I saw a car I might buy. The biggest thing bothering me other than price is the top.

There is a tear in the top. Not huge but it's through and through. Like a knife slit. Didn't notice it right away but I could have gotten a pinky through it if I tried.

Plus there is quite a bit of wear from what looks like the frame rubbing on the Canvas. Wear goes across the width of the top.

Are the tops thin on a S2K? Should I be saving for a hard top for these harsh California winters?

Do you worry about you top? Do you drive in the rain?

 

I;m gonna guess this would be a first convertible for you...



yes.. we drive them in the rain and snow.. they stay warm an dry..


are they thin.. relative, to too many variables.. stock or aftermarket.. quality of the material... answer... no.... considering...




not everyone has a hardtop.. so... not really required... but.. treasured.. if I said that correctly...



the top is easy to change out.. provided the top is cared for, ( and look who is saying this ) a top can last you ages.. 10 plus years... ( they do require care )


disclaimer: keep trees and branches away from top...

 

The tops on the S are actually vinyl not canvass. Its formed to resemble a cloth top and it is easy to see how many people can be mistaken.
I live in CA and I find the top is perfect. Warm and dry when I need it. I love how fast I can get the top up or down for the driving conditions. Can't do that with a hardtop. If I lived in a pretty snowy place I would be more inclined to get a hard top. I would not want to have alot of snow and ice on the soft top.

One little secret, by the way, if it is raining, once you are moving with the top down, you will not get wet.

Cons: It is noisier than a regular top to be sure but not out of hand. You also need to be a little more attentive to care: avoiding branches yes, but treating it with a good protection agent like Ragtopp (for vinyl not cloth) You will also probably need some new elastic straps (Modifry) to help the top go down ALL the way. Plus some years have sharp edges on the frame that need to be attended to. Lots of info on that on the forums with great pics of what I am talking about. Seems like the passenger side has most of the premature holes from sharp frames if I am not mistaken. Many cars have issues with the front latches impacting the top too.

You can replace the top but if you do check out OEM vs different brands and you may very well want to have someone (check the forums) who has installed these things before to do the job. It might be a hassle to get there but you would (I think) want this job to be done correctly to avoid a myriad of fit and water drain problems.

You can also patch the thing. Way cheaper than a new top. Once again check the forum. Lots of stuff/adhesives/fabric patches to use. Forget the duct tape crap. 3M makes some pretty good black, flexible, accessory adhesive that seems to have good reviews. I have personally used a self adhesive black synthetic fabric (fabric store/Walmart) with a little adhesive booster to place in critical areas for the bars to sweep over without making contact with the top itself. It seems to reduce friction and is practically invisible. I also use a dry non silicone, non petroleum lubricant to help things slide too. Pay attention: NO silicone, NO petroleum on vinyl!

If you try to repair the slit yourself, (depending on whether it is on a stress point and would need more of a patch), you can use that nice flexible adhesive and press onto that something that has the same surface as the top so the adhesive dries with the same pattern. Either match it or make a mold of the fabric with something. (go to hobby store)

Good luck.

 

Yes but thin versus thick has nothing to do with the issue you're describing. Burrs of the soft top frame cutting through the top are the issue. There's a TSB and countless threads on this topic.

Hard top's always a matter of preference. CA winters aren't as harsh as other winters up north. Some up north find them to be handy. Read up and see if they sound like what you're looking for.

No. I maintain it but I don't fret over it. If it does wear out it's replaceable.

I live in Houston. Rain's a given.

 

If you dislike the soft top, you can purchase a hardtop replica for around 1.5k new painted or 3k for a used OEM hardtop.

 

I went to a local upholstery place today for a small 1cm slit in my top and they were going to use a silicon sealant. Why is that the wrong thing to use?

Thanks
H

 

I said that as an instinctive reaction to putting silicone/petroleum on vinyl. You can find lots of pros and cons, but I have seen more cons. I notice quality adhesives/ lubricants/ dressing make a point of stating NO silicone or petroleum and is inert to plastic/vinyl. For a tear or simple slit of 1cm you can probably get away with it.

What Is Vinyl?
The technical name for vinyl is Poly Vinyl Chloride – PVC, or just plain plastic to you and me. Although it can be manufactured in many different forms – from thin sheets to house siding – we will focus here on vinyl as a fabric used in car interiors and soft convertible tops.

Understanding the construction of vinyl fabric is helpful in understanding how to protect and care for it.

An extreme close-up of a cross-section through a piece of vinyl fabric would show the core PVC sealed in a see-thorough layer of topcoat. The topcoat’s main job is to seal in the plasticizers that are added to the PVC to make it soft and flexible. Without a topcoat, these plasticizers would rapidly evaporate out of the vinyl and it would go hard and crack.

Auto Vinyl
Vinyl is extensively used in auto interiors (and exteriors), with the dash, door panels, seat backs, storage covers, headlining, our convertible top and many other trim parts on the average vehicle all being made of vinyl.

This is mainly because vinyl provides a good balance of durability and economy. However, vinyl is not a highly resilient material and you do have to look after it to keep it looking its best and working properly.

Although we are going to concentrate here on vinyl in S2000s and other vehicles, the same material is used in domestic furniture, so the same guidelines for care and repair apply to vinyl furniture.

Vinyl Protection
Vinyl protection = topcoat protection, because it is the topcoat that gives vinyl its finish and keeps it flexible (by keeping the plasticizers in). Unfortunately, the topcoat is attacked by a number of things:

Sunlight
Abrasion
Heat
Solvents
Perspiration
Sunlight is perhaps the most persistent attacker, and some of the vinyl does constantly escape through the topcoat – especially when new. You may have noticed this as a hazy film that forms on the inside of the windshield in the first few weeks of a new car’s life. Yes, that is tiny amounts of your vinyl dash, your vinyl car seats and your vinyl door panels!

The best strategy for protecting your vinyl is to clean it regularly but gently and apply a good quality vinyl dressing. Many of the so-called vinyl dressings or protectants you can buy can do more harm than good, so make sure you avoid products containing:

Any oil
Anything flammable
Any wax
Any abrasive
Vinyl Cleaning
Keeping your vinyl clean prolongs its life. A simple process is all that’s needed:

Rinse with clean water
Wash with warm water and mild soap (not detergent). Use a soft cloth.
Rinse with clean water
Allow to dry
If you have to remove any stubborn dirt, you can use a soft bristled brush. For mildew, you can move up to a 4:1 water:ammonia solution, but be sure to spot test first and rinse thoroughly after.

Once the vinyl is dry, apply a vinyl dressing with a soft cloth, work it gently into the vinyl, and buff. Personally I like Ragtopp (make sure you get the one for vinyl not the cloth version) Many folks like 303. Pay extra attention to the top of the dash, top of the door trims and other horizontal areas as these are exposed to more sunlight.

Never use:

Household cleaners
Solvents
Acids
Abrasives
Scourers
Bleach
Detergents
Dry cleaning fluids
Petroleum distillates
Vinyl and Silicone
Never use any type of silicone on your vinyl. Silicone is very bad for vinyl for all kinds of reasons:

Heat. A silicone glaze traps heat in the topcoat, leading to deterioration
Sunlight. Silicone treatments do not contain UV screening
Abrasion. Silicone attracts dust, leading to increased abrasion
Many folks stay away from Armour All like the plague. Me too.

Vinyl Recolor and Repair
If your vinyl does fade – or you inherit a vehicle with faded vinyl – you can dye or paint it put some lustre back in the interior.

You will get the best results by doing extremely conscientious cleaning and preparation, and choosing either the original color or one shade darker. Some products may simply be applied with a cloth, but the more advanced vinyl coloring products need quite advanced application techniques and may require the hire of compressors and spray-painting equipment to get the promised finish. All things considered, you might consider getting a professional quote for the job.

Vinyl is a reasonably durable material, but it is vulnerable to punctures and tears. Every day, vinyl car seats and vinyl furniture in living areas are ripped by keys, bitten by dogs, snagged on briefcases, torn by toys and who knows what else. Our tops in particular are vulnerable to sharp burrs on the supports and even vandalism. Depending on the vehicle it happens to and the location of the tear, this might be a minor inconvenience or a major disaster. If it’s the latter, don’t worry – help is out there.

You might try a DIY repair on an out-of-the-way-area, but to get a repair that is going to preserve the value of your vehicle get a quote from a certified local repairer. Not only can they repair vinyl holes, rips and tears, but they will also match the original color and texture for the best possible finish. No matter if it’s a vinyl car seat or an item of vinyl furniture, a certified professional can do a vinyl repair that is as strong as the original material, and perfectly matched.

Here is a link for an article on car care.

http://www.carcareonline.com/viewarticle.aspx?art=13

 

I live in SoCal with my 00' berlina black.
Your going to see normal wear and tear....idk what you mean by harsh winters...there are plenty of places with worse winters than here. I live in the high desert 115 degree summers and 0 degree winters. Oh and all the dust storms.

My S2k is doing just fine. I saw my first pin hole last week with a three year old plastic window top.

You can put protection patches on the hard wear points.

and drive it when ever you want! I drive it in snow, rain, sand storms (when i have to...) high winds you name it. there great cars and can handle anything you throw at them.

 

@cosmomiller - big thanks for the write up. I just purchased my S2k and I did buy some 303 this week but I want to get the slit fixed first. Now I'm going to check out one or two more repair shops to see what they say. Thanks for the help.

-H

 

I've got an original top on an 04. Lots of 303 and replaced the straps.

Driven in the sunny state of California and now the hot and dry of Nevada. No slits, tears etc. I think the key for me is not to scrub it. I drop the top a lot.