RE: [ihc] White in or out

[Steven Stegmann <steve.stegmann@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Easiest thing to make tires look great is to clean
them with scouring powder or Westley's Blech white
(Blue label, spray on but isn't spelled bleach). 
Either takes off the oxidized outer layer of rubber
and then you coat it with brake fluid.  BF won't hurt
the rubber and looks great.  I don't like tires that
shine like black shoes, looks a bit effete for my
taste.  BF gives a nice satin black finish.

Steve


--- "John M. Adams" <jma@domain.elided> wrote:
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Steve Stegmann
> [mailto:steve.stegmann@domain.elided]
> > Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2004 6:46 PM
> > To: Ryan Moore; jma@domain.elided;
> weidenhe@domain.elided;
> > keen@domain.elided; ihc-digest@domain.elided;
> Hofstetter John
> > Subject: RE: [ihc] White in or out
> >
> >
> > John,
> >
> > Am I that much older than everyone else?
> >
> > Don't you remember the dealer washing the blue off
> the tires as
> > they mounted
> > them?  Old Easton Tire in St. Louis had a floor
> level sink, really just a
> > curb and drain, in the corner by the door.  They'd
> roll the tires
> > over there
> > and there was a long handled brush hanging on a
> nail by the sink.  They'd
> > just wet it down and scrub it right off.
> >
> > Steve
> 
> Steve, I'm not sure if you're asking me or John H.,
> but my response is... I
> don't know how old you are! ;) I do know that you're
> right about the blue
> stuff - it's there to protect the white, and will
> wash off. I remember tire
> shops doing it years ago, but not for the last
> several sets I've bought,
> usually at discount outlets. Maybe it's different at
> the *better* tire
> stores, or perhaps you are correct, and laziness or
> bean counting has set
> in. I never had any trouble washing it off of those
> I had mounted with the
> white out, but on those where it was inside, I just
> left it alone. I never
> tried the baked on treatment that Ryan mentions. My
> original question about
> Ryan's paint wasn't about covering up the blue or
> white, anyway. I was just
> thinking about ways to restore the shiny black of
> the sidewalls. I guess
> what I really think is that change is the only
> constant, and no matter how
> hard I try to prevent it, things will wear out, and
> never be new again
> (remember, I just had a birthday...)  ~John A.