Probably my fault (not applied correctly). Go ahead and make your, blinker fluid, summer tire air, 710 cap jokes. I tried to clean it off. Didn't work. Tried a vacuum, nothing because it's not a crystal residue that lifts. Maybe this 303 protectant burnt off the texture of the top? It's hard to show in a photo via phone. Maybe I can get my dSLR out and take a better photo.

At this point I'm emotionally looking at this from the lost cause perspective and trying to avoid the sunk-cost fallacy. I'm at $0, it's over, it's gone, it's the past. It doesn't affect drivability. It's not a mistake that killed/maimed anyone. Now, calmly, what's the best move or decision moving forward? Do I...

1)black sharpie the entire top
​​​2)paint the top black
3)sand the top
4)dawn dish soap? some safe stripper that can really clean it off/remove the protectant?
5)live with a trash looking top until it gets a hole and leakes?
6)go to a local auto detailer so a professional in person can put their eyes on it?
7)live topless, delete the top? (I actually probably should not where I live & to be able to wash/detail the body)

8)replace the top? I have seen some options online. $1,000 sucks to spend to fix a cosmetic mistake. However it's an opportunity to change the plastic window for glass or red to match the interior ? $1,000 Still SUCKS for cosmetics.
Being an out of production car is there even OEM replacements available anymore?
Even if there are, as the OEMs tend to wear a hole, is there a better aftermarket one to replace it with? What's recommend?

​​​​​Forgive me, I know s2ki is 23 years old and there are probably threads already on this. I would appreciate it if instead of blasting me to use the search you could link me the good reads you know about. I'm just posting to share my journey as I am right at the start of it. I am Uploading a video now and once I have more time tonight I will begin searching the forums.

 

(sorry, had these in my first post. Not sure why they didn't post)

 

There is another post about this exact thing here - https://www.s2ki.com/forums/s2000-bo...guard-1217153/

 

Dawn Powerwash!!!! Thank you brother! Now I can close all my tabs about replacing the top

 

Our '06 still has the original top and all we do is wash it with the same soap we use to hand wash our car, three bucket rinse method. We don't have a garage queen as our S has 200k miles on it. The top looks very good for its age but I know we will have to get a new one when this one rips, no fixing it at its age.

Rod

 

I wouldn't mind 200k miles of patina, it looks nice. When it looks like it was trashed/mishandled... it doesn't look great.

Working one handed I can't exactly show the greatest technique, but just in case anyone is wondering:

 

Read post #8 of the link above. It's from the professional detailer who has done my car. Note I have a Robbns cloth roof as the original OEM roof tore in too many places and was replaced a few years ago.

-- Chuck

 

Go easy on the powerwash stuff in future, it is heavily concentrated and will take a really good rinse(s) to get it all off. The stuff is pretty incredible, a little goes a long way.

 

I only used the 303 Protectant never that fabric guard stuff and didn't have those issues even with a lot of applications.

 

I used 303 for years and it protected perfectly. Our original tops are vinyl and not fabric so 303 aero works perfectly, so I would never use the fabric guard version unless you have an aftermarket fabric top ?