Dino in the rain

I think that the mousehair fades even when in the dark! When having some work done on one of my Dinos a few years back, I had the mosehair and the steering wheel rim re-dyed. It worked out quite well. Fred

 

I sense a battery/alternator issue here. do your lights dim when you idle? Does your starter crank slowly? Could easily be that you don't have enough juice to keep stuff going when you're at idle. I recall mine slowing a bit, but not stalling completely.

DM

 

Dinos melt like sugar cubes in the rain, or so I've heard.

 

When I had my dash recovered, I cut a piece of black felt the exact size and was careful to leave it on whenever I wasn't driving. Sure enough, the dash still faded.

Eventually, I had it dyed by the dealer. It actually looked worse after the dye job. Be sure they do it right if you have it done!

 

1) - Wipers slow at idle - Yes, your voltage has dropped, and the high load of rubber friction against the glass (even when wet) calls for more current. I suspect that spade contacts at the wiper, fuse contacts, and ground contacts all have increased electrical resistance owing to age, along with drop in voltage. Thus, if they work when the alternator/battery is putting out 13.8 volts, minus, let's say, 2 volts dropped across the aforementioned resistances, then 11.8 volts is the minimum that accomplishes the job. Now drop your voltage at the battery (idle) to 11.5 to 12.0 volts, and the 9.5 - 10 volts reaching the wiper is simply not enough.

Clean contacts and wiper motor gound. Fine sandpaper to fuse ends, fuse holder, and all spade connectors and grounds. And if you are really motivated, remove the column switch and clean the copper contacts on the wiper stalk. These are not relayed, as I recall. They carry the current of the wiper directly.

2) Yes, one of my Dinos was in the garage for several years, driven rarely (this goes back 10 years). The dash faded despite minimal U.V. or sunlight exposure. Great material.

Jim S.

 

Our beloved mousehair, in addition to fading, has a tendency to turn a strange shade of green (or at least looks that way in certain light). I can understand why some owners have resorted to recovering the dash in either leather or vinyl. If I were ever to recover the dash in either of my cars, I don't think I'd use the over-priced and under-performing OEM mousehair. My second Dino (03964) had its dash recovered in ultrasuede before I bought it in 1982, and it has held up remarkably well. Fred