White convertible top.....

[intimadator8]

What is the best way to clean this thing? I have used straight bleach in a spray bottle along with car wash soap, but i think there has to be a better way. This top is always taken care of. I have also used white wall cleaner too. It's still a pain.

[Stangfan]

Re: White convertible top.....

We'd need to know the type of top you have to give any reliable answers.

I have a 90 Limited Edition Mustang Convertible, with an Oxford White vinyl top. I've never used anything as agressive as the techniques you describe though. I wash it with a dilute car wash solution. Between washings, it gets a good coat of 303 Aerospace Protectant rubbed into it. When the top is extra dusty, I will use a horsehair shoe brush to work the soap suds into it.

The biggest problem with white tops is that if there is any dust or dirt on them, it gets worked into the top when you lower and raise the roof.

[intimadator8]

Re: White convertible top.....

My GT is a '96 limited edition with the same top. The reason i get a little aggressive with it's cleaning is because when the car is driven, the wife forgets to put it away sometimes and then the top will get a little dirty, and that i cannot stand. It's her toy. I do not like dirt. The car is stored from October til April, give or take a couple weeks. Fair weather only. No late fall or winter driving. When i get it back soon, it will get a full body detail and a good cleaning of the top. After the 1st aggressive cleaning, then it's back to the normal way of cleaning. Usually it's in the garage with a good padded cover. It's not a daily driver. I just store it at a relatives house because they have a humongus garage, a little bigger than mine. It gives me more space to do other things when the car is not here.

[MandarinaRacing]

Re: White convertible top.....

Have you tried canvas care products from the Marine Line. I've used M71 Canvas Cleaner & M72 Canvas Protectant with great results.



Here's a picture of what M72 does for canvas tops.



Alex

[Mike Phillips]

Re: White convertible top.....

I have used straight bleach in a spray bottle along with car wash soap, but i think there has to be a better way.

Straight Bleach?

That's about as strong as you can get as a 'whitener'.

How does the top look right not? Is it clean and white?

Or does it have dirt ground into it that's visible?

We make a dedicated vinyl cleaner but there's a difference between a traditional vinyl top and a modern "canvas" top. Modern canvas tops are all synthetic, not made from some type of cotton canvas material.

We make a cleaner for modern canvas top materials, as posted already, it's in our Marine Line. We actually worked with the Haartz company to create these formulas.


Here's a thread that talks about convertible tops and our cleaner and protectant.

Haartz - Convertible Tops? How to clean and protect?

[Mike Phillips]

Re: White convertible top.....

Here's a link to the a boatload of information on convertible top materials...


A Restorer’s Guide
For Identification, Research and Replication of Automobile Top Materials


While the title is about restoration of tops, the page has links to just about everything you ever wanted to know about convertible tops both vintage and modern.

[Mike Phillips]

Re: White convertible top.....

Here's our combo for cleaning convertible tops...

Canvas Cleaner

Canvas Protectant

[yalerd]

Re: White convertible top.....


That's amazing

[Mike Phillips]

Re: White convertible top.....

Here's another thread...

Convertible Top Cleaner & Preservative



Do a search on our forum using the word

Haartz