Wondering what would be useful in removal of oxidation from my wood panels on the dash. It's not a lot but looks unsightly and worn in the sunlight and moonroof open. Thanks.

Vincent
2000 STS Black/Black 72k

The wood dash and door accents in the STS/ETC/DTS/DHS are, I believe, heavily coated in some sort of poly-someting finish like polyurethane or Spar Varnish or that ilk. You may be able to polish out some of the spotting with a very very very very light abrasive polish, but I'm not sure. Perhaps your best bet might be checking with a quality cabinet/woodworking craftsman in your area, or some place like that, or searching the web for tips - there are a ton of woodworking and similar sites, and since your problem is really more related to wood and its finish, car places won't know what to do. Think like your dash panels were a coffee table instead of in a car, and see where that leads you.

Jim is correct - true wood requires the deft touch of a cabinetmaker if you want it to come out factory-fresh. Depending on the amount of damage, if there is fading in just the topcoat (usually looks kinda cloudy, or has a "blush" look about it), you might want to think about taking the piece off, having the old finish removed and a new finish put on - polyurethane is one of the toughest but not the clearest finish you can have done. For the best gloss factor you can't beat lacquer and with lacquer you can put on multiple coats over a short period of time. Mixing lacquer with some lacquer thinner (say, one part thinner to three parts lacquer) will give you a mix that can be wiped on the piece, taking any brush marks out of the equation. Lacquer has its own issues, though. Like durability.

If the wood itself has faded, then more aggressive measures are in order. Once the topcoat has been removed, you'll have to re-stain the piece and that can get pretty chewy if you aren't familiar with the process. Sand the piece thoroughly - but gently! - you want the stain to get a good "tooth". Go lighter than you need to - you can always add darker shades, but it is a real Mother to try and lighten something up after the fact. A good, light stain like a "Honey Golden Oak" that has been further thinned out will impart hardly any real colour to the piece being worked on. Once you have brought the wood to its former glory, then you're back to the topcoat decision - and that's been outlined above.

Or, you can always start trolling the junkyards and internet, looking for another piece to replace it.

Or, you can always hire me to do it!

Good luck, Bud..

Try a car polish that is meant for use on paints. As long as there is still a finish on the wood (99% chance there is) this should work. However, if bare wood is exposed you will have to have it refinished.

Your wood is most likely clear coated like my 1996 STS and my 97 sls. It isn't the same type of clear used on paint, but a paint polish will work fine as it has for me on my cars. A good polish to use would be 3M finesse-it finishing polish or something similar. As far as i'm aware 3m only sells quarts and gallons, and at $90 a gallon wholesale (I work as a head detailer a shop in the hamptons) it would not be cost effective. You may be able to find a smaller size though.

You could just go to a local detail shop and ask them to hand polish the area (It would take only a minute or two, so they wouldn't charge much)
Or go to an auto parts store and pick up a light abrasive polish (Meguires? or Mothers) that removes oxidation.

Remember to buy only bodyshop safe products, as others may have waxes in them that can stain the surfaces in your car.

yea mine seems to be faded by sunlight around the edges, looks like UV dmaage to the wood..cant tell fi tis topcoat or clearcoat damage...ill post pics of it maybe it will help this thread as many people ahve ahd this problem

Try Klasse AIO (All-In-One) on your interior wood. it is Non-abrasive and just fine to use on lacquer or urethane, like the other guys said though if AIO doesn't do the trick you might want to go see an experienced cabinet-maker with knowledge of wood. However I have had many experiences where AIO took out oxidation that I thought would never get out. It is truly a great product.

:yeah: