Ragg Topp - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

NickCats · 08-24-2006, 05:23 AM

Good Morning one and all,

I was going to apply RaggTopp to my Box tonight and I had some questions :

1. Top is currently clean and dry. When I apply, can I just wipe off overspray without worrying about damaging the paint ?

2. I have the plastic rear window. How do I avoid spraying the product on the window ? Will overspray damage the window or can I just wipe off ?

Thanks in advance for your help...

Nick

08-24-2006, 05:29 AM

Nick, I'll send you a PM with my contact number!

Perfectlap · 08-24-2006, 05:39 AM

just a tip: try spraying while using a shoe box or the top of a shoe box. Hold the shoe box/top so that its lying against the the canvas and spray a few inches in front of the shoe box at a time. This is very good for the rear window.
If you get Raggtop on the plastic window use Plexus (sprayed onto the towel not the window) to remove it.
Or you could use newspaper and tape up the window and paint.
p.s.
Don't saturate the top when applying Raggtopp. Do a few coats instead.

after using Raggtopp don't get car wash soap on the top ever. Those soaps attract dust and require lots of rinising to get out fully. Use only the Raggtopp cleanser with an ultra soft feathertip brush and rinse with a very stiff stream of water. Blot dry I like the absorber for this and glass, but not paint.
Rinse weekly to dislodge dust, public enemy #1 to canvas threads.

NickCats · 08-24-2006, 05:47 AM

bmussatti,

Thanks. I'll give you a call...

Perfectlap,

Thanks, you rock ! I'll try the shoebox trick. Luckily, I do have Plexus. I am amazed how well it works on the rear window...

Thanks again

Nick

RandallNeighbour · 08-24-2006, 06:02 AM

When I treated my top, I just took a roll of painter's tape (the blue stuff that doesn't stick like superglue) and some wrapping tissue paper my wife had lying around and taped off the window and body work surrounding the top.

(The piece of cardboard method worked until I got sloppy and sprayed the paint and I decided to abandon that method.)

The taping off with paper is great because you can let a coat dry, hit it again and again and not worry about your paint.

BTW, I covered the rest of the car with blankets because the overspray was wafting onto the hood a little and I didn't want to have to buff it out later. One can never be too careful.

coiguy · 08-24-2006, 07:31 PM

PerfectLap,

If I remember correctly, you stated in another post that you should save the full traditional wash until the car is really dirty.

But if you suggest to rinse the top weekly because of dust. Wouldn't that wet the car, leave water stains, and then necessitate a full wash anyway?

Also, what do you use to dry the car?

Thanks.

Grizzly · 08-24-2006, 08:03 PM

I dry my cars with a leaf blower. Very low risk of toweling marks because I rarely touch the car to dry it (just touch ups, doorjambs, etc. with microfiber), and it blows all of the water out of the cracks and crevices...plus it really amuses the neighbors.

Perfectlap · 08-25-2006, 05:49 AM

I dry the top with an absorber well worth the $8 or whatever. Sucks up everthing and you don't have a wet towel to deal with afterwards. I also use it to dry the glass. For dyring the paint I use a Poorboys waffle weave towel to blot dry the water if the paint is clean. If its dirty and you rinsed the top put some of the waterless wash (Optimum or Poorboys) into a spray bottle and wet each panel and wipe it clean. No Rinse makes an excellent quick detailer or clay lubricant.
But yeah don't get in the habit of drying a semi-wet dirty car.

wild1poet2 · 08-25-2006, 06:50 AM

What does Ragg Top do for the top? I asked the local Porsche stealer about it and he laughed and said just wash the top with a good car wash soap and that's all it needed.

Perfectlap · 08-25-2006, 07:45 AM

thats because he wants to see you come in and buy a new top!

Replacing the softtop is an entirely preventable expense.
Raggtopp is the only product endorsed by the makers of your canvas top.
I think the Porsche brand protectant is rebranded Raggtopp.

Well anyhoo Raggtopp is like a scotch guard coating. It won't prevent sun
damage (use of a soft top cover will help BIG TIME) but it keeps contaminants out of the threads. Check ebay for the soft top cover in a "Boxster cover" search.
Don't use the door fasteners if you do get one, it'll just marr the paint there.

Car wash soap is the last thing you want on canvas. That stuff is for paint and glass. Like most soaps, car wash detergents attract dust which leads to the threads breaking down and thining and then the friction from the bows starts to tear the canvas.

wild1poet2 · 08-25-2006, 02:37 PM

Thanks!!

coiguy · 08-26-2006, 10:17 PM

just did 3 coats of Raggtopp today for the first time. Instructions say that it takes 24 hour for the "microbonding" to complete. Does that mean I can't put the top down for 24 hour? Thanks!

08-27-2006, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coiguy

just did 3 coats of Raggtopp today for the first time. Instructions say that it takes 24 hour for the "microbonding" to complete. Does that mean I can't put the top down for 24 hour? Thanks!

I think the prudent thing to do, since you put so much work into the process, is wait the 24 hours before putting the top down. I did.