Top cleaning & maintain

[tolum]

Hi;

Pls confirm what product is good to wash the top & what I should use to maintain it? Can I use a std tent spray product to protect it from rain?

Tks!

A properly cleaned and treated top only needs to be washed with water. No soaps.

Ragg Topp is a great protectant. They sell a cleaner too.

Leave the tent suff for you camping trip...not the Boxster.

[kegman]

I used Autoglym hood cleaner/conditioner, you clean it first with pack1 and then conditioner it afterwards....really good rsults its recommended for 2 applications a year

[rick3000]

When I clean the soft top I start by washing it with water to dislodge all the dirt and dust. Then I use 303 convertable top cleaner. This gets rid of anything the water didn't. Then I waterproof it with Renovo Ultra-Proofer.
Alot of people use RaggTop, I like the Renovo better because the painted on waterproofer is easier to use and gives you better protection. I would not use camping waterproofer on my Boxster.

[jmatta]

+1 on RaggTopp...my car is six years old and the top looks new.

[FTD]

I have used a fabric protector purchased from a fabric vendor [brand I don't remember] that worked great and recently I have used 303 fabric protector. They seem to be the same product with a diff label. Very nice repellant. I am not sure if they offer any UV resistance.

Next I will try Rick300's Renovo due to 1) his referral and 2) being able to brush it on.

I have never used anything other than water or a little brushing on a specific area. Using soap is a no-no.

The fabric / soft top protectant will go deeper into the fabric than Camp Dry or Scotch Guard or whatever. Also, the products may be molecularly similar, but I just couldn't go there mentally.

The Ragg Topp beads the water so well on my top that the water looks more like a marble than a bead!

[Franco]

Originally Posted by tolum

Hi;

Pls confirm what product is good to wash the top & what I should use to maintain it? Can I use a std tent spray product to protect it from rain?

Tks!

Hi, I have been washing the top with car soap once a year and spraying it with Escort Canvas Waterproofing UV protection ( no silicone ) once a year for the past 5 years. The top looks great and water beads and rolls off nicely.

Bought it on sale for 3.99 at Canadian tire in Montreal.

[rdancd816]

This topic could almost justify a sticky! I have an 11 year old Boxster and have used Raggtop since I bought it in 2005. The cleaner is applied once a year for my car. The protectant I apply at least twice yearly. The top is original (window included) and the overspray just wipes off, I don't mask it. I have been quite pleased with the results. I do, on occasion, use masking tape to remove fuzz and small particals from the black roof. Clear water rinse is weekly. Top care is really minimal on these vehicles - just when you see it's needed. JMHO

[manaco986]

can scotchguaurd or any similar product work...and what do you reccomend for the canvas top that i can find at pep boys or similar auto parts store.???[IMG]

[rick3000]

Franco car soap is really bad for the top.
And I would not use scotch guard. I hate to say this because I am all for cheap solutions to expensive problems, but don't skim on the top. They cost to much too replace, and you want it to look nice. The most commonly available top protector and cleaner is 303 and raggtop from autozone.

[silver arrow]

how do you keep the rear window from yellowing?

[lapis986]

+1 for ragg topp. buy the convertible top care kit for fabric tops...cleaner and protectant twin pack. got mine on amazon for 20something dollars and a few more for shipping.
hardest part for me was being patient enough after i cleaned it to mask the car to spray the protectant on. great results and easy to do. i do not recommend the protectant only as the dirt in the fabric does need to come out and get a good rinse and the cleaner is good. dry it in the sun, mask and spray on light coats of protectant and get out there and drive it. good luck.

[tolum]

Recived my ragg topp kit by this afternoon. This will be my weekend duty.

Thanks to all for the comments and help.

Thierry

[Frodo]

I have been using RaggTopp (cleaner & protectant) and have been happy with it.

I have been masking prior to spraying on the protectant, though I'm starting to suspect it's really not necessary. Has anyone had any problems with it taking off the wax/sealant or otherwise harming the car's finish (assuming the overspray is immediately wiped off)?

[Samson]

How does the RaggTopp etc. compare to the Techquipment Porsche stuff? I have the top shampoo, waterproofer, and plastic window conditioner. Are the products at autotopia better?

[Mike_Yi]

Originally Posted by Frodo

I have been masking prior to spraying on the protectant, though I'm starting to suspect it's really not necessary. Has anyone had any problems with it taking off the wax/sealant or otherwise harming the car's finish (assuming the overspray is immediately wiped off)?

I read elsewhere that it is hard to get off if it dries on your paint. This article recommended using your detail spray to clean it up before it dries.

I just use Novus on my rear window and the results are AMAZING! This stuff it great.

[pbanders]

FWIW, I used the 303 Convertible Top Cleaner, and the 303 High Tech Fabric Guard on my top today. My top is the light grey, which is hard to keep clean, and it was looking pretty dingy.

The results were very good, I was able to eliminate a nasty oil/grease stain with the cleaner that hadn't responded to anything else I tried. I also got rid of most of the dirt/staining where the top folds, and in general, the top cleaned up well.

I followed up with the protectant after masking. Prior to using it my top would not bead water at all. It went on easily and evenly, and in the high heat hear in Phoenix, it was dry in about an hour. One application was all that I needed to get water to bead nicely.

I went with the 303 stuff because I could buy it locally.