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The Official Convertible Top care thread

119K views 90 replies 70 participants last post by  Logan541 
#1 ·
My 06gt brand new had some rain spots that would not come out. I used the ragg top dressing and now the top is a deep black and looks better then when i drove it off the lot. this stuff is great if any one cares.
 
#4 ·
I have a 1998 convertible. I bought a top cleaner and did see any difference between the top cleaner and just washing it with a good car wash. The original top lasted ten years and the car was an outdoor car. I was told by multiple places the generally you only get 5 yrs out of a top when th ecar is out doors. So normal washing and drying have worked for me.
 
#5 ·
i just recently bought my first convertible with a while top and man was she black as nite. i went out and bought spray-nine and deluted it with water and did a lil scrubbing and man she came out brand spanking new. im happy for the original top being 18 years old. theres a good product out there call RAGGTOP thats sold over the net. Cleaner and conditioner i havent bought it yet but from what i hear its top notch. good luck.
 
#8 ·
First off, welcome to the forums! You can use armor all. I used to use a convertible top cleaner/protector that I bought from Advance Auto that did a nice job, but I cannot remember the brand name. There are several products out there that do well on the tops.
 
#65 ·
To protect it use 303. One poster listed it and I had used their products on other applications and they are all outstanding and do thins others do not. In terms of cleaning it I don't know I have not cleaned mine yet. A soft bristle brush and mild soap is what I will use on my top whenever I do it.
 
#11 ·
Ragtop Maintenance

When I was detailing used cars for Ayers Chevy up in Edmond about 30 years ago, we would dress the top with Turtle Wax brand Tire Wax. The stuff came in 5 gallon buckets with a pump on top to dispense. Although it did not say Turtle Wax, it was identical with the tire wax in the green bottle at the auto parts store. Chemistry for auto reconditioning has change so much since then, Its like comparing WW II with Iraq. One of the advertisers on this site A1Auto has a link for convertible tops and the top cleaner and conditioner they sell is probably the best stuff I have used in 30 years.
As a side note, most of the "protectorants" that are used for tires and under the hood are to strong and will cause breakdown of the material that todays' tops are made of.
mike (94 V-6 Ragtop)
 
#14 ·
I have an 05 w/black ragtop. Even after washing w/a car wash soap and foam pad cleaner it still looked dirty. I then used my old standby of Simple Green (diluted 1:3) w/soft bristle brush and all of the dirt that was along the seams and all the sap was gone. I then use a convertible top cleaner/conditioner for vinal tops (don't recall the name since tag came off but it is in a white spray bottle and had a fairly basic blue/black/white label on it) that put a nice luster on it. It looks showroom new now.
 
#15 ·
Convertible Top Treatment

Hello everyone, I am new to the forum and I just bought a 1998 Mustang convertible GT. The top is in good shape But I would like to keep it up. Someone told me to use Lemon Pledge polish on the top to keep it good. Has anyone heard of that or what would you suggest.
 
#17 ·
Yeah, I've heard that the 303 line is good but have not tried them yet. I have an 05 w/vinal top and I use a diluted Simple Green (~1:3 - product:water) (and use the green solution, not yellow) mix with a soft nylon bristle brush. This will get any dirt & grime from around your stitching & seams easily. It will also remove most sap & contaminates. I then use Blue Magic Convertible Top Cleaner & Conditioner (both products can be found at AutoZone, Car Quest, etc) w/a foam applicator to bring out a rich luster on the top.
 
#24 ·
#25 ·
i just bought an 07 convertible 3 weeks ago. torch red with a black top. the car was brought here from hawaii and has what looks like some red clay dirt/dust where the top meets the trunk and on top. anyone know how i can get this stuff out and get the original black color back to it? ive scrubbed it at the car wash and nothing happened.when the top is wet it looks very black, but when it dries the stuff is back
 
#26 ·
What are all the 03-04 Cobra owners using? These tops are different material, and I'm wondering how we clean and condition them.
 
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