1990nein

Don't know about protectants but I've always use rubbing compound on all my rubbers/plastics. Works great and looks more natural than any "shine spray." Have heard nothing but good things about 303 though, perhaps rubbing compound first and then 303 to protect...

Bruce In Philly

Some quick comments about Armor All

1 - It is a silicone-based product, not petroleum
2 - In my experience it does protect and will not damage (contains the all important UV protection). I used it in a Honda of mine for 10 years and 120K miles and the interior looked fantastic. I used it on and off on my 2000 Boxster for 12 years and it looked fantastic. These are my very real experiences.
3 - I now do not like the gloss finish... you can wipe it down with a towel and remove excess to lower gloss and dust attraction (as noted in the instructions)... but this either is or not your taste.

Armor All FAQ: http://www.armorall.com/faq/interior.php#answer8

I have no idea how these destructive rumors start on the 'net. I stand by my opinions here because I have real life experiences with this product and I had nothing but positive experiences (other than the aesthetic glossy issue).

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Para82

I only use Griots for my interior. Including the leather lotion protector / leather/all material spray cleaner. Can't remember the names but they have a good site with details to order from.

Wax I only use Zaino.

I think Amorall all is garbage, leaves a weird shiny film on everything.

Para82

Yes I use back to black too - mainly on the felt linings on the exterior. I noticed earlier this year my on my 2005 the felt was developing a faded look - back to black rubbed into it with a cloth really darkened it back up nicely.

Luckymba

Thanks guys. I appreciate the info.

Iceter

Armor All is too shiny for me. Even their low-gloss product shines too much IMO. It also attracts dust and because it's silicone based, it's a pita to clean off of glass when you inevitably get overspray on it. As for it ruining surfaces, I've never experienced that and I overused Armor All for years. I just outgrew the shiny look and since I always drove a convertible, I was extra-susceptible to dust, so I stopped using it.

For vinyl, I like to use Meguiar's interior detailing spray. It leaves a natural finish with no gloss. Not harmful to paint and easy to clean off of glass.

Funny story. I knew a guy who had a beautiful sixties Lincoln Continental. The vinyl on his car was original but completely soft, pliable and had a beautiful sheen. I asked him what he used. He told me that he would occasionally wipe all of his vinyl down with baby oil, let it sit in the sun and wipe it off. I've never seen a classic car with nicer vinyl pieces. I tried it for awhile and never had a problem with it, although I didn't like the smell.

I second the suggestion on Back-to-Black. It does a fantastic job on black plastic (and rubber moldings and weatherstrip). It also is good for cleaning wax residue off of plastic. It will streak if you use too much so just hit the areas you treat with a dry towel or microfiber and you'll be fine. The black lasts much longer than any other plastic treatment I've tried--including Meguiar's plastic treatment.

perfectlap

I'm no fan boy of any brand. I have an entire garage full of boutique detailing brand products. For the most part, they all have the same basic ingredients.
Only a well-trained eye could tell a car prep'd with one brand vs another brand. Extremely well trained eye. In fact, with the right prep (clay, polish, de-swirl, wash, etc.) I doubt the average guy could tell an over the counter product like Mothers, Meguiars, etc. from one of these high priced 10 step boutique brands.
It's 99% prep. The difference being that the over the counter stuff is very diluted to prevent a newbie from shredding three year's of clear coat in one errant session.

That being said, Griots Garage products are as good as any boutique brand I've tried. I only mention them because there's no need to pay shipping since most of the their basic stuff is available in-store at Advanced Auto. When you combine their discount emails with Advanced's you can save a bundle. Some discount codes are as much as 50% off during holiday weekends. I use Werkstatt for polishing and Finish Kare for waxing and LSP but everything else, towels in particular (green and blue long nap) come from Griots'.

Palumbo

Over the years, I've used all of these products mentioned including Zaino. It really comes down to personal preference on how the product performs on your car. For my 997 with the full leather, I'm down to using Lexol, followed by another terry cloth covered sponge conditioned with Megs interior detailer. Leaves the leather supple with just the right amount of sheen.

I've used Vinylex a lot in my older 911 and worked great, leaving no oily residue greasy feel to it, but I find that to be too shiny for the plastic in the 997. I like the Griot's vinyl and rubber dressing a lot, conditions the vinyl with a balanced satin sheen. 303 is also good, but again, depend on the sheen you get. Now I'm down to just conditioning the leather with Lexol, followed by megs interior detailer, and go over all the plastic with that... no shine, a balanced sheen that looks and smells great.

I don't really condition any of the plastic outside the car. I have conditioned the rubber gaskets with Black Again, a clear gel that does wonders and worked great on the older 911s. They took that stuff off the market for a long time, then Auto Geek brought it back, so I bought a few bottles of it, which will last me a lifetime I'm sure. I also have the Megs plastic and rubber coating spray, which you can only order now... stuff is great to dress tires before a gathering or show. I also treat the wheel wells with that spray, goes on smoothly with no wiping needed.

I stopped using Armor all back in the 90's.

USMC_DS1

I used Vinylex for a dozen years on the BMW's and have continued with good success on the C2S. Lately I've been experimenting with 303 in the disposable wipe form. Very convenient and the results have been great so far on vinyl, plastic, and rubber trim.

sixgun95

Only way to go

997sxv

Water

user 72902

+1 on Griots Leather Rejuvenator - It is the best stuff for leather I've used yet.

MarkinMD

I have used Vinylex for many years. I like the low-gloss sheen on the interior plastics. I used Leather Masters three step system for the first time to clean and condition the leather in my new-to-me CPO 997.2. The leather literally looks like new with a nice even sheen and soft feel. I am very pleased with the results. For exterior black plastic parts I really like One Grand ERV.