How to Treat your Soft Top? - Remove your Soft Top

[rick3000]

Hi,

I need to treat my boxster top. I have been looking all over the internet but really cannot find specific answers. I have decided that I need a soft top cleaner, waterproofer, and vinyl window cleaner. Is this correct?

Next, do the Renovo Ultra Proofer, Cleaner, and window cleaner work?

Lastly, could you completely remove the soft top from the car permanently?

I am going to get a hardtop and if I want to put the roof down I don't need a top, could I gain some storage space?

Thanks!

[911-996]

BMW sells a product called "BMW Soft-Top Repellent " which "impregnates" the fabric, its excellent at repelling water and easy to apply (clean and spray on)

Its fantastic, water literally jumps off the roof as if its its being repelled statically.

Porsche sells a similar product but application of it is a little tricky and the results are exactly the same.

Ive also heard a lot about raggtop which is suposeto be very good, check the below link, scroll to the bottom

http://64.225.94.154/ShopSite/page6.html

Cheers

Edited May 13, 2007 by 911-996

[jmatta]

My '02 soft top is treated with "Raggtopp" which is an excellent product. The fabric conditioner renews the appearance of the soft top, repells water and contains a UV agent to protect from fading. Admittedly, my car has 11k miles, is garaged and only sees fair weather. However, the top looks like new and repells water like crazy (when I wash it). It also doesn't allow dust or grime to settle into the fabric. I don't know what the manufacturer's products cost, but Raggtopp is very cheap (under $20).

[rick3000]

Thanks, but does anyone have any information on the renovo stuff. I would prefer to paint it on than spray it.

[Chris_in_NH]

trust me, you do not want to remove your soft-top unless you are putting another soft-top on. you will not gain any storage space or weight savings. it took me about 3 hours to remove this one.

[FrayAdjacent986]

Raggtopp is the most commonly used and recommended product. There is a cleaner/wash, and a sealer/protectant. Get both (the Canvas type).

I have not thrown the clean on my top yet, and don't have any Raggtopp yet... but I need to order some soon... the top is looking kinda grody, and there are a couple remnants of bird bombs on it. (The top will be replaced within the year, so I'm not TOO concerned about it)

I AM curious, though, to see how good a job Raggtopp does on my top, since it is a bit dirty. When I get some, I'll post before/after pictures.

[911-996]

I'd love to get my hands on some raggtopp but its pritty much non existant in Australia :S

Anyone know a good site to order it online?

Cheers

[clickman]

I bought my 2001 Boxster last November. I have no idea what sort of care the previous owner's put into the top. But it's my daily driver, so I had to make sure it was set up for the wet winter we going to get here on the west coast of Canada. (In retrospect, it was worse than I had thought!)

The black top was in not too bad of a condition when I got it, other than some wear marks.

When I treated the top, I cleaned it first with Porsche Wash-Shampoo and Convertible Top Cleaner. (I just use it for cleaning the top prior to waterproofing; I normally use P21S when I clean both the top and the rest of the car.)

I would have used the Porsche top treatment as well, but the cost at the local Stealer was ridiculous, and I couldn't get it shipped from the US because it was aerosol, and we all know how "bombs" are treated. So I chose Renovo Ultra Proofer.

I had to mask around the edges of the top (PITA, but you prob have to do that for all of the treatments), and then paint the stuff on. It was thinner than I thought it would be, leading to another PITA: at the front corners, where you can't really seal the edge with the masking, the liquid would run through and down the window. It's not supposed to be left on anything other than the top, so I had to wipe it up a number of times.

I've survived the winter with no leaks and the top looks pretty good.

Check out this site:

http://www.carcareonline.com/howto.aspx

Good luck

Norm

2001 Boxster, 5 spd, Seal Grey

[rick3000]

Thanks what I looking at right now is the Renovo Ultra Proofer, an vinyl window treatment, and 303 convertible cleaner.

Edited May 14, 2007 by rick3000

[Chris_in_NH]

Thanks what I looking at right now is the Renovo Ultra Proofer, an vinyl window treatment, and 303 convertible cleaner.

why not the Raggtopp Protectant and Cleaner? you can buy them in a 2-pack for $25. plus, you don't need to mask anything off.

Edited May 15, 2007 by Chris_in_NH

[FrayAdjacent986]

I think I'm going to order some Raggtopp right now... and a good brush for it... The weather MIGHT be good enough on Friday to wash the car... and I'd like to be able to clean up and treat the top while I'm at it.

[rick3000]

The raggtopp kit is aerosol, I like the paint on application like the renovo ultra proofer.

[clickman]

Thanks what I looking at right now is the Renovo Ultra Proofer, an vinyl window treatment, and 303 convertible cleaner.

why not the Raggtopp Protectant and Cleaner? you can buy them in a 2-pack for $25. plus, you don't need to mask anything off.

I thought I had read somewhere - maybe a user - that even with the Raggtopp you had to mask. Does anyone have any experience with what happens with overspray on the windows and paintwork and rubber?

I'd prefer to go that way if it's no problem, 'cause masking is a PITA.

Norm

2001 Boxster, 5 spd, Seal Grey

Edited May 16, 2007 by clickman

[986Jim]

Why not just use the Porsche top protectant? It works great. I bought it at the dealer pretty cheap and you just spray it on and the top becomes pretty well water proof after a few applications. Water just beads off it like a nicely waxed hood.