303 Aerospace or a "Rubber Dressing" for exterior seals and rubber trim?

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dfoxengr

New member
I'm looking for something good that will prolong the life of exterior rubber components, should I be looking at 303 or something like Griots, Wolfgang, 1Z rubber dressing?



Is Black Magic (available at Wally world) a decent brand for anything, including their rubber dressing I saw yesterday?
 
IMO most exterior rubber really doesn't need much in the way of dressing/protection, but I suppose outdoor 24/7 cars in AZ/FL/etc. could benefit. If I do need to use something along those lines, it's usually Wurth Rubber Care myself, in part because it's *VERY* "clean" as such products go (I generally refer to them as "rubber/trim slime" :chuckle: ). But 99% of the time I just use a little ValuGard Fast Finish.
 
For any exposed soft, rubber seals (usually on my vehicles that have had frameless windows) I have typically used 1Z Gummi Pflege. Just recently I tried Wolfgang Exterior Trim Sealant on those areas of my 2010 Challenger (still not sure how I feel about this product). For hard, non-porous rubber I will typically use a non-staining sealant or (more recently) the WG ETS I mentioned or even a semi-perm/permanent products like G/Techniq C4, Opti-Coat, etc. ….what I choose really depends on the compatibility of the component.
 
The seals on most vehicles are no longer made of natural rubber; vehicle manufacturers use a specialized synthetic material called ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). Real rubber, or blends containing real rubber, just cannot endure the direct exposure to sunlight (ultraviolet light) and the harmful-to-rubber oxidizing gases in our atmosphere.



The soft seals around doors, windows, and sunroof’s hood and trunk are constantly subjected to thermal flex and compressed all the while being subjected to a hostile environment. To remain functional, they must stay flexible and require protection from the environment. The surfaces can be cleaned using a damp micro fibre towel and Iz einszett 'Plastik-Reiniger' Door and window seals must be treated 3-4 times a year. Use Iz einszett Gummipflege to treat all seals and caskets.



1. Swissvax Seal Feed-Gum Feed (contains glycerine) to treat all seals and caskets.



2. Gummipflege Stift - It applies directly from the bottle like a shoe polish; when it dries it creates a dark matte seal, durability measured in months it has a little sponge on top of the bottle so you always get the right amount of product on your weather-stripping or rubber seals.

Once applied to rubber they will take on a dark but natural shine. Use bi-annually to provide UV protection to avoid rubber from hardening or freezing – Detailer’s Domain



3. Zymol Seal a natural plant anti-oxidizing agent, it will prolong the useful life of the seal by restoring the original moisture and resist tearing and sticking



4. Wurth Rubber Care Gel Stick- a silicone-free, biodegradable, and water repellent
 
David Fermani said:
1Z is in a class of its own. I highly suggest it.
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Yes.



And Zymol used to sell a glycerin-based product called SEAL. Maybe it's still offered. That was very good.



zymol-seal_4_1.jpg
 
Been using 1Z Gummi Pflege for years. After use, remove the sponge applicatior, wash, dry, replace and store for the next application.
 
I also choose 1Z Plastic Reiniger for cleaning rubber and 1Z Gummi Pflege for the soft seals. None of these hurt paint.



I like 303 for interior surfaces, but not durable enough on exterior.
 
dfoxengr said:
also, with any of the products listed do I have to be careful about not getting it on paint?
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One word reply---NO.

In years ago, the answer would be "Yes", but due to VOC regulations, etc, no longer.

Just wipe off any that you may question from the painted surfaces, which you should do any way.

They are "amino siloxane" based, water based, so they are using water as the carrier of the amino siloxane resins to the surface.

There are many chemical variations of amino resins used today for car products, some are even in the paint on your vehicle.

Grumpy
 
Kean said:
...on my vehicles that have had frameless windows) I have typically used 1Z Gummi Pflege..
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In cases where direct rubber-to-glass contact makes the (admittedly minimal) "sliming" from the 1Z an issue, you might want to spend extra (a lot extra) for the Wurth version. Side-by-side, with both allowed to dry/flash before allowing the contact, I found the Wurth was a bit "cleaner". Not that I'd pay the diff in msot cases, but I thought I might as well mention it.



(I'm referring to the Wurth "stick", not their aerosol spray. I use the latter a *LOT* but I generally spray it onto some kind of applicator to avoid overspray.)
 
Accumulator said:
In cases where direct rubber-to-glass contact makes the (admittedly minimal) "sliming" from the 1Z an issue, you might want to spend extra (a lot extra) for the Wurth version. Side-by-side, with both allowed to dry/flash before allowing the contact, I found the Wurth was a bit "cleaner". Not that I'd pay the diff in msot cases, but I thought I might as well mention it.



(I'm referring to the Wurth "stick", not their aerosol spray. I use the latter a *LOT* but I generally spray it onto some kind of applicator to avoid overspray.)
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Yeah, that residue does get a bit annoying as I find myself having to clean it off a few times before it stops transferring. After applying I usually keep the doors open for a while (or the windows down) but it never seems to fully dry to the point where it doesn't "slime" to some extent. I might just try the Wurth (stick) on those areas and use the rest of the 1Z GP on other seals. Thanks for the suggestion.
 
Kean said:
Yeah, that residue does get a bit annoying as I find myself having to clean it off a few times before it stops transferring. After applying I usually keep the doors open for a while (or the windows down) but it never seems to fully dry to the point where it doesn't "slime" to some extent. I might just try the Wurth (stick) on those areas and use the rest of the 1Z GP on other seals. Thanks for the suggestion.
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Yeah, when I compared them I left the doors open until I thought both products were as dry as they were gonna get. The diff between them wasn't dramatic, but it *did* come out in favor of the Wurth. This was back when I was on a big 1Z kick, so if anything I was prejudiced against the Wurth.



Heh heh, don't thank me yet....the Wurth is awfully pricey compared to the 1Z and of course YMMV with regard to the sliming. But I'd sure be interested to hear how the products compare for somebody else.
 
ok, im more concerned with the ease of application and the protection than the color. I think a mf towel application will be much better for me than the shoe polish bottle.
 
dfoxengr said:
ok, im more concerned with the ease of application and the protection than the color. I think a mf towel application will be much better for me than the shoe polish bottle.
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I use a piece of old t-shirt or a swab with the "shoe polish bottle" anyhow. I hardly ever use the foam applicator on the bottle unless a) the trim is clean/nice enough that it won't stain the foam and/or b) the width and position of the trim makes it user friendly to do it that way.



We never did find out the diff between those products, did we?



The "gummi stick" version of Wurth Rubber Care *is* different from the aerosol version, the latter flashes a lot faster presumably because of the stuff that makes it light/thin/spraybable, but both work well.
 
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