Get out your magnifying glass and you will see that the pattern is embossed on a sheet. Clever, huh?

 

Hmmm, went out and checked mine. The interior is a clearly a cloth, but the weave pattern is different than the exterior. Is this an embossed vinyl top made too look like fabric?

It certainly does not pick up lint the same way my friend's Boxster does....

However it doesn't clean as easily as another friend's Miata top.

Damn, Honda isn't going to make this easy.

[Edited by SeattleSilver on 06-07-2001 at 01:10 PM]

 

Not matter what our top is ultimately made of, I wouldn't use products made for typical vinyl tops (like seen on Rustangs, etc)!! Those kinds of tops are generally smooth without much texture -- which our top is NOT. The S2K top looks like a woven and top-coated with PVC (or maybe the woven particles were coated with PVC before being woven). I bought some stuff from Mothers that's safe for all vinyl and fabric tops.

 

I was having upholstry work done on my 240 and asked about our top. He also replaces and repairs tops. He said to use NOTHING on it except a mild soap like Dawn or Joy and warm water.

He told me that almost all of these protectants have chemicals in them like silicone that in the end rot the stitching that holds the top together. I asked him about what seams as he looked at the car (not any big seams) He said the problem would probably start near the rear window.

Still havent put anything on my top, so I guess Ill be in that test group. Well compare results in a couple of years. Who Knows?

On plastic compounds, (like vinyl) they can be formed, compressed, hardened into just about any color or shape. It is completely feasible to have a clear PVC rear window and a black opaque fabric pattern top that is also made of PVC. They are obviously not the same thickness though. Could have something under, but that should be noted in the body or shop manual and it isnt as far as I can see.

 

Apparently, the diagram from Honda which labels the top material as being PVC is not enough. Some on this thread say that the presence of the word "vinyl" doesn't necessarily mean the top IS vinyl. Also, we don't know "how" the top was made (i.e., what process is used, etc.). For example, some say that the Mustang tops are definitely vinyl, yet, if the S2000 tops are vinyl, why don't they look anything at all like the Mustang tops? This is kind of like saying, shoes are made of leather and the seats in our s2000's are made of leather, yet you would never use shoe polish on your seats. Why? Because the leather on our shoes have been treated differently than the leather on our seats. For this reason, just knowing that the top is vinyl (if indeed it is), may not be enough to let us know how we are to clean/treat it.

There is still some confusion which Honda's simple diagram cannot solve. We need some "experts" both from Honda (or who have the inside scoop) and folks who are materials engineers or scientists or chemists to shed light on this subject.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by stbrnd
[B]I was having upholstry work done on my 240 and asked about our top.

 

Hmmm, just grabbed the can of Porsche Tequipment "Convertible Top Conditioner" that I used per the recommendations on S2Ki.com. In the directions, it says "Use only on polyacrylic/polyester tops." IMNAPE (I Am Not A Plastics Expert) but I'm pretty sure that poly-whatever, vinyl, and PVC are all different types of polymers.

From plastics.org:

"Vinyl (Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC):
In addition to its stable physical properties, PVC has excellent transparency, chemical resistance, long-term stability, good weatherability, flow characteristics and stable electrical properties. The diverse slate of vinyl products can be broadly divided into rigid and flexible materials. Rigid applications, accounting for 60 percent of total vinyl production, are concentrated in construction markets which include pipe and fittings, siding, carpet backing and windows. Bottles and packaging sheet are also major rigid markets. Flexible vinyl is used in wire and cable insulation, film and sheet, floor coverings, synthetic-leather products, coatings, blood bags, medical tubing and many other applications. (Adapted from Modern Plastics Encyclopedia 1995)."


I'm still looking to find out how polyacrylic or polyester is the same or different from PVC.

 

OK, I bought the BMW convertible cover treatment- anyone know what their tops consist of?


Tox, feel free to chime in with your chem background!

 

to err is human;to forgive is divine

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Spa2K
[B][QUOTE]Originally posted by stbrnd
[b]I was having upholstry work done on my 240 and asked about our top.