I got caught in the MOA down pours in the 55 today coming home from Easter festivities. Hadn't planed on it raining that hard that soon. No leaks around the top or windows but my wipers really sucked after a hot summer last year they have hardened up like a hockey puck. Between the rain fog and terrible wipers it was white knuckles all the way home. Rain X was in the trunk but it was way to late to apply because of the rain.

Before you venture out this spring check those wiper blades so you don't have to listen to your cup holder blabber scarry thoughts all the way home... Tedd

 

That's a good idea about checking the wiper blades. I rarely ever need to use the wipers here in Phoenix, but I still change them every year or so. If it goes any longer than that, the rubber fuses to the windshield due to the intense summer heat.

 

I always use RainX on all of my vehicles! The dailies get a coat every thirty days. Once a year for the Oldsmobiles.

Pat

 

Amen, bother.

Try RainX if you've not done that before. You will find that wipers are unnecessary; even without wipers in gully-washers you will see better than with wipers and no RainX.

 

I keep plenty of spare wipers in stock for all my vehicles... When one of our local Olds/Cad dealers closed down I got a few totes full of wiper blades (Free I might add)... Mostly later models, Intrigues, Aleros, Bravadas, as well as some Cadillac... Even had a few G-Body thrown in, which surprised me... In addition I have several boxes of various blades ranging from 14" thru 22", your basic Anco/Trico replacement type blades... I should be good for a while...

 

When my wife and I went to a show back in early March about 60 miles away, we had a light rain coming home. I have to tell you Tedd, I was glad I had installed the electric wipers and put RainX on the windshield. Not only does RainX help bead the water but it makes the wiper blades move over the windshield a lot smoother.

 

Wiper blades age even if they're not on the car. More slowly, sure, because they're not exposed to the sun. But time does not stand still for rubber just because it's still in the box. Better to go to the store and buy a set made recently than put on the car a set of blades made a decade or two ago.

 

The Rain x also moves the water off the areas that the wipers don't touch. On fifties era car the blades are only 12 inches long.

It's a little harder than just going to your local auto parts store for your replacement blades as most if not all have quit handling the refills and if they do have the complete wiper they are most likely the brushed aluminum style. I think Fusick still carries the refills or at least they did a couple years ago.... Tedd

 

When I replaced the wipers on my 71 98 I couldn't get the refills and the blades I bought were actually black plastic!

Rather than put the plastic blades on my car I removed the wiper blades from the wiper arms and installed them on my car. I don't know if my 71 98 has the original wiper arms or not, they are brushed aluminum. It definitely looks better than the tacky, black plastic wipers.

 

You are correct about the aging of rubber... Most of my blades are 10 plus years old, BUT knock on wood I have had no problems as yet with the blades hardening to the point of cracking and breaking... My only issue with the blades are on occasion they tend to start splitting on the very ends, which gives me plenty of time to change them out for another pair...

 

We just had a thread about this a week ago or so. Go to Rock Auto and type wiper refill in the search box and all the available refill inserts will be displayed.

 

Just got done washing and waxing the 70 and since it was mentioned to check the wipers. And guess what, both had separation at the end of both blades

So to the internet to see what blades cost. $36-40 for the proper looking fit and finish. So I had to find a Trico retailer and had to go all the back in to the same city I work in for the second time today to get re-fills for o.e. wipers. $7.49

Pat

 

AS I posted above, the refills are about $5 at Rock Auto.

 

Actually $6.32 with shipping! cost me $1.50 more with tax for my impatience plus a gallon of fuel to go thirty miles. So $4.00 more. But we actually had a few other things we needed, hay for the bunny and the kid needed some more antifreeze for his Acheiva.

IMO still like to support brick and mortar stores, do to people having jobs and paying local taxes along with the business that they work for!

I do understand that people do live far from stores and it makes sense for them. Technically I have two auto parts and one large grocery store chain that are within a mile or two from my house.

Pat

 

Rain X...I use it for the reasons here on all my old cars. If it's just a little rain, you don't need to use the wipers. If it's raining hard and your wipers break, you can still drive. When you really drive your car, you have to cover the bases!

 

I've replaced the inserts on mine a few times since 09, the Texas heat cooks them. Since this I was heading to Gainesville for the NTOC show and the weather was iffy I went and checked them Thursday night. Sure enough they wear starting to shred and one of the inserts was cracked with the only thing holding it together was some rubber. The problem I ran into is my 50 year old passenger side blade assy unfortunately came apart in my hand. I like these as they had the wind deflectors that pushed them against the windshield. I went and bought the Trico Classics , the only 2 in town. They actually look very nice and a good match to my old arms at $7 and change each.

 

I've found down here in Texas somehow a rainx coated windshield tends to eat your wiper blades.

 

I agree with you on this, but all of the stores in my area quit selling the refill inserts. Heck, they even quit selling wipers in pairs - they are sold individually at $8-9 each. That is just insane when I have to replace them yearly on four vehicles. At one point I scoured the town and no one had 13" wipers of any form for my Wrangler. At that point, I decided that if none of the stores were going to stock parts for my vehicles then I would just buy them online in bulk.

 

I followed Tedd's advise a couple of years ago and converted to the electric wipers. Lost the windshield washers in the process, but I always use rain-x on all the exterior windows. Rock Auto for blades. But as has been mentioned, don't stock up on spares. They do dry out over time, whether on the car or on the shelf.

 

Have you priced these newer formed fit units? They are very salty $13 each and go up to about $20. I have to buy them once a year due to the d.d.'s being in the weather year round. The rockets have priority garage parking

The big grocery chain has a sale every quarter buy one and get the other @ 50% off.

Pat

 

Pat it's doubtful that a chain grocery store would carry wipers that look original and fit the fifties era blades. The whole unit is polished stainless, the arm and the wiper filler holder also..... Tedd

 

Yes, you are correct! I was referring and intending on the idea of the the cars in the last decade or so for the formed units!

Pat