Any way to soften seat vinyl?

[xsrock]

The atc110 I just got had sat outside for quite a while. The seat cover is really hard and brittle. Is there a good product to put on the seat to soften it up. Part of the problem could be that it is freaking cold around here, 12 degrees this morning. But it is more the age and sitting in the sun.

[Auto_Demon]

i would just get it recovered

[Nightmare]

Acetone softens most plastic(s).

[ric]

Acetone might soften it but would probably kill it too. I used a product called "Dubbin" on My Suzuki soft-top, this is a waterproofing treatment for leather shoes. Not perfect but its about the best thing I've found for vinyl. Hope this helps

[fmnrd]

dubbin must be a Aussie Product never seen it here. black vynal is only 7.00 bucks a yard , just recover it

[harryredtrike]

no matter what you use it will rip and tear.it might get softer but not good enough,recover it yourself,super cheap to do.or have a pro do it like mosh on the boards.pm him and his wife they do killer work.oh and not just your regular run of the mill stuff,they do kick butt custom stuff too.

[xsrock]

Thanks for the info. Depending on how far I want to go with the 110, I may get it recovered. I was also asking because my 350x seat is in perfect condition and I want to keep it that way. This is probably a stupid question, but what would happen if you put a leather conditioner such as Zymol on it? I am assuming that it would do nothing, but in the case of the 110, it couldn't hurt.

[Mosh]

Most seat vinyls are petroleum based products.That is why we have seen the cost of materials rise with fuel prices. That is why when gas spills on them, the oils get evaporated and the cover becomes hard and brittle if left to soak in.
Generally, once the cover becomes hard, it turns into a almost impermiable brittle plastic, that no chemical can soak into to pores becuase the pores of the vinyl have swollen closed.
You could try Mink oil and heat the cover as you apply it, but it will probably just slide right off instead of soak in.

Thanks for the plug HarryRed.