amallari

Do you guys wash your top with soap and water? Or rinse it with water only? Or spray with a clearner?

butterwm

I use the same soap I wash the car with and water and just clean it like every other part of the car and it comes out good. I have only had my car a couple months now but I am going to start looking for a good protectant to put on the top after I wash the car. I live in Arizona and want to keep the black top looking good with the hot sun!

tnsewalkin

iTrader: (1)

This is my third convertible - do NOT wash the top with regular car soap! You'll end up getting a buildup in the little crevices that are in the weave of the fabric. Over time, the black top will look grey, and depending on how long it builds up, it may look dirty brown.

Rinse with water & a soft brush dedicated for use only on your top. Dry it off afterward - you don't want water to sit on the top or it'll mildew. Wash with 303 Top Cleaner, then after that uses 303 High Tech Fabric Guard. Make sure that the top cleaner is NOT the one for vinyl - the vinyl cleaners will erode the waterproofing stuff. The Fabric Guard does not have to be used everytime, just maybe every third or fourth wash. It enhances the waterproofing of your top.

Nissan350ZR

Hey guy,
I just had my 2004 350ZR top replaced at Douglas Nissan in Huntington Beach 2 weeks ago.
I had the car over 8 months and found out both edges of the top lower coner, the sticks tear off. I didn't know what caused the problem, I had the feeling that I washed the car and top every Saturday with car soap that maybe ruin the top.
Since I had the top replaced, I haven't washed the top almost 3 weeks. If I do wash it...just water only.

tnsewalkin,

Where do you buy the 303 High Tech Fabric Guard?
I never heard of it.

tnsewalkin

iTrader: (1)

Some stores carry it, but very few. You can order it from www.303products.com or on their website they have a dealer search tool.

I've never ordered it so I don't know what the online store is like. I get mine from a local neighborhood hardware store. Weirdest place in the world to find a premium car care product, but hey, I'll take it!

butterwm

Thanks for the advise - I guess I am going to switch to just using water to wash the top and then the 303 High Tech Fabric Guard. I have only had the car for a couple months now and been out of the country for two so it has only been washed about 4 times. Hopefully that wasn't enough to damage the top.

zand02max

iTrader: (22)

Hmmm, so Zaino car wash is not good for the top?

Teez Zee

I read in another forum that our top is actually vinyl and not cloth. That would mean that the 303 aerospace protectant would be a could way to treat it. I sure don't want the top to turn gray. That would be a turnoff for the SB roadster!

Right now, I am using the zaino car wash and it seems to be fine. But, that doesn't make it right.


Hopefully the zaino gurus will answer either this or the other thread with some clarification about

Is the top really vinyl?

Should we use the zaino car wash?

Should we use 303 ????

wahoo5

I have had Mustang convertibles for the last 20 years. Their tops are made by Hartz. Hartz recommends Raggtopp cleaner and sealant. I also used car wash soap and a brush between Raggtopp treatments. Worked great for me. I don't know who makes the Z's top. Does anyone else?

tnsewalkin

iTrader: (1)

The owner's manual says it's cloth, as does the window sticker (not that that's a valid source, but...)

Washing it with Zaino a couple times won't hurt it, but you will get build up over time. You simply can't get all the detergent back out of the cloth when rinsing.

Do what you want, but soap never touches the top of my convertibles. Just water & a soft brush (occasionally), and 303.

zand02max

iTrader: (22)

Thank, guess I'll just use water and 303 cleaner, thanks

maxpowers

iTrader: (3)

I did a lot of research on this issue a while back. Check out this thread:

https://my350z.com/forum/350z-roadster/62398-top-care.html

It doesn't really make anything more clear. For the record, I have been using Raggtop products for vinyl tops for the past year and it has worked well.

stonecrd

I have been washing my top weekly for the last 8 months with standard car wash. I put 303 aerospace on it every few washes and it looks great. I have a blue top though not black

Ivey

Add one more opinion for the record: I use the Raggtopp for cloth cleaner and protector about every other month and it works great. Keeps the top looking black and is easy to use. When I was the car I avoid getting any car soap on it and always finish with a rinse from my Mr. Clean filtered water hose attachment.

RedLeader

iTrader: (9)

I thought it had been decided once and for all that the top is VINYL, and that the Raggtop products were the preferred cleaner & protectant? I bought them from Autopia and couldn't be happier. My top looks like new, and beads water like a waxed surface. Two thumbs up!

Bruce

CAN0802

I think this top is a mix of the two. I have owned for convertibles now, and can tell you right away, this is not a standard cloth top. Yes, it is made with cloth, but from close inspection, I can tell you that this top is cloth coated in something, probably vinyl due to how thin it is.
How do I care for it? I simply wash it like I have my other tops, with the same car wash soap I do the rest of the car. My last car (I still have it) is a 98 Sebring vert, and that is a multilayer cloth top, there is no confusing that matter. I washed the original top like that for five years until I replaced it, and it was only replaced because some thugs thought they could cut it and try to get inside to my stereo (they met my shotgun up close and personal).
My point is, if you wash it, be sure to rinse it thoroughly, and you should be safe. It is the leftover residue that builds up and ruins your top.

Darthvol

Amen; ditto. Same thread got me started on doing my own research into the best cleaner/protectant combo, and nothing I found elsewhere dissuaded me from Raggtop. I bought a kit (for fabric tops) within a week and have been more happy with it than 303. If you use the protectant exactly as the instructions say, after the initial 3 coats, you only need an "update" coat about every six months. I should know; my top is black and sits outside during the day at work Mon.-Fri. of every week, and was driven in snowy, salty conditions during the winter. Over 21k mi. on the car so far.

Raggtop cleaner is awesome for those "stubborn stains," but I've found that a premium car wash (Zaino or Meguiar's) and thorough rinse is all that is needed after I put on the Raggtop protectant--everything just "slides" right off!