Cleaning vintage decals

[Oneheadlite]

Hey gang, here’s an interesting one.

My shop owner and his brother have been racing since they were kids. His brother just bought an old vintage fridge from a race shop from back in the day. It’s currently disassembled, but it’s an old school GE fridge that they added a rear wing off an old 70’s Lola Can-Am car (you can just see it on the floor in the background).

They’d like to rewind the clock a bit and get it cleaned up, but obviously don’t want to risk damaging any of the stickers on it. (You can see someone got too aggressive on the bird in a cage sticker - from a shop that ran Birdcage Maseratis back in the day)

Wondering if folks have any suggestions for cleaning this thing up a bit. Obviously it’s gonna have patina, but a little less dust and grime would be great.

I’ve got thoughts, but thought I’d throw it out to the group to see if anyone has worked with anything like this before.

[Setec Astronomy]

Wow, that`s really old, looks 40`s to my GE eye...which could be wrong. Sorry I`m no help on the decals.

[Coatings=crack]

Awesome for the garage. Wouldn’t know how to clean or protect those stickers. Looks dope.


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[Oneheadlite]

Wow, that`s really old, looks 40`s to my GE eye...which could be wrong. Sorry I`m no help on the decals.

Interesting. His brother mentioned wanting to try and turn it back into a functional refrigerator (all the guts are gone). The race shop they got it from was using it as a storage spot for fuel cans, so it`s gonna need some time to air out if they do...

I wouldn`t be surprised if it could go either way for restoring function - either someone out there is a vintage pro and could refit it with original parts, or it could be "resto-modded" with new components to just make it a fridge again.

Awesome for the garage. Wouldn’t know how to clean or protect those stickers. Looks dope.

It`ll go in the lobby at our shop once it`s done. We`ll just have to find a spot where someone`s not gonna scalp themself on the end plates of the wing.

That wing is awesome, it absolutely looks like it came off a small aircraft. That`s another element - depending on how well the fridge cleans up, then you have to decide how far you take the wing - I`m sure you could go mirror finish if you wanted, but maybe it`s best to leave the patina.

Can`t help but wonder what a vintage Can-Am Lola wing is worth..

[Lonnie]

Personally, I would think diluted Dawn Dish Soap would work great with a judicious rubbing with a soft, wrung-out damp microfiber MIGHT work.
The "problem" as I see it is that while removing the accumulated grime and oily exterior residue will also remove some of the petroleum-based inks from the older decals or will cause them to "fade". You could spot-test this methodology on a decal that looks like it`s older or one that is not so valuable to you on the `fridge and then if that works, apply that methodology to the rest of the `fridge`s decals.
The other detergent that might work is Murphy`s Oil Soap, but you would have to experiment as to what dilution with water is necessary to clean off the accumulated oily grime without removing the decal`s ink.

I know you probably have some vehicle detailing All-Purpose cleaners (APC`s) on hand, like Meg`s Detailer D101 APC, and if that were diluted sufficiently (AKA 15:1 or more) MIGHT work as well, but that , too may also remove the inks on the decals, something you are trying to avoid at all cost.

Whatever you do, if you find some cleaner and process that works, let us know. (Break out the Q-tips??)

One thing in its restoration is the even if you could find all the original parts, finding R12 refrigerant or whatever was used in that vintage is almost non-existent and those that do have it will charge you accordingly. But I am sure you are well aware of that if you work on older cars with air conditioners.
I still remember Chrysler Corp TV mid-to-late 1960`s commercial for their car when the gentlemen driving the car (I think it was actor Allan Melvin who played the staff Sargent on Gomer Pyle, USMC) asking his wife if it was too cold inside to open a window! Those old air conditioners worked well with R12.

[Oneheadlite]

Thanks Lonnie for your input!

Diluted Dawn was my first thought as well. Like you mention - not knowing how durable those inks are makes me hesitant to go down the APC path.

Interesting tip on the Murphy`s Oil Soap. We`ve got some that was in one of the cabinets at our house when we bought it; being a... keeper of things until they are of use (not a hoarder!), I couldn`t bring myself to throw it away. It sat for 8 years until my wife found a tip online that it works to remove permanent marker stains from clothing. Tried it on one of my daughter`s piece of clothes she had a marker-oops on at school and sure enough it pulls it right out!

Hmmm. My brain didn`t go there right away, but after typing that out I don`t know that it feels safe to try in this situation...

What are some other instances you`d reach for the Murhpys?


My boss and I were looking it over and admiring all the different stickers. Some of them are for sure back from early/mid 60`s. I`ll have to get some more pictures and put them up. Kinda fun!

[Setec Astronomy]

Maybe ONR? That`s something that`s really gentle but seems to work well...or your mild rinseless of choice. I had typed out a response earlier about the refrigeration system, but Lonnie kind of beat me to it...as he said, there are no parts to restore it to original, for a variety of reasons. If the condenser and evaporator are there, it`s possible the rest of the system could be updated, but if not, I think you can forget about it, as that would be crazy to have someone fab custom heat exchangers.

[Lonnie]

Oneheadlight:
I asked that SAME questions about the Lola Cam-Am rear wing? What is it worth and which exact model did it come or was it spare back-up that was never used until it was "repurposed" for this `fridge? It`s gotta have "value" as an OEM vintage racing part.

I am more interested in the decals as well. We used to buy them from car dealers, gas stations, or auto parts stores and stick them on folders/notebooks for school classes or advertising paper covers we folded for school text books in grade school so we looked like "cool" motor-head kids. Most of the time they were car manufacturers, like the Ford Cobra Jet with racing wheels and flames coming from them. Most everyone had a Champion spark plug or an American car manufacture`s logo/symbol, like the Chevy bow-tie, because they were so common and popular. The neatest ones were the Ed "Big Daddy" Roth roadster cartoon character with the big, bulging blood-shot eyes. Those were just radical and rare.

As far where I use Murphy`s Oil Soap, its basically for cleaning varnished woodwork, like kitchen cabinets or painted walls and wood paneling . It gives a very nice sheen. I also mix it with an orange citrus degreaser for cleaning Formica counter-tops or Formica-covered furniture casework/shelving, with some sheen. Painted appliances, not so much, as it streaks. I end up using car cleaner wax or sealants on them. The no-longer-made Meg`s NXT 2.0 works wonders on all kitchen and utility room appliances!!
Never heard the tip about cleaning marker ink from clothing with it before.

[mc2hill]

Very cool fridge!
I am wondering if an interior detail spray would work on this - a little cleaning and a little protection. The recent adds for the new product from CarPro brought it to mind, but any brand would do (I use the Adam`s Interior Detailer).

[Accumulator]

I wouldn`t use Dawn for fear it might mess with their adhesion. Ditto for anything along the lines of a degreaser.

I`d use IUDJ at QD-strength and then *VERY CAREFULLY* go over `em with a low-solvent straight wax if I wanted some added [something].

I used waxes (mostly Malm`s liquid) on an oem windshield sticker on the Jag for *years* with zero issues until some [individual] thought he`d "do me a favor" by removing it. Could`ve strangled him....

[Oneheadlite]

Thanks Accumulator for the input.

It’s on hold at the moment, I’ll update when I’ve got time to start playing with cleaning it up.

Thanks also for the reminder - here are some better photos:

[Larry A]

I second the Murphy Oil soap. I use Murphys on car interior leather vinyl and plastic.It leaves a slight luster, and doesent .ttrach dust. , but read the labelI know it is mainly used on wood but read the label it can be used on other things. I myself use the Murphy in the spray bottle.

[Accumulator]

I could quite possibly be overly cautious...paranoid even...but I`d be really careful with the Murphy`s too. I`d just be *so* worried about "cleaning the decals right off"