Convertible Top waterproofing question

J

JSFM35X

Active member
I have a convertible that I seal when needed. I hate taping up the windows so I usually just clean it, let it dry and then spray it on and wipe off the over spray. Other times I tape off the windows and trim.

I hate wiping off excess and hate taping off windows. First world problems I know :).

So anyone have a better method ?

Thanks
 
1. Pull car into garage after top is cleaned.
2. Let top dry.
3. Open top to half way.
4. Lay drop cloth(s) over vehicle interior, front windshield, exterior windows, and anything else you want protected.
5. Close top.
6. Mask off remaining rear window.
7. Marvel at the ease of use and fitment of this procedure.
8. Seal top and let it dry.
 
JSFM35X said:
I have a convertible that I seal when needed. I hate taping up the windows so I usually just clean it, let it dry and then spray it on and wipe off the over spray. Other times I tape off the windows and trim.

I hate wiping off excess and hate taping off windows. First world problems I know :).

So anyone have a better method ?

Thanks
Click to expand...

JSFM35X !
Hope all is good with you and your family !
Coming from the absolute World of Convertibles - Seattle, WA., and of course Detailing several hundred up there, my best method was using this product - https://www.autopia-carcare.com/raggtopp-fabric-top-kit.html#.W0_ttdXFj3g
After pressure washing it, then immediately spraying the cleaner, then brushing it carefully into the fabric, and finishing it with the Mytee Extractor, what water was left was removed with the Master Blaster..
This RaggTopp Fabric Protector Spray is very easy to use and control.. Just a couple of coats down, and the Top is beautifully dark again, and repels water like crazy for a long time..
I never really sprayed the product much on the vehicle, but if I did, it was very easy to remove..

What you can try if you want to, is cut one of the the folding ends of a really long cardboard box and use that long rectangle as your Edge right under the top, where it meets the rest of the vehicle.. The wider, the cardboard, the better, but not too wide either.. You have to be able to control it with one hand.. Hold it tightly on that edge, spray to the edge, move the cardboard to the next long spot and repeat..
I never tape up, put down plastic, etc., nothing.. No time for all that..:)

It`s an old House Painters trick I learned over 40 years ago, when I decided I needed to paint houses for extra cash AND all the other things young, fearless, stronger than heck men did back then.. :) I did this to spray the trim color and under the eaves if that was a different color, and not get any on the just painted body color of the house..

They even sell a bracket on a short pole that holds cardboards like this (and the cardboards) in the Paint Section of Home Depot...

Ever wonder how a painter sprays that perfect edge from the white ceiling paint to meet the different color paint of the walls up there ??? Yep, this same cardboard edge..
Dan F
 
Bingo.

Do you cut holes where the hooks grab. Or just let it go?

Using this next time around with us the extractor idea below to speed drying.

Thanks

TheMeanGreen said:
1. Pull car into garage after top is cleaned.
2. Let top dry.
3. Open top to half way.
4. Lay drop cloth(s) over vehicle interior, front windshield, exterior windows, and anything else you want protected.
5. Close top.
6. Mask off remaining rear window.
7. Marvel at the ease of use and fitment of this procedure.
8. Seal top and let it dry.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks Dan.

We are all good and doing what we are supposed to be doing. I just got back from a trip and feel like I need a vacation from my trip but no such luck.

I hope you and your family at having a good summer.

I do use the Raggtop products for the top. They have worked great for me so far. I’m always looking for even longer lasting performance but not willing to use just anything. I use the Raggtop because it’s a Who my manufacturer recommends and it works great. Just don’t wash it with soap and water. I usually just wash the paint and hose off the top and master blast it dry. When it’s time to clean the top I use their cleaner with a bhb for tops and rinse until no more soap comes out. I never thought of using the extractor to speed drying. Thanks for that.

You are obvously a better painter than me. I still make a mess even with a box top.

Thanks

Stokdgs said:
JSFM35X !
Hope all is good with you and your family !
Coming from the absolute World of Convertibles - Seattle, WA., and of course Detailing several hundred up there, my best method was using this product - https://www.autopia-carcare.com/raggtopp-fabric-top-kit.html#.W0_ttdXFj3g
After pressure washing it, then immediately spraying the cleaner, then brushing it carefully into the fabric, and finishing it with the Mytee Extractor, what water was left was removed with the Master Blaster..
This RaggTopp Fabric Protector Spray is very easy to use and control.. Just a couple of coats down, and the Top is beautifully dark again, and repels water like crazy for a long time..
I never really sprayed the product much on the vehicle, but if I did, it was very easy to remove..

What you can try if you want to, is cut one of the the folding ends of a really long cardboard box and use that long rectangle as your Edge right under the top, where it meets the rest of the vehicle.. The wider, the cardboard, the better, but not too wide either.. You have to be able to control it with one hand.. Hold it tightly on that edge, spray to the edge, move the cardboard to the next long spot and repeat..
I never tape up, put down plastic, etc., nothing.. No time for all that..:)

It`s an old House Painters trick I learned over 40 years ago, when I decided I needed to paint houses for extra cash AND all the other things young, fearless, stronger than heck men did back then.. :) I did this to spray the trim color and under the eaves if that was a different color, and not get any on the just painted body color of the house..

They even sell a bracket on a short pole that holds cardboards like this (and the cardboards) in the Paint Section of Home Depot...

Ever wonder how a painter sprays that perfect edge from the white ceiling paint to meet the different color paint of the walls up there ??? Yep, this same cardboard edge..
Dan F
Click to expand...
 
JSFM35X said:
Bingo.

Do you cut holes where the hooks grab. Or just let it go?

Using this next time around with us the extractor idea below to speed drying.

Thanks
Click to expand...


With J-shaped latches, I let it go without holes. With other type of latches, it is a game of chance whether or not the plastic will catch in the latch. YMMV, so I’d see what works best for you........ I personally haven’t had any issues, but if the plastic does catch, you just have to clean a little plastic out of the latch.
 
I`m totaly noob about convertible care. But the fabric protection from Gyeon and Carpro seems to be an easy application. And don`t know if up to 6 months longevity is good or not. Seems to be a straight forward application on a clean and dry surface. Maybe a little carefull to not overspray it though.

https://www.autopia-carcare.com/gyeon-q2-fabric-coat.html#.W1Bv3jGew1I

Carpro Fabric seems a little longer longevity of up to a year.

https://www.autopia-carcare.com/cquartz-fabric-coating.html#.W1B1ejGew1I

If any have used and of this on convertible top please share your experience with it :)
 
Hartz the maker of most convertible tops recommends Raggtop. I’ve used it since 2011 on my car and it’s kept the black top clean and protected from both water and UV.

SWETM said:
I`m totaly noob about convertible care. But the fabric protection from Gyeon and Carpro seems to be an easy application. And don`t know if up to 6 months longevity is good or not. Seems to be a straight forward application on a clean and dry surface. Maybe a little carefull to not overspray it though.

https://www.autopia-carcare.com/gyeon-q2-fabric-coat.html#.W1Bv3jGew1I

Carpro Fabric seems a little longer longevity of up to a year.

https://www.autopia-carcare.com/cquartz-fabric-coating.html#.W1B1ejGew1I

If any have used and of this on convertible top please share your experience with it :)
Click to expand...
 
JSFM35X --
Glad to hear you guys are all good and had a vacation !
I`m doing pretty good up here in the hotter than heck CA Farmland.. Been in the 100`s for going on 3 weeks in a row.. Muy Caliente` !!!!
My daughters and their families and kids are all good !

Yes I also use the RaggTopp Fabric Convertible Top Cleaner, and rinse it a few times, and then again rinse it with the heated water extractor and extract as much of the top as possible..
That last rinse and extract always helps get the top really clean, dry, and any little "things" still stuck to it out... The idea to try this just came to me one day, and I am so glad because it really makes the black top just perfect and even all the way across, front to back.. And of course, it is almost dry by then because of the extracting.. Then when you spray the Conditioner - wow - it looks like a NEW Top again...

Well, was hoping the cardboard edge trick would work for you.. Since the RaggTopp Conditioner Spray Can has such a nice gentle nozzle on it, I was hoping it would work for you ..
Just hold the cardboard edge down and vertical, so it catches any overspray in that area you are covering... Keep the can closer to the work, which means you just have to move faster.. You will find the pattern for your needs... I only spray it from rear to front, because that direction seems to work best for me.. Half from one side, the other half with some overlap from the other side of the vehicle..

But for sure, the discipline I learned from holding a 1 quart Primer and Paint Gun perfectly level and minding the end of the paint stroke, does make it easy for me to do anything with anything that sprays stuff.. Same for holding an airless paint sprayer nozzle and painting a house... And also had to learn to use a spray gun with either hand, but again, all this spray time is measured in decades... :)

Totally agree that the Haartz Product Line is really good ! In the zillion convertible tops I Detailed over the 11 years I lived in the Pacific Northwest, not ONE ever came back with issues or complaints, etc... Instead, nothing but positive feedback..

Well, there are great ideas on this thread you posted so I am sure you will glean something from them all and come up with the best most efficient process for your needs..
Dan F
 
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