noob needs top cleaner
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From: Westlake/Cleveland
noob needs top cleaner
hey guys don't flame me yet lol i already know i'm a noob at this. Need to get a good convertable top cleaner and wanted suggestions from the experts. Thanks!
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: manhattan beach, calif
yup- 303, raggtopp (make sure you get the vinyl version), or vinylex are the main choices...
dont spray the top- soak a rag away from the car and rub it in really well. let it sit and then buff off with a fresh rag.
dont spray the top- soak a rag away from the car and rub it in really well. let it sit and then buff off with a fresh rag.
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From: Westlake/Cleveland
so it's kinda like a wax? but should I wet the top to get dirt and stuff of it then apply? or wet , allow to dry , then apply? or just apply?? Thanks guys your awesome!
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: manhattan beach, calif
Originally Posted by imdarkrider' date='Mar 20 2007, 02:34 PM
so it's kinda like a wax? but should I wet the top to get dirt and stuff of it then apply? or wet , allow to dry , then apply? or just apply?? Thanks guys your awesome!
yes, first wash the top and dry it-
if its dirty, a brush is the best tool. and usually plain old car shampoo does fine, unless its really dirty-
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From: Milford, CT
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From: Kansas City
I've used both 303 and Raggtop. I liked them both and the 303 seemed to last a while on the top (the top kept beading water 5 months after my last 303 application).
However, the 303 didn't just stay on the top, it had a tendency to get 'runny' when I got the top wet when washing the car. It would run down the side of the car and leave streaks on the paint. These were perfectly harmless and easily removed when I was drying the car. The downside was that this streaking also happened on my windows and side mirrors, which were much harder to clean. Everytime I washed my car I'd get this streaking, finally a month after applying the 303 stopped streaking onto the rest of my car when I washed it. Obviously, this is why I didn't reapply it to my top for 5 months.
This is in stark contrast to raggtop. I purchased the convertible top cleaner and their vinyl protectant. I used the cleaner first, then washed the top off after cleaning it, toweled the top dry in the sun, and then applied the raggtop protectant. The water beads up just like it did with 303 and the raggtop doesn't run off onto my paint when I get the top wet! Also, when your convertible top is closed the rear window is sandwiched in between the convertible top, the 303 had a tendency to get all over the window so whenever I would put my top back up I'd have smudges on my rear window. I have not had this problem with raggtop.
Both products work as advertised but I prefer raggtop because it does what it's supposed to without getting on other parts of the car that it wasn't designed for. Raggtop seems to be a little bit more expensive but honestly, at the rate at which you use it you'll have the product for years before needing to buy it again. I'd spend a couple of extra bucks and get the raggtop. I still use 303 for wheel wells and tires. If I were in your shoes I'd buy both and use the 303 protectant for other areas on the car besides the top, it's a very useful product. Sorry for the long rant.
However, the 303 didn't just stay on the top, it had a tendency to get 'runny' when I got the top wet when washing the car. It would run down the side of the car and leave streaks on the paint. These were perfectly harmless and easily removed when I was drying the car. The downside was that this streaking also happened on my windows and side mirrors, which were much harder to clean. Everytime I washed my car I'd get this streaking, finally a month after applying the 303 stopped streaking onto the rest of my car when I washed it. Obviously, this is why I didn't reapply it to my top for 5 months.
This is in stark contrast to raggtop. I purchased the convertible top cleaner and their vinyl protectant. I used the cleaner first, then washed the top off after cleaning it, toweled the top dry in the sun, and then applied the raggtop protectant. The water beads up just like it did with 303 and the raggtop doesn't run off onto my paint when I get the top wet! Also, when your convertible top is closed the rear window is sandwiched in between the convertible top, the 303 had a tendency to get all over the window so whenever I would put my top back up I'd have smudges on my rear window. I have not had this problem with raggtop.
Both products work as advertised but I prefer raggtop because it does what it's supposed to without getting on other parts of the car that it wasn't designed for. Raggtop seems to be a little bit more expensive but honestly, at the rate at which you use it you'll have the product for years before needing to buy it again. I'd spend a couple of extra bucks and get the raggtop. I still use 303 for wheel wells and tires. If I were in your shoes I'd buy both and use the 303 protectant for other areas on the car besides the top, it's a very useful product. Sorry for the long rant.
