Can I dye a cab top?

[chomper129]

I have a 2000 silver C2 Cab. The top is physically in good shape, but its faded and doesn't look so great (It's light grey). Does anyone know if it's even possible, or where I could find some info on how to do it, or who to use? If I was replacing it, I would do a black top, but I just can't justify the cost due to the good physical condition the existing top is in. Am I crazy to even consider this?Thanks in advance for any insights.....

[scout1044]

I just purchased a used 02' that had a really faded top. The dealer had a contractor completely dye the top; cost about $200. Looks great. The vendor stated that I wouldn't see any significant fading for at least 3-5 years; even if it is only half that time I'd be happy.

Edited June 7, 2013 by Loren
made image viewable here

[White987S]

I'd try to make it look better first, before dying.

I'd recommend doing the Ragg Topp cleaner. You will need a quality cleaning brush too. Look into the Swiss Leather Cleaning brush at Detailer's Domain. Let dry thoroughly for a day or 2, and then give it 3-4 mid/light coats of the Ragg Topp Protectant. Use the entire can in 3-4 coats. See if that improves the look first. 303 makes a good product, too. Ragg Topp's parent company (Wolfstein.....spelling??) is the OEM manufacturer for Porsche.

If you go the dye route. There is a product called RENOVO (spelling???).

[Redford]

Product is Renovo Canvas Reviver which comes in black, dark blue and other common soft top colours. You can buy online in the US/Canada from the distributor http://toprenew.com or a number of other online sellers. Watch out for some who have INFLATED shipping costs. Reviver must be used with Renovo Canvas Cleaner (first) then resealed with Renovo Ultra Proofer (last).

Edited June 9, 2014 by Redford

[greg0078]

Scout, do u know the name of the place that did the dye job?

[Paul Grainger]

I've used the Renovo kit - my soft top is dark blue and had faded in patches. the renovo kit really is good - easy to use, and permanent. Everything you need is in the kit at a cost of £31 (about 40 dollars) from Ebay. The kit contains enough product for two applications, I did mine three years ago when I got the car and it still looks perfect. All you need to do is wash the soft top (I used a pressure washer (carefully) and then clean again with the cleaning solution supplied. Wait for it to dry, apply the colouring dye (I used a small paint brush). Wait another hour for that to dry then apply the water-proofer. The whole job takes less than two hours and the end result looks excellent.

The only observation that I would make is that the dark blue Renovo is a slightly darker shade that the original Porsche dark blue.

Paul G

Edited June 12, 2014 by Paul Grainger

[Redford]

I am pleased you got a good result with the Reviver kit.  However, only allowing an hour for drying is a bit risky.  I always allow several hours, even overnight, as the top needs to be thoroughly dry for best results.