How To Safely Clean Vintage Fiberglass Engine Lid Insulation Pads

[Rich Thompson]

Question for Mike and the Wider Group:

On my 1966 Corvair Monza, my rear engine deck lid has an attached molded fiberglass insulation pad which is original to the car. It is still in very good shape and can be removed from the lid by removing the plastic retainers from underneath the lid. See attached photo of the insulation pad attached to the lid.

It is still maintaining its molded shape and I want to save it in order to keep the car as Factory Stock for our National Concours events.

Has anyone had a process that has been successful for them in cleaning this type of material of dirt and oil? Mine is not soaked by any means, but there is dirt and oil present in it. What kind of product would you suggest to use to clean it and possible method?

Appreciate any input on this. Thanks!

[Mike Phillips]

Question for Mike and the Wider Group:

On my 1966 Corvair Monza, my rear engine deck lid has an attached molded fiberglass insulation pad which is original to the car. It is still in very good shape and can be removed from the lid by removing the plastic retainers from underneath the lid. See attached photo of the insulation pad attached to the lid.

Here's an enlarged photo I made from the picture you attached, it's in your free gallery here on AGO

Free Gallery

It is still maintaining its molded shape and I want to save it in order to keep the car as Factory Stock for our National Concours events.

Has anyone had a process that has been successful for them in cleaning this type of material of dirt and oil? Mine is not soaked by any means, but there is dirt and oil present in it. What kind of product would you suggest to use to clean it and possible method?

Appreciate any input on this. Thanks!

This is difficult to do without "disrupting" the appearance because of the material and the way it's woven together.

Fact is - there's no easy way to clean it. If you apply some time of cleaner and SCRUB the cleaner into the fiberglass insulation you're going to tear it up.

Here's my suggestion, remove the mat from the hood and lay it out flat on a couple of old blankets, this will help to support any shapes in the mat so when you do the below, you don't contort the shape.


Step 1: Get a terrycloth wash cloth, like you would use in the shower and wet it with water and your favorite all-purpose-cleaner, something safe and not super strong.

Step 2: Press the cloth against a single section of the mat and hold it their with hand pressure. Wait for about 60 seconds. You want the water and the cleaner to soak in to the dirt and oil you want to remove.

Step 3: Take a DRY cotton terrycloth towel and press it to this area and BLOT out the water, cleaner and whatever was on/in the fiberglass mat.


Repeat until this section is clean and then move around the mat.


Not a perfect or fast procedure but a SAFE procedure.


Next, apply a fabric protectant to the top. My experience is a quality fabric protectant will tend to restore a fresher looking, or crisper looking appearance - PLUS provide some protection for the future.



You could also use a microfiber towel but use one with a fluffy nap and don't plan on using it on paint again. The reason I would use simple, cotton terrycloth is

A: The nap or LOOP of fiber will press into the irregular shape of the mat.

B: Cotton is absorbent - it will release the water and cleaner during the soaking step and ABSORB the water, cleaner and gunk onto and into itself on the blotting step.


Cotton is absorbent - microfiber is adsorbent.

I'll be explaining this in a webcast Yancy and I are going to do. Stay tuned.

[mc2hill]

I have had some luck with using a foaming carpet cleaner on these, but I have only used that on modern cars. It brings some of the dirt to the surface, so you don't have to scrub the liner.

[Rich Thompson]

Thanks Mike!

Hey, you mentioned this:

Next, apply a fabric protectant to the top. My experience is a quality fabric protectant will tend to restore a fresher looking, or crisper looking appearance - PLUS provide some protection for the future.

Are you referring to a product such as Scotchguard or something different you have in mind?

Thanks Mike!

Rich

[Mike Phillips]

Thanks Mike!

Hey, you mentioned this:




Are you referring to a product such as Scotchguard or something different you have in mind?

Thanks Mike!

Rich

Yep - something like a Scotchgaurd product.

Look at how crisp the black canvas top looks after a generous dousing of RaggTopp Fabric Protectant.


NEW Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush - How to clean and protect a convertible top



Haartz/RaggTopp Convertible Top Brush

[Rich Thompson]

I have had some luck with using a foaming carpet cleaner on these, but I have only used that on modern cars. It brings some of the dirt to the surface, so you don't have to scrub the liner.

So, after the dirt comes to the surface, how did you get it off? Was it with a light spray of water? A cloth?

Thanks,

Rich

[57Rambler]

This is difficult to do without "disrupting" the appearance because of the material and the way it's woven together.

Fact is - there's no easy way to clean it. If you apply some time of cleaner and SCRUB the cleaner into the fiberglass insulation you're going to tear it up.

I'd be fearful that appling any kind of cleaner might "stain"/affect the appearance of the material afterward, no matter how carefully you applied and removed it. Then again, you could

But your comment also gave me an idea. How about carefully abrading/scuffing away the very top layer of the material, ie. removing a very thin layer of the material on top to get rid of the dirt and expose new, clean material below ? Leave the insulation attached and use something like a red VF Scotch-Brite pad. Sorta like removing a very thin layer of paint (or clear) to get rid of its defects.

Alternately, you might be able to just brush the pad carefully to remove a good amount of dust and dirt which is dried on, and it will look decent. That pad always had a mottled appearance from the factory anyways.

[ducksfan]

Know any good carpet cleaners that do upholstery work. May be worth asking. A lot of similarities.

[Mike Phillips]

So, after the dirt comes to the surface, how did you get it off? Was it with a light spray of water? A cloth?

Thanks,

Rich

Blotting

Use cotton terrycloth. Absorb off the goop.

No easy way to do this. All you can do is the best you can. Then try to shmoo over the appearance with some kind of product - I recommended a fabric protectant but think outside the box, maybe some kind of aerosol product.

[mc2hill]

So, after the dirt comes to the surface, how did you get it off? Was it with a light spray of water? A cloth?

Thanks,

Rich

Just wiped it with a damp cotton towel.