Cleaning soft top - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

smagerstein · 04-10-2007, 02:31 AM

Hi guys,

Just after some advise on what you all think is the best way to cleal the top.

My rag top is a light grey colour and has some pretty bad stains.

I pressume this is from previous owner who used to store it all winter in his garage with the roof down!!

The stained crease marks are pretty bad.

Whats your advice

04-10-2007, 03:54 AM

You need something like the Ragg Topp Cleaner and then the Protectant. I don't know if these products are available in your part of the World:

http://www.thejeep.com/raggtopp/

Perfectlap · 04-10-2007, 07:19 AM

whatever you do don't use detergent or car wash soap.

Rinse the top with a strong spray of water and get an oxo car wash feather tip brush to get out any soap that may be in there from the previous owner.

Then use the Raggtopp like bmusatti suggested. I rinse the car then spray the top with cleanser and work it in well with the oxo brush. Rinse it out thoroughly.
I like to use one of those rubber absorber towels to dry the top and glass, I avoid using it on paint.

Once you use the Raggtopp protectant (stage two) you'll notice that it leaves the top looking a darker more even look. Spray it in coats don't douse the top with it.
The creases may take a few weeks or months to come out. I try to keep my top down as little as possible(only when I'm in the car).

porschegeorg · 04-10-2007, 08:23 AM

My car is the same color combo as yours. I also use the Raggtop cleaner and protectant. Before I spray the proctectant on, I tape newspapers around the edges of the top (i let them dangle down the car) so that none of the overspray from the Raggtop gets on my paint.

FrayAdjacent · 04-10-2007, 10:11 AM

My Box is grey/grey/grey, too, and I have the same creases and such.... haven't ordered any Raggtopp yet, but will be doing so soon. Gotta decide if the top is decent enough to have the plastic window replaced, or just wait until I can afford a whole new top (which might be another year).

If it cleans up well, and looks good, I'll just have the window replaced, and maybe a few years down the line, I'll have the top replaced.

smagerstein · 04-11-2007, 12:31 AM

Thanks for the advice.

Now my search for ragtop cleaner begins in Europe.

Cheers

eomak · 10-07-2007, 12:52 PM

Is there any North armerican products that well work in the same way for clean and protection?

JCL12 · 10-07-2007, 01:10 PM

I recently tried "Blue magic convertible top cleaner". It seemed fine but I don't know how it stacks up with ragg top. Everyone here swears by ragg top.

djomlas · 10-07-2007, 08:58 PM

i used 303 with god results.

Frodo · 10-08-2007, 09:32 AM

I was interested in this suggestion. First (and so far only) time I used that product, I did the tape-off (as porschegeorg mentioned doing). After do so, I wondered to myself if it was really necessary. Has anyone had any problems with reactions between RT and the finish??

Perfectlap · 10-08-2007, 12:46 PM

Advice,
if you have a plastic rear window and intend to polish the rear window with a power drill and clear plastic window polish kit, make it a point to tape off the edge of the window and cover the whole top with newspaper .

otherwise you will have a whole new Raggtopp project on your hands...

and don't bother with a rechargeable drill, you'll need a plug in, lots of torque is needed.

p.s.
The best brush for the canvas top and buy another one for the edge of the wheel wells, side skirts and bumpers.
http://detailcity.com/oxo-good-grips-small-car-wash-brush.html

choeglund · 10-08-2007, 01:10 PM

I have a gray top on my 996 cab and it also has small black marks where top creases. I've tried Simple Green in small amounts on the marks and it seems to makes them disappear temporarily but then they come right back after a day or so. Leads me to believe that these are some sort of abrasion in top and not stains at all. I haven't found anything that works to take them out permanently. Next time, I'll be getting a black top. BTM, I use Ragg Top cleaner and protectant too but it doesn't work on these marks.

rick3000 · 10-08-2007, 07:55 PM

I like 303 Cleaner and Renovo Ultraproofer to clean and waterproof the top and I believe that Renovo is in the UK, so shipping may not be as bad. For the rear window Plexus works wonders.

Frodo · 10-09-2007, 05:08 AM

Hey PL (or anyone else with experience on this), how's that clear plastic window polish kit you posted the link for work? I've got these stress lines (running parallel with the long axis of the rear window) from opening and closing the top. Will it remove them?? Or is that a problem better addressed by using the Renovo Plastic Window Polish?

The only thing I have used on the rear window so far is Plexus---it seems to clean up and restore the transparency of the window, but does not seem to remove the lines I was talking about.

Perfectlap · 10-09-2007, 11:16 AM

I used a different kit, it removed the cloudy line in the middle but I'm not overly impressed with the overall results. I would suggest using the Renovo with an orange cutting pad if you have a PC. Or giving the kit a shot which comes with an orange pad. And like I said before tape up the edges and cover with newspaper.

Frodo · 11-15-2007, 06:04 AM

Are you talking about this stuff?

http://www.renovousa.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=2

From the description, it sounds like they're talking about using it on hard plastic surtaces.

Perfectlap · 11-15-2007, 06:45 AM

That stuff is good. It smooths out the small hairline scratches. Follow up with the plexus and it will be a huge improvement.