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Old 11-17-2018, 10:56 PM   #1
Gasoline_Farts
 
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Alcantara steering wheel preservation

In anticipation of getting a 1LE I was curious to see how everyone maintains their wheel and shifter’s nice appearance. I understand that over time of you drive bare handed the alcantara will wear out and look bad.

Do you do something special to care for it?

Do you wear gloves every time you drive?

worry about it when it becomes and issue?
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Old 11-17-2018, 11:35 PM   #2
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A lot of people ditch the alcantara and swap out for the real leather items for precisely that reason. There are other reasons mostly related to feel. It was one of my first mods. The alcantara is a very cheap material, much cheaper than real leather, and is used only to differentiate the trim levels. It doesn't grip well on bare hands, wears poorly, and to me just looks out of place in the car. It's a trendy thing to have in a performance car because the euro companies do it. That's why its there.
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Old 11-18-2018, 06:38 AM   #3
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I agree poor grip with bare hands. I just rub it down with a wet microfibre.
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Old 11-18-2018, 07:51 AM   #4
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I used a suede/nubuck kit to keep mine clean. A wet towel works too if it gets very soiled. Sold the car at 12,000 miles and 2 years, knob and steering wheel looked new.
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Old 11-18-2018, 08:10 AM   #5
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I also replaced mine with a stock leather wheel. If you search out Ebay or car-parts.com you can find them. I paid less than $100 for each of them I bought. My wife didn't like her's either. It takes less than 15 min to swap them, just be careful with the air bag. I was actually able to find one with orange stitching to match the Hot Wheels interior perfect. Our old ones are in a box in case the next owner wants the original.
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Old 11-18-2018, 08:28 AM   #6
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I ditched the leather for the Alcantara a couple years ago. It feels so much better daily driving, my hands don't slide around like they do on a leather. It is never hot to the touch in the summer sun or cold in the winter.
When I wipe down my interior every couple of months I just give the Wheel and Knob a quick rub with the cloth to clean up any oily residue or big mac sauce.
No special chemicals or fancy tricks, does it look brand new still? No, of course not, it is a wear item but still comfortable and clean.
I tossed the leather wheel cause no one wants them.
Enjoy the benefits of the Alcantara and don't think the soft fuzzy feel will rub off in 6 months, it will last for years with basic cleaning.
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Old 11-18-2018, 01:34 PM   #7
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I use this stuff and it works quite well


https://www.amazon.com/Sonax-206141-.../dp/B00BBWJ16U
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Old 11-18-2018, 01:52 PM   #8
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If you have a Camaro, you don't have real Alcantara on your steering wheel and shifter anyway - it's a knockoff sueded microfiber material. Just about any quality interior cleaner will keep it looking like new, but test a small spot first to make sure.

Race drivers prefer real Alcantara - it's lighter, more durable, easier to grip and transmits more feel than the typical hard or shiny leather found in most consumer vehicles. It's also no more difficult than leather to maintain properly, using Alcantara cleaner. Real Alcantara is also much more rare and expensive than the cheap, thin leather most mass-market manufacturers use on their seats, steering wheels and shift knobs. (What kind of "leather" is that - goat? mouse? dairy cow?) Real Alcantara is produced in Italy at only one shop, and it's in short supply around the world; demand far exceeds supply - so you may find it in a Lexus, but not in your 1LE.
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Old 11-18-2018, 02:54 PM   #9
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Well,, to be fair. GM does say it is suede wrapped.
Can't really call it a knock off.
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Old 11-18-2018, 06:47 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BradfordCamaro View Post
Well,, to be fair. GM does say it is suede wrapped.
Can't really call it a knock off.
To be 100% accurate, I’d bet the Camaro “suede” is actually faux suede, because the real stuff is too expensive for a vehicle in that price range. (Even the Corvette gets “sueded microfiber.”) GM used to label it “Microsuede,” I think, but that name seems to have fallen out of use because it’s too common a description to be trademarked. OTOH, it’s better for sofas and cars because it’s easier to clean, stays wrinkle-free, is stain-resistant and is more luxurious looking. There are many grades of faux suede and genuine suede, just like there are many grades of leather. But there is only one Alcantara faux suede, which is the best of the lot. If you look, you’ll see that Chevy never calls its Camaro suede ”Alcantara.”
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Old 11-19-2018, 06:41 AM   #11
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I had my 5th gen 1LE for 4 years 68K miles the only thing i used was alcohol wipes you get at wallgreens! Always made the steering wheel fresh again never had an issue. So thats what i recommend
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Old 11-19-2018, 07:26 AM   #12
BradfordCamaro
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Let's "ASK AL"
He can tell us all about the suede
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Old 11-19-2018, 11:11 AM   #13
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i have the sonax stuff and drive with no gloves on streets but always gloves on track helps sooooo much
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Old 11-19-2018, 12:32 PM   #14
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I wear racing gloves all the time. This also protects the steering wheel from any rings you might be wearing. Did the same with a Boss 302 (2012) for 4 years-looked good all the time.
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