1982 240 vinyl and chrome care

[blwnkl]

I recently picked up an '82 245 that is in pretty great shape for being nearly 30 years old. Of course there's lots of stuff that needs fixing or upgrading - mostly electrical, but the interior and exterior trim are in really good condition and I'd like to keep them that way as long as possible so, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for maintaining vinyl and chrome on older cars.

I've never owned a car this old so don't have much experience with maintaining older vinyl and chrome and I don't want to accidentally ruin it in my efforts to maintain it. I'm pretty sure the interior is vinyl and not leather, though someone had asked me if it is leather, but it seems too consistent in color and wear with no craking or drying anywhere - would be good to find a resource that lists original interior color and material options. There are just a couple of spots on the seats that have gotten stained over the years and the chrome hub caps and roof rack are just awesome and need to be taken care of.

Thanks for any and all suggestions!

- Jim

[vjaneczko]

For rubber, vinyl and plastic, I use Armor All. Some don't like it, but I think it does a great job. Whatever you chose, you may need to treat your parts a few times over the course of a weekend to get all of the fluids absorbed. For the chrome, is some of it plastic chrome or chromed metal? For the hubcaps, there’s some chrome polish at your local auto parts shop, but if you really need some help, you may have to get them re-chromed at a professional shop. For the chromed plastic, you can pick up some chrome in a rattle can. Not sure how it’ll turn out, but I’ve seen it on the shelf.

[blwnkl]

Thanks for the feedback. I've used Armor All before, but as you say, some don't like it. I was just curious what preferences folks might have and if there were any obvious products to avoid. The chrome is real chromed metal and I've been polishing that up and it's looking good.

Happy Volvoing.