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Convertible top maintenance

warthog

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Don’t bother with Chemical Guys... 303 and Raggtop, and I’m sure from the post above the Marine stuff are best. I used 303 on the MX5 and 4 years later looks brand new. Switched like an idiot and now I’m going back to 303.
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Thunder OW

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Hi guys,
I am a new owner of a convertible mustang EcoBoost hpp 2020. I can not figure out what is the material of my soft top. Fabric or vinyl? Do you have any useful suggestions on how to find out? Or even better if inside the car is a label of the material used for roof?!
The suggestions from the net are not useful for me:
"The best way to test whether your convertible top is vinyl or fabric is to place your hand on the top and feel for yourself. If it looks and feels similar to tent material, then you have a fabric roof, but if it looks and feels like grained plastic, then your top is in all probability, vinyl.
Do a spot test by applying a little water to the top surface. A fabric top will absorb the water, but a vinyl top won’t."

Thank you for your help
 

CVCashmere

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Welcome Thunder OW!

You must be a visionary...because you bought a vert to see out of!

Rather than give you a long diatribe on maintenance of your haartz cloth roof, may I suggest that you research the many postings on the care and feeding of your top. You will find postings by many of us...including myself and several different brands of cleaners and water repellers...all work well.

BTW...this is my third fabric-top vert.

Thanks for joining!

CVCashmere
 

TasGT

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Hi guys, picking up my 2017 GT convertible this week I hope. Two questions if I may please.
1. what do you mean by a horse hair brush, not just an ordinary paint brush I assume? An is a round or flat brush better?
2. I can get the 303 fabric guard kit mentioned by the OP but I see 303 also make a marine fabric guard, which one is preferred ?

cheers and thanks in advance - jb
 

Intrepid175

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Hi guys, picking up my 2017 GT convertible this week I hope. Two questions if I may please.
1. what do you mean by a horse hair brush, not just an ordinary paint brush I assume? An is a round or flat brush better?
2. I can get the 303 fabric guard kit mentioned by the OP but I see 303 also make a marine fabric guard, which one is preferred ?

cheers and thanks in advance - jb
The horse hair brush is exactly that. A brush made of horse hair and it should be labeled as such. It's not a paint brush. It's designed like the round or flat brushes you mention. I've got one and I use it only for cleaning the top. If I'm remembering correctly, it's what the 303 top cleaner product recommended be used when cleaning/scrubbing the top.

As for the fabric guard, 303 makes a good product. I've not noted a marine product sold under the 303 brand name but I could have just missed that. The marine product we talked about earlier in this conversation is sold by West Marine, a boating goods store. We have a couple of their stores within a 20 mile radius of where I live but they've also got a decent web site too. I've settled on the West Marine fabric guard product because it seems to be very similar to the 303 branded version and it's less expensive. I brush it on using a cheap 3" paint brush that I bought just for that job. On the cleaner side, I stick with the 303 fabric top cleaner. It all works well.
 

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TasGT

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The horse hair brush is exactly that. A brush made of horse hair and it should be labeled as such. It's not a paint brush. It's designed like the round or flat brushes you mention. I've got one and I use it only for cleaning the top. If I'm remembering correctly, it's what the 303 top cleaner product recommended be used when cleaning/scrubbing the top.

As for the fabric guard, 303 makes a good product. I've not noted a marine product sold under the 303 brand name but I could have just missed that. The marine product we talked about earlier in this conversation is sold by West Marine, a boating goods store. We have a couple of their stores within a 20 mile radius of where I live but they've also got a decent web site too. I've settled on the West Marine fabric guard product because it seems to be very similar to the 303 branded version and it's less expensive. I brush it on using a cheap 3" paint brush that I bought just for that job. On the cleaner side, I stick with the 303 fabric top cleaner. It all works well.
Thanks for the prompt reply 👍🏻
 

Thunder OW

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Thanks for all replays
 

Millarduck

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Curious about actually cleaning the top when you wash your verts. I have recently treated mine with the 303 cleaner and spray. Prior to that, when I washed the car I use a shop-vac with a roof-dedicated brush attachment and vacuum the top. I'll spray water afterwards then use a Chemical Guys horse hair brush and gently clean with my car wash bucket before I use it on the rest of the car. I then rinse then proceed with the rest of the car. I pat dry the top with a clean micro fiber towel then proceed to dry the rest of the car. Note I have had the car 8 months and it's a garage kept weekend driver, so the washes are infrequent.

I did my first 303 treatment a month ago, and still vacuum and rinse, but the water beads so I do not use the car soap. So my question is this, will the 303 Cleaner remove the 303 Protectant or reduce its hydrophobicity if you use it as a cleaner?
 

Intrepid175

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I did my first 303 treatment a month ago, and still vacuum and rinse, but the water beads so I do not use the car soap. So my question is this, will the 303 Cleaner remove the 303 Protectant or reduce its hydrophobicity if you use it as a cleaner?
Good question. I'm not sure. In between treatments, I usually just rinse the top with water and wash everything else. I never use car soap on the top. Once it gets to the point where it's not beading very well anymore, then I'll scrub it with the horsehair brush and 303 cleaner, then reapply the protectant.
 

Reddirocket27

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I don't use the top cleaner every wash, perhaps once a month etc. I usually use the protectant one every 6 months (spring and fall) to ensure most protection through the extremes. Limited water beading doesn't necessarily means less UV protection though. Be sure to buy the UV inhibitor type for that.
 

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gpierce

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I did my first 303 treatment a month ago, and still vacuum and rinse, but the water beads so I do not use the car soap. So my question is this, will the 303 Cleaner remove the 303 Protectant or reduce its hydrophobicity if you use it as a cleaner?
Yes, it will take some of the 303 protectant off.
 

TasGT

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When summer comes and it warms up 8 want to clean and treat my roof. I see a lot use the two 303 products but has anyone tried the Chemical Guys Convertible Top Protectant and Repellent and what are the opinions regarding compared to using the 303 gear?
 

T123456

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I spray my top with the StarBrite Waterproofing with PTEF (UV Protectant), similar to the 303. After applying, I let it dry for at least 2 or more days before any rain coming. Every time it does rain though, I have streaks down my windows of the waterproofing. Does anyone else have this happen or could it be specific to this product?
To note, the water beads up with a light rain, but anything else it doesn't bead up and goes through the top and down the water channels like designed.
 

Intrepid175

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I spray my top with the StarBrite Waterproofing with PTEF (UV Protectant), similar to the 303. After applying, I let it dry for at least 2 or more days before any rain coming. Every time it does rain though, I have streaks down my windows of the waterproofing. Does anyone else have this happen or could it be specific to this product?
To note, the water beads up with a light rain, but anything else it doesn't bead up and goes through the top and down the water channels like designed.
I've never had the streaking problem after the product as dried. I have had it when I accidentally over apply and some of it runs down the glass before it has fully dried. It's just a matter of my being a little more careful but I also brush mine on, not spray it on.

As for your issues with water beading, I don't think that uncommon. I've had some application cycles where it beaded pretty good most of the time but the fact is, if you get caught in a heavy and/or long enough rain, it'll eventually quit beading. I've had my car though some real frog stranglers and after a while, the water quit beading but once it dried and I caught another shower, it was beading again. The protection doesn't get washed away completely, it just gets overwhelmed if the rain is hard and/or long enough.
 

Johnnybee

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I spray my top with the StarBrite Waterproofing with PTEF (UV Protectant), similar to the 303. After applying, I let it dry for at least 2 or more days before any rain coming. Every time it does rain though, I have streaks down my windows of the waterproofing. Does anyone else have this happen or could it be specific to this product?
To note, the water beads up with a light rain, but anything else it doesn't bead up and goes through the top and down the water channels like designed.
As regards beading, the makers of 303 suggested that to test the product on the top (for, say, when you are wondering if it is time to reapply) you should use a spray bottle to mist the material and if that still beads, you still have protection.
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