of the dirt off and most of the water spots too. No need to wash now! Thank you!"

T. Hartono, an autodealer in Jakarta wrote: "We were using MicroFibre cloths to dust our cars in our showroom, and the cars were getting fine swirly scratches. We had to buff out the cars before delivery. Now, we switched to KozaK Cloths and our showroom cars are not getting scratched any longer! We are saving a lot of money and we are giving one to every customer."

Tan S.Y. a Taxi Driver in Singapore wrote: "My Taxi costs me $5.00 each day to wash. I use KozaK now and only wash it twice a week now. I save $15-$20 per week!"

The KozaK works... and, there is a 10 day UNCONDITIONAL MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. Just try it... if you aren't happy with the results, mail it back to us with the receipt and a self addressed stamped envelope and we'll send you a full refund of your purchase price..(details on www.kozakasia.com). It couldn't be simpler!

The KozaK Auto DryWash Cloth is now available at Stamford Tyres, Autobacs, Groomwerkz, D'Best Respray (at Malayan Motors), TS Automotive and other fine retailers. Also, you can buy it online at www.kozakasia.com and pay with your credit card on our secure payment cart from PayPal.

Short (but very sexy) How to Use the Kozak.. See the difference on a very dirty car!

The Official KOZAK VIDEO! Watch this very sexy young asian girl show you how!

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Technorati... link to me!

Every once in a while...

Every once in a while, you meet someone who really impresses you. You know... either with what they have accomplished, what they know, how bright they are, all kinds of things.

Well, recently, I met such a person. His name is Aram Pan and he's a "VR Photographer". What's VR? well... go check out his fabulous website. http://www.singaporevr.com/

He's just an incredibly skilled photographer and videographer. He has a great eye, and a great sense of what is relevant, and what isn't.

Recently, he has been featured on GIZMODO at http://gizmodo.com/394786/biggest-flyer-in-the-world-makes-everyone-look-like-ants and CNET as well: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/digitalcameras/0,39001469,62042307,00.htm.

I have also had the pleasure of working with Aram in doing the short video for the KozaK Auto DryWash Cloth which will be featured soon on our website http://www.kozakasia.com/ and also on YouTube.

Check out his website and read up on this talented young man. i think we'll be hearing a lot about him in the near future!

This is a job for CSI! ... and a cleanup job for KozaK!

OK... this alien stuff is getting out of hand.

This photo was just flashed across the wires on Reuters and CNN... a very "UFO" just crash landed outside a famous New York Senator's home in a wealthy suburb of New York.

I guess no one was around to administer CPR... the poor bugger looks like he's expired. (Bet you didn't know that aliens came with an expiration date!).

Never fear... CSI will solve the mystery, and the Amazing KozaK Auto / UFO DryWash Cloth will make quick work of all the interplanetary grime and grit, without water and without scratching the hull!

No, I haven't been drinking!

Aliens... How smart ARE they really??

OK... this will be a quick blog entry...

Question: If Aliens are soooooo smart... and soooo advanced.... how come they are kidnapping only the dumbest earthlings???

Answer: ??? (This is not a multiple choice question!!!) ____________________ (fill in the blank yourself! Winner gets to ride on the next alien abduction mission to earth.

Second runner up gets a free used KozaK Auto DryWash cloth that was used by one of these aliens to wipe down his spaceship... yes, even aliens need to clean and polish their spacecraft sometimes (without water)!

My '57 Chevy...or why you don't raise your hand at an auction!

See the picture above? She's a beauty, no?? Well, imagine sitting in one of these beautifully restored 1957 Chevy's on a major expressway in Chicago... with no gas! That's what happened to me about 2 hours after I bought her... but I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let's start at the beginning...

I used to read Hemmings Automotive magazine, which is the "bible" for car collectors. I saw that there was to be an auction near Chicago of antique and mid-1950's - 1960's cars that weekend. We packed up a picnic lunch, and Saturday morning got into my Jeep Cherokee and headed north to Lake Bluff, Illinois. When we got to the auction site, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.



There must have been 200 cars lined up on display for a pre-auction inspection. One of them caught my eye immediately. Like the photo above, it was a cherry red and white 1957 Chevrolet 2 dr hardtop, with red and silver vinyl seats, power brakes, power windows (both of which were VERY rare in a 1957 model - supposedly they only made a few hundred of them). My childhood dream! (Well, not really... she got away, but that's a secret!)



The car looked really hot. I got behind the huge steering wheel, and them memories of my childhood came flowing back. I dreamed of driving along the highway, stopping at an A&W Root beer drive-in restaurant, grabbing a big frosty mug of root beer and a burger, teasing the waitresses, then roaring off in a cloud of dust!



Remember the old advertising jingle... "See the USA, in your Chevrolet..."??? YEAH!!!



The auction started... the cars flew by, the auctioneer droned on with his almost rapid fire, unintelligible babble of auctioneering semantics... when the Chevy came up...



The bidding was fast and furious in $100 then $500 clips... going once, going twice... silence...I don't know what got into me, but... I raised my hand... SOLD to the young man (I liked that auctioneer!!! HA HA) on the left! $13,5000 GONE!



Whew... my hands were shaking as I went to the sale booth and took out my checkbook.. a word to the wise here... NEVER GO TO AN AUCTION WITH YOUR CREDIT CARDS OR CHECKBOOK! BIG TROUBLE!!



I wrote out the check, and signed a few transfer papers, got a temporary license plate and the HOT CHERRY RED 1957 CHEVY was mine!



I should have asked if the gauges, and everything else was working, but I was too excited. I handed the Jeep keys to one of my friends, and the rest of us piled into the Chevy for the ride back to Chicago.



The gas gauge showed half a tank of gas... I should have known better! Anyway, after turning the key and the engine coming to life with a few huffs and then just a nice purrrrr, we drove off. It was quite an experience driving such a primitive car. First, the steering wheel was HUGE.. probably 15 inches or so across, maybe more. Then the steering was not power assisted.. so you really had to work to turn the wheels when you weren't moving. Also, it was very HOT inside, as the sun was baking on the rooftop of the car.



I remember opening the vents... yes, there were these little triangular "vents" or side windows you could open inwards to direct air into and onto the passengers and passenger compartment. I also remember that the gas gauge stayed on half... I was too excited to think about that until....brumpppPPPppp...putt putt putt... SILENCE! No freekin' gas!



OK... not so bad... we were on a major expressway, and just had to wait for a passing motorist to stop... fortunately one did, and one of my friends jumped into their car for a quick ride to a gas station. Shortly, he was back with a "jerry can" and 5 gallons of gas.



Things were looking up, right?? WRONG... do you remember where the gas filler cap is in a '57 Chevy?? Well, I didn't!! Neither did any of my friends. We looked everywhere... behind the license plate... every where! Couldn't find it... S!!#$%%T..



Luckily, an Illinois State Trooper pulled over, who was a car buff. Son, it's right behind the fin's chrome edge he said, and sure enough... that's where it was! (See photo).

Getting back underway, we naturally had to stop at every drive-in burger joint along the highway!! And, naturally, we had a lot of root beers and burgers!

When we got home, I parked her proudly in front of my driveway, stepped back... what a gorgeous car she was!

I drove her a lot actually... I used to love parking it in a lot, and waiting about 5 minutes.. there would be a huge crowd around her, admiring, pointing, gawking!

I used to care for her myself. I used a good grade of carnuba wax every few months, a good car wash detergent, and in between all of that, I would wipe her down before and after a drive with my KozaK Auto DryWash cloth. Waterlessly, the KozaK would take off all the road dirt and dust. It would polish the Chevy without water, and without scratching! The KozaK cloth was also great on the chrome... and this baby had a lot of it!

For the interior, I would spray it with a Lexol product called Vinylex, which would penetrate into the vinyl seats and dashboard and side panels (which were also Red and Silver) and remove the dirt, keep the vinyl protected with the built in UV Sunscreen, but never leave a greasy film or unnatural shine.

I can still see her now... gleaming in the sun, just waiting for someone to turn the key and bring her to life. I sold her a few years later... I wonder what ever happened to her???

Bitten by the VIPER! Dodge that is!

I can still remember that chilly day in October 1992 when I looked out of my office window overlooking Michigan Avenue and Lake Michigan in Chicago and saw the flatbed truck pull up. My assistant came barging into my office.."It's here... it's gorgeous!!"

I looked out and saw the two men offloading my latest addition to my growing collection of cars... a bright red, 1993 Dodge Viper...V10 engine... BRUTE power... and one of the first in Chicago.I hurried downstairs .. cursing the slow elevators in our old building.. I couldn't wait to see it close up. Actually, I had never seen one in real life, only in a brochure. I had to pay quite a bit over the sticker price to get it also... they were that much in demand.

Well, here it was. Real, shiny, smelling of leather, vinyl, all those wonderful new car smells. They handed over the documents for me to sign, and stepped back to allow me to look into the cockpit. There was a crowd gathering around us. Many of my employees were eagerly looking on, and also quite a few strangers just curious about this beautifully styled fiberglass and chrome sports car that many had been reading about, but few had seen.

I elbowed my way to the drivers side and opened the door. Ahhh, what a beautiful day! I can still smell the leather seats! I sat down and put the key in the ignition, checked that the gearshift lever was in neutral, pushed down the clutch and turned the key. RRRRRrrrrrrRRRRR VROOOOMMMMM... the 10 cylinder truck engine lit off and the car shook with the vibration of 10 cylinders firing in sync... wow... what a rush...!

I took my foot off the clutch and looked over the dash board and controls. I remember that the windows only went halfway down, and there were plastic inserts for rainy days. There was no air conditioning yet available for the Viper... too new on the marker for one to have been developed yet. You could feel the heat coming into the cockpit from the engine which was now warmed up and humming smoothly.

I checked the gas gauge and saw that it was near empty. Well, the first drive was going to be to the gas station. I asked everyone to step back. I adjusted the mirrors, depressed the clutch all the way down, and placed her in First gear then eased out the clutch. The car shuddered for a second, then...whoosh..shot away from the curb like a bat out of hell! Damn fast! I guess it could do 0-60mph in under 5 seconds.

I noticed that the rear end fishtailed as I pulled away, and the car's rear kept hopping around as I passed over the many ruts and cracks on Michigan Avenue as I headed for the gas station. It had a rather primitive rear end, that was unforgiving, and built just for speed, not comfort. And, it was a bone jarring ride!

I pulled into the gas station and immediately drew a crowd around me as I filled her up. I was glad to get out of the cockpit... this car was a lot of work to drive! And, even though it was chilly outside, it was hot inside the cockpit. Well, time for a drive!

That afternoon I put about 100 miles on the Viper. Expressways, up through the North Shore of Chicago through Winnetka, Highland Park, Lake Forest, and up to Lake Bluff where a good friend of mine, Brian Murphy had his Automotive shop and Service facility. Brian was anxious to see this beast also and was waiting outside as I pulled up. Frankly, I was tired! I flipped him the keys and said... give it a try...

Brian wasted no time, and took over the drivers seat. He expertly eased her into first, then second as we accelerated up through the Illinois - Wisconsin boarder and into the countryside. He agreed with me that this was one brute of a car. And, it was a lot of work to drive... but exhilarating at the same time.

Brian was no stranger to fast cars and exotic rides. He was a wiz at massaging the most out of the cars entrusted to him. He had built quite a clientele of traders and brokers from the Chicago Board of Trade, the Chicago Stock Exchange and the Chicago Board Options Exchange. Young men with a lot of money and a passion for fast and expensive cars. On a daily basis Willow Automotive would see a stream of Ferrari's, Porsche's, Mercedes, AMG's, Aston Martin's, Audi's and even a Shelby Cobra or two (or three). Brian would pull an engine apart, "blueprint" the engine, change the computer chips, timing, suspensions and sometimes even add a supercharger or turbocharger. It all depended on how much you wanted to spend... the sky was the limit!

This was the first Viper he had ever seen, much less driven. We pulled a quick U-Turn, and headed back to his shop. He quickly popped the hood and stepped back to admire the power plant under it. It was a modified Chrysler 10 cylinder truck engine placed into a lightweight fiberglass body. Fast, furious and very powerful. "Not a lot of room under there for a supercharger" I recall him saying. He was already trying to figure out what he could do to add a few more horses to the probably 400+ already being generated at a cost of about an 8 mile per gallon thirst for hi octane gas.

"Don't even think of it" I told him and we both laughed. He pulled out a couple of sodas and admired the body styling, then went to his office. He came back with a KozaK Auto DryWash cloth and quickly wiped down the body removing the dust and grime from our drive into the country. The car was gleaming in the late afternoon sun.

Brian was a KozaK convert for many years. I had passed him one when we had first met in 1985 after my friend Terry sold me his 1985 Mercedes 500SEL AMG over a Christmas dinner. Terry had told me that Brian was the only mechanic he would allow to touch his stable of cars.. everything from a Jeep Cherokee to a couple of Ferrari Testarosa's, an old Maserati, an Audi and I think a Range Rover if I remember correctly. Brian had loved the color of that Mercedes. It was a very rich, very deep Navy Blue. It was a custom color, and I was using the KozaK to waterlessly wash that car every evening when I came home from trading.

One afternoon, I pulled into Brian's driveway, as one of my widows wasn't working. While I was waiting for Brian to come over, I opened the trunk and took out the Kozak and absentmindedly began wiping that huge car down. When I looked up, Brian was standing to the side, admiring how nice the car looked. The KozaK had nicely removed not only all the day's dirt and grime but also the dust that came up from Brian's gravel driveway.

"Wont that scratch the car" he asked? "Nope.. never scratched any of my cars" I replied. He was impressed that the KozaK had waterlessly and quickly restored the shine and polish to the Navy AMG... and he was very impressed that it took off the gravel dust without a drop of water, and without scratching.

Brian quickly looked under the hood and located the fuse box. He popped it open and quickly smiled as he held a burned out fuse from the errant window motor. After a moment he replaced the fuse and tested the window, which now worked again. I asked him "how much do I owe you" and he got that huge Irish smile across his face and pointed to the KozaK in my hand. "Even trade he said" and our deal was sealed!

I drove back into Chicago eager to get the car into my garage and grab some dinner. Later, I would pick up a copy of Hemming's magazine and look for the KozaK ad so I could order another to replace the one I gave to Brian.

Brian's still in business... in fact his business has grown nicely. Check it out at http://www.willowauto.com/ and eyeball some of the fabulous cars he has.

Check out KozaK at http://www.kozakasia.com/ if you're curious about the Auto DryWash cloth that I've used since 1969. It doesn't scratch!!! Honest!! But it does really clean and polish your car beautifully without a drop of water!

Moscow insanity!!

These people in Moscow must be crazy! Wedding Hummers, 12 wheel Hummers... wow... what imagination!

Look at these cars... and look at what they use for Taxi's there! Super delux, ultra hip!

Ha-ha... and they can really use the KozaK Auto DryWash cloth in that city! Look how dirty these cars are.. they need to learn how to clean their cars waterlessly!

The Datsun 240Z... the car that started it all!

I got tired of the Lotus very quickly. Perhaps, if it wasn't so damned temperamental and unreliable I might have kept it longer, but it seemed like every week something else would go wrong. After a while I decided that "enuf waz enuf" and sold it.

Ahhh... what to buy?? Well, that was easy! Datsun (now called Nissan of course) had introduced their famous Z Car, the 240Z. For about $5000 bucks the "Z" was blowing everything off the road... it came fully equipped, with AM-FM Stereo radio, Black Leather Seats, automatic antenna (don't laugh, this was 1971!!), Air Conditioning (YEAH!!!!), power steering and power brakes! What a car...

She hummed down the road. As soon as I saw my first Z on the road I knew that this was the car I had to have. I ran over to the local Datsun dealer in Philadelphia, and selected a silver, 1971 240Z with 5 speed, and black leather interior. I put down my deposit... and waited for the call to let me know the car had arrived.

Three weeks later... RINGGGGG!!! "Your car is here... come on in!" Well, I couldn't get there quick enough, but when I pulled into the dealer's lot, there she was... beautifully waxed, polished, scrubbed and dubbed.. GORGEOUS hunk of metal... and an hour later I was cruising down the highway.

I remember that first drive. She was incredibly stable, smooth as silk, and the air conditioning worked perfectly in the Philadelphia summer heat. I had to keep the car under 2000 RPM for the first 500 miles, then 4000 for the next 1000 miles to properly break in the engine so I wasn't setting any land speed records with her, but it was one sweet ride!

I drove all the way down to Atlantic City and back that first weekend, just to enjoy the ride. I was so comfortable in those leather bucket seats. I can still recall how wonderful that new car smell was... the leather, the new air-con smell.. the roar of the engine as I accelerated, and the pure enjoyment of driving that car.

Thinking back, it was one of my very favorite cars... Datsun really produced a beautiful machine, and I was in car heaven! I loved just looking at it. The "Z" had such beautiful, pure lines. Almost like a sculpture.

And the scooped out head lite detail, the hood that popped up to expose the engine (very easy to work on... very smart design). the rear hatch that swung straight up so you could put all sorts of stuff back there...and the color... I remember the silver paint. It had lottsa metal flakes in it so it really sparkled when the sun hit it, and at night is had a lovely silver sheen to it.

But, the best was just the pure enjoyment of driving it. Shifting gears so smoothly, the throttle response, the quick braking, and the very precise steering.. all that combined made for an incredibly pleasurable ride.

A Wet Road...Going too fast.. WHACK! My first car.. a 1969 Lotus Europa S2

Why is it, that you almost ALWAYS have an accident with your first car???

Well, I was enjoying that Lotus immensely... drove it everywhere for the first few weeks. Then, early one evening, I was cruising... well all right... speeding around a turn on the East River Drive in Philadelphia, when I hit a patch of road where there was some water runoff from an underground creek.

The road was wet, it was a beautiful curve and I was enjoying how the Lotus was taking the curve when suddenly the rear end broke loose and I spun out at about 50MPH. The rear of the car did a 360 and WHACK!!! right into a Corvette coming in the opposite direction.

The impact tore a piece out of the rear of my Lots which was the size of a football, and badly damaged the rear quarter panel of the Corvette. Luckily, both cars were fiberglass, and the actual destruction of the fiberglass panels absorbed the impact so neither of us were hurt. (Except for my ego!)

Well, it was my fault... going too fast for conditions, and probably thinking I knew how to control that car..plus.. damn Dunlop Tires... they're design back then was more suitable for dry than wet pavement... but I should have known that.

Anyway, the other driver was quite cool about it all. Our insurance companies settled matters quite amicably, no body was injured, and both our cars were repaired within a week.

My first ever accident!! It was cheap "tuition" though.. I took competition driving lessons afterwards to learn how to control that car, and changed the tires to Pirelli's which were better suited for the multi-surfaced roads I was encountering.

Next... my next car... a Datsun 240Z....

My grandfather Frank, my FIRST car...1969 Lotus Europa S2 and the KOZAK cloth!

I've been dreaming about my first car (well, the first one I actually paid for)... it was a 1969 Lotus Europa S2. Fiberglass body, Lotus Red in color, a Renault Engine (transversely mounted if I remember correctly) Dunlop Tires (more about those shit tires later!) and a US$4995.00 price tag! The car weighed only about 1000 pounds, so it had quite a good weight to horsepower ratio.

The car handled beautifully. I remember the day I bought it... I was living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the dealer was in Wilmington Delaware which was about a 1 hour drive away. My friend Otto.. the guy with the 1964 Red GTO convertible drove me there to pick it up.

When I walked into the dealer's showroom, there it was... all dirty and covered with something black and tarry looking!!! I was so disappointed! The dealer came over and said "Hey, Paul... we thought you were coming tomorrow!" My heart sank.. but he smiled and told us to go down for a MacDonald’s and come back in 2 hours.

Well, I never ate a cheeseburger and fries that slowly before! Otto was good enough to stay with me, and finally ZERO HOUR arrived! We motored back to the dealer and there she was... right in front of the dealership... all waxed, shiny and waiting for me... I can still remember the feeling of excitement even now as I am typing this!

It was beautiful... I signed the papers, and hopped in for the inaugural ride, with the salesman in the passenger seat. He gave me the 50 cent tour, and I kicked him out.. I couldn't wait to take her out on my own!

Well, it was also my first stick shift (manual shift for those of you younger than 30!) and it took a while to get used to the clutch. The mechanism back then was very primitive... just a clutch cable run along the floor and fastened to the fiberglass shell with rivets. And YUP... on the way home to Philadelphia, on my FIRST hill... the freekin' clutch cable broke loose! With no tension in it, I could not shift gears! We didn't have hand phones then... not invented yet... so.. I was STUCK! And, on a hill also, with other cars behind me!

Fortunately, for some reason the engine stalled out... I was able to put it into first gear, and limped back to the dealer. I was heartbroken.

The repair took about an hour, and I was on my way again! Made it home this time, parked the car in front of my house and went inside for a cold iced tea!

My grandfather, my Uncle Joe, my grandmother... after tea we all went out to have a look at the car. they said... not very practical, no trunk (boot) for groceries, no back seat, no room... UGH... I was really upset... BUT I LOVED THAT CAR.. My grandfather Frank, he knew how much I wanted that car. He took me aside and said softly..."let's take her out".

He climbed in, and off we went for a good 1 hour ride. When we came back, he went over to the trunk of his Plymouth Valiant and pulled out the KozaK Auto DryWash cloth and passed it to me "Son, here's what I have used to keep my car clean... try it.. It’s yours if you like it".

I wiped down the car, and the Red color just popped out... the car glistened in the afternoon sun.

I still remember the smile on his face as he watched me polishing my first car... I really miss him...

So... that's how I first started to use KozaK... more about the Lotus and those awful Dunlop tires later.

If you have a car you love, try the KozaK Auto DryWash cloth! My wife distributes KozaK in Asia. Go to her website

www.kozakasia.com and read about it.
It really does work!

A bit of history! Musings of times gone past....

Many years ago... more than I'd like to admit, it was the early '60's to be precise, when I fell in love with my first "Muscle Car".

My friend Otto and I were sharing an apartment in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was in a condemned building right on the famous Atlantic City Boardwalk on Florida Avenue (there is a Trump Casino there now) that was literally held together by these HUGE metal straps! No kidding!! We paid $400 to rent the place for the entire summer of '64 (we kept renting it through '69) and we would drive down there every Friday night in Otto's mom's brand new, 1964 Pontiac GTO.

That car was HOT... Cherry Red in color, white convertible top, white genuine imitation leather seats (bucket seats no less), glass pack mufflers, dual or triple barrel carburetor, Hearst shifter, and a huge 7 or 8 liter engine. It was a real chick magnet! And just to be sure, we even had a telephone installed in the car (remember this was 1964... mobile phones hadn't been invented yet).

Well, sort of... you see, we took an old telephone handset, and a cord, and glued it to the underside of the dashboard and put the handset in the glove compartment. Otto hooked up a ringer with a switch.. it was very loud.. and when we got stuck in traffic, or pull alongside some cute young ladies, we would press the ringer button, reach into the glove compartment and "answer" the phone! Hellooooo... Oh... it's for you... and we'd hand the handset out the window to whoever was in the car next to us!

Sounds stupid today... well, it was, but you had to be there to see it then. It ALWAYS got laughs. Sometimes we'd pull into an A & W Root Beer drive-in, order a burger and a frosted mug... mmmmmm... sooo good!... of root beer, and press the ringer when the waitress arrived. I wish you could have seen their faces! Hahaha.. we had a great time with that car.

I remember one summer night, we were coming home... it was a very hot and humid summer Sunday evening and we were stuck in a traffic jam on the Atlantic City Expressway, going from AC to Philadelphia. We had the top down, and were just listening to the radio (AM of course) when there was a news bulletin... the Astronauts.. Neal Armstrong had just landed on the moon. The hairs still go up on the back of my neck when I think of that moment.

That car was hot! In return for letting us use the car on weekends, we promised Otto's mom that we'd wash and clean the car for her.. wax it too. And that's where the KozaK Auto DryWash cloth came in.

We wanted to maximize our time riding in the car, and minimize the time we spent maintaining it..so..we got lucky. My grandfather came over one day and handed me a red package (no.. not an hong pau!) and said simply.."I've used this for years.. give it a try".

We ripped it open and unfolded the cloth inside. He took us outside and showed us how to use it. It was just amazing. He padded it up, and just wiped the car down in short, straight strokes. The road dust and dirt just disappeared into the cloth, leaving the car's finish glowing! In 10 minutes, WITHOUT ANY WATER, that '64 "Goat" as they were called was lookin' show room new.

I was hooked. My grandfather later told me that his dad gave him one, when he got his first car. That was a DeSoto Station Wagon.. probably in the '40's or late '30's. He had used them (the KozaK's) since and now, I guess, it was my turn. Right of passage perhaps? Father to son? Whatever... the KozaK had been invented in 1926... and is still used today! Go to http://www.kozakasia.com/ and read all about it.

And, I have used them ever since... on everything from a 1937 Plymouth (with Rumble seat) to a Dodge Viper, Ferrari Testarosa, Jaguar XJR and XK8, BMW 840i, a Lexus, my own '64 Pontiac GTO, my favorite 1957 Chevy (with power windows!), Datsun 240Z, Lotus Europa, Toyota Camery, Honda Civic, Rolls Royce Silver Shadow, and my very favorite "Pimp Mobile" ... a gorgeous, HUGE, 1985 Mercedes SEL Long Wheelbase with a FULL GERMAN AMG conversion. My cars were my love... and trust me, they were massaged and oiled frequently... but the KozaK cloth was for everyday cleaning and polishing. And those cloths NEVER, EVER, scratched the finish on one of my babies. NEVER.

That car was GORGEOUS... it was a special edition, painted in a deep Porsche Navy Blue, with very dark tinted windows, and huge wide Pirelli tires. The car had the full AMG body treatment, with spoiler, ground effect scoops... the whole nine yards, and the engine was completely redone by AMG in Germany and brought to the US as a "Grey Market Car". It must have been putting out 500 horses or more. On top of that, my mechanic, Brian, installed a super turbocharger on the engine that positively made it SCREAM down the highway. I could do zero to 60mph in less than 5 seconds, and the top speed was over 150mph. Not bad for a 4500 pound 1985 Merc, no?

Hey... let me tell you how I bought that car. It's a very good story. One Christmas evening in 1986 I was having a Christmas party in my home near Chicago. I was trading options on the CBOE back then, and commodities on the CBOT, and was having a few of my trading buddies and their wives over for dinner. One of them, Terry Boyle drove up in that '85 Mercedes and my jaw dropped open when he swung around my driveway. It was gorgeous... he had bought it for his wife Stella a few months before for $110,000 (1986 dollars!). He was really pissed too... his wife hated the car, and Terry didn't need it as he had quite a stable of cars himself. I took him aside and said..."I'll buy it... how much?" He said, let me think about it and I'll let you know in a little while" was his reply. Well, I made sure that Terry had a LOT to drink that night!

Later on he kinda staggered over, and said he'd sell it for $55,000. I ran upstairs and wrote him a check... and sent him and Stella home in a Taxi. The car was MINE! I kept that car until 2000 or 2001 and drove it almost every day. Went through a lot of tires too! Usually every 8000 miles or so.

I used to clean that car every day with my KozaK. I can tell you that when I would park that car on the street, a crowd would gather around it and just stare at it. It was that beautiful. People would ask me.."who details your car"... I would open the trunk and pull out the KozaK and they were amazed how easy it was. No BullS*%T.. it really works!

More later..... but check out the KozaK cloth on http://www.kozakasia.com/