Convertible Top Treatment

[rkmustang]

I've been watching for a thread that addressed the topic of treatments for a convertible top. I've also done a fair amount of reading online about do/don't and if you do which is best. But have not decided on a direction yet. Was hoping to decide before I put her away for the winter, but not sure what yet. Opinions/Experiences? TIA

ps. I've treated vinyl tonneau covers and such before with good results for longevity, but never exterior clothe.

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[MAT1955]

@rkmustang ..... I like Auto Glym but it is hard to find. Detailers swear by Griot's but I have not used it. I have used Chemical Guys and it worked well. Friends have used Ragg Top and liked it. I would avoid any kit that mentions coloring additives as these are bad news. Some forum members may mention products like 303 and Starbrite but these were originally formulated for boat canvas and boat mooring covers. I have used gallons of it on my boats' canvas tops and mooring covers from the 70's on BUT would never put those 2 products on a convertible top as IMO they would stiffen the canvas/cloth convertible top waaay too much.

If you really want to get the best advice contact a local convertible top replacement/repair shop and ask them what they recommend - they may even have products for sale, I know a top local guy to me does.

*****The main piece of advice is to follow the directions. More is NOT better. Don't over soak the top as more is not better it will stiffen the top and crease lines will appear.

No matter what product I chose - I would first use a shop vac to remove dust and pollen and for the first few passes NOT push the brush into the top too hard to avoid pushing the debris into it. Just gentle passes. Once you have gotten all the surface debris off you can press a bit harder with the shop vac brush (I use a fairly soft bristle one - never an all plastic one) following the grain of the material (go in same direction). I then use a lint roller "gently" to remove any hair, lint etc.

Then follow your product's recommendation. With Auto Gylm the next step is to wash it with a their cleaner, rinse it with a garden hose, pat dry with a towel (I use a black one to avoid white lint) and apply their conditioner.

For ANY product I recommend .........CAUTION ..... some conditioners will MARK YOUR PAINT ..... even with the removers they provide. It's a PITA but I buy some cheap plastic painters' sheets (dollar store) and NB NB NB buy the easy to remove painters tape (you don't want to damage your paint pulling the tape off) and cover the windshields (all glass) and the ENTIRE car (seriously some of these products can leave permanent marks on your glass but particularly your paint).

NB NB NB once you have finished applying the final protection remove the painters tape and plastic so it won't stick or bake onto the paint, particularly if your stang is in the sun.

I have done this about 50 times from 70s MGBs to my 2024 GT it is EASY to do, if you follow the instructions from the manufacturer and keep the stuff off your glass and paint. Good luck.

 

[jeffnudi]

My last car was a 2018 EcoBoost Premium Convertible. I sold it last December when my 2024 arrived. I asked about treating the top when I bought the 2018 and was told by a few "experts" that their recommendation was no treatment. I took their advice and can honestly say that the top looked as good as new when I sold the car. I don't plan to treat the top of my 2024 EcoBoost Premium Convertible.

Having stated that, if I was planning to show the car, I might look for something to make it shine. One guy told me he used tire cleaner to "deepen the black." But if you are just worried about preserving the top, I would not bother.

 

[MAT1955]

@jeffnudi ..... well that depends. If you garage your car and it isn't subject to al lot of tree sap and pollen and don't drive it in the rain a lot and don't drive it in the winter if you live up north then you can probably go about five years without treating your top. BUT if your top is exposed to a lot of rain, pollen, tree sap and particularly sun and you don't wash it, dirt etc. will become embedded in top making it much, much harder to clean later - and - if you do clean it you must re-treat it. If your top is really exposed harsh sun then that will accelerate the damage and combined with road dirt etc. will rot your top if not treated. I treated my 2014 Mustang's top twice in 10 years but it hardly saw sun and was rarely parked outside. My 2024 GT sat on a dealer's lot for about 5 months so I will wash and treat it (on the advice of the best convertible top fabrication company in my state) before I put it away for the winter. As a minimum I would gently vacuum it and gently use a lint roller on it frequently. BTW please don't ever consider any kind of "blackening top dressing" as that IMO will be fatal for your top. IMO the guy who said that knows nothing about convertible tops.

 

[samson]

Is this car stored outside or inside? If covered when parked I wouldn't treat it at all.

 

[rkmustang]

Lots of good input, this is a leisure car, so garage kept, not driven in the winter except for an ideal top-drop day and covered when stored for the season, only driven in the rain if unforeseen or unavoidable (roadtrip). So sounding like I may not need to treat it for a while, just keep it clean (as I have so far). Lint brush is a good idea that I hadn't thought of to get some of that pesky lint off.

 

[JRONET]

I used 303 cleaner and protectant. I also got the 303 brush. I am very happy with the results.

 

[20ducks]

Clean with 303, use a lint brush, top up and cover. Done

 

[Clawfford]

I've used the Ragg Topp. Water beaded up for at least two-three years before I needed to reapply. Unfortunately, I stopped using it eventually, and I began getting streak marks in the top (probably from being an idiot and folding it away while it was still wet). Next car will be regularly Ragg-Topped.

 

[glenng6]

I used 303 cleaner and protectant. I also got the 303 brush. I am very happy with the results.

I used 303 Fabric Protector, on my boat canvas, for many years. I agree that it works very well. So far, I am using only a lint brush on my vert top, but it is only 3 months old. When necessary, I will use 303 on the Stang top. Glenn

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