OK, It's not what your thinking! The center console of my 94 has a coating that melted and get black marks on anything that touches it. I bought a replacement panel and the same thing happened. I've been told by all the big parts companies, Mid America, Corvette Central, etc that there's nobody out there making a replacement panel that is not covered with the soft touch coating that always melts. Does anybody have an idea on how to remove the coating from the existing panel? I tried petroleum products on the old panel but it weakened the plastic. I can't be alone with this problem in Florida. Thanks for any advise, Brian

 

Several posts on the forum featuring members who have stripped off the GM "dulso" finish from piece around the shifter. Most have repainted it excellent results. Do a search and see what you find...

 

Let it soak in hot, soapy water. Then sand it and repaint it flat black.
But also, do a search, there are many threads on how to do this.

Good luck, Randy

 

This may not work for you. Refer to this thread:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...erized+coating

I personally recommend fast chemical stripping as the only way to quickly and effectively get it all off. Gasket remover worked instantly for me though you may want to use something weaker; in my case I had to spend a really long time sanding afterwards before I could get a satisfactory paint job, partially due to corrosion the gasket remover caused. But sanding sure as hell beats spending hours with a scraper trying to get all the coating off as it breaks off in frustratingly small fragments, having been soaked in soapy water or not. This rubber was put on chemically and so the only way to ensure it comes detached from all the corners and surfaces is to also strip it chemically.

Also, a reminder to double check that you have done this to each and every piece in the car that has that coating, so you don't end up with inconsistency. In my case I got my shifter piece, dash piece and dash vent piece, but I forgot the ashtray piece that sits in the middle of the shifter piece, which is still coated with raggedy remains of rubber.

 

Melted? I've never heard of this....someone please explain why this happens.

I replaced my center console a couple of months ago with a new one and it is still flawless. The original one I replaced was simply cracked on one corner and bothered me so I replaced it....it showed no signs of the rubber coating being melted and it was the original console.

 

Don't feel bad, mine has never melted either. And it gets very hot here in the summer (over 100 sometimes). Inside temps have to be in the 130-140 degree range, and no problems. Console and dash look just as good today as they did when new.

Has to me more to the "melting" story than just heat.

 

We bought one on e-bay from thepartsladi and it's great, not sticky and no dulso... makes the console look like new.

 

Don't spend money on this, especially not the $100+ for a new trim piece... just spray some solvent on, sand it smooth and spray some duplicolor... it's not hard and no reason to waste money...

 

I took my '96 out today. Had the ashtray lid open. When I closed it, there was a mark on the lid where it rested against the console when it was in the open position. I immediately wiped it and it was the gummy console coming off. So, mine is breaking down too. It was still in mint condition, now this mark. I guess the plastic, or coating, just breaks down over time. So disappointing.

 

Non-acetone nail polish remover from Walmart (cheap stuff) takes it right off without the risk of damaging the plastic. Then paint with plastic interior spray paint from Auto Zone. Did all mine, turned out real nice. No sanding required