Plastic Window & Engine Heat?

[Perfectlap]

some people do that with other cars, but most cars have glass windows nowadays.

my thought is that you should only have the top down when you are actually in it.
I don't use a foam tube or get out of the car to do the window chop.
If the ambient temp is above 70 it will bend correctly if you give it a chance to develop a "memory" of where to bend. If its below 70 you should warm up the cockpit (by driving, not letting it idle in park) and then once the top has been heated lower the top.

I wouldn't worry about the engine melting the plastic at all.

p.s.
don't wash the canvas with any kind of soap. Use the Raggtopp cleanser and rinse it weekly or whenver you can see the dirt on there. Dust is the big enemy.