Rag Top Care.....
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Joined: Mar 2007
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From: Yokohama, Japan
Rag Top Care.....
Summer is around the corner and this will be the first summer for my roadster....anyone out there have suggestions for keeping my tip jet-black and protected? I am not familiar with any products that perform this task, but I would like to know before heading to Cali on the 18th of June. That way I can shop while there....
Peace!
Peace!
Originally Posted by Mr-Z
This may be a stupid question but....
I suppose these tops are made of cloth and not vinyl correct?
I suppose these tops are made of cloth and not vinyl correct?
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 14
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From: Central Oklahoma
Wondering if 2007s changed roof materials.
Quote from the 07 manual, pg. 7-3:
"Improper care may cause the top cloth's surface to stiffen, stain or mat"
and from the same page:
"When the top is quite dirty, wash using a mild detergent, such as a general cleaner made especially for a cloth top or a general purpose dish-washing liquid, mixed with clean, lukewarm (never hot) water."
Just a heads-up before you drop any $$ on vinyl cleaners for your 07 roadster, based solely on the info in earlier posts.
"Improper care may cause the top cloth's surface to stiffen, stain or mat"
and from the same page:
"When the top is quite dirty, wash using a mild detergent, such as a general cleaner made especially for a cloth top or a general purpose dish-washing liquid, mixed with clean, lukewarm (never hot) water."
Just a heads-up before you drop any $$ on vinyl cleaners for your 07 roadster, based solely on the info in earlier posts.
Originally Posted by Kelly_A
Quote from the 07 manual, pg. 7-3:
"Improper care may cause the top cloth's surface to stiffen, stain or mat"
and from the same page:
"When the top is quite dirty, wash using a mild detergent, such as a general cleaner made especially for a cloth top or a general purpose dish-washing liquid, mixed with clean, lukewarm (never hot) water."
Just a heads-up before you drop any $$ on vinyl cleaners for your 07 roadster, based solely on the info in earlier posts.
"Improper care may cause the top cloth's surface to stiffen, stain or mat"
and from the same page:
"When the top is quite dirty, wash using a mild detergent, such as a general cleaner made especially for a cloth top or a general purpose dish-washing liquid, mixed with clean, lukewarm (never hot) water."
Just a heads-up before you drop any $$ on vinyl cleaners for your 07 roadster, based solely on the info in earlier posts.
http://www.haartz.com/index.asp?ID=76
HAARTZ, the world’s leading manufacturer of convertible topping fabric since 1920s. HAARTZ is the designated supplier of convertible topping fabric for virtually every U.S. automaker and most European manufacturers, and is the world’s only manufacturer of both PVC and cloth combined automobile and sport utility topping.
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This issue pops up every six months or so. The top is vinyl. If you search you will see tonnes of debates on the subject. But my suggestion is to look at it, then go look at a cloth top, the difference is obvious.
I use the Raggtop product. I initially had bought the one for fabric tops at the Nissan dealership no less (you'd think they would sell the vinly one since they only have one convertible being the Z 
). Anyway, no issues with the fabric product...cleaned and protected great...top looks great. I just ran out so will buy their product for vinyl next.
). Anyway, no issues with the fabric product...cleaned and protected great...top looks great. I just ran out so will buy their product for vinyl next.
As a note, it says to use a cloth-top cleaner in the 2006 manual as well. I have an 05, but don't have the manual for the 05...I use a vinyl top cleaner, but out of curiousity, what does the 05 (or 04-05) manual say about cleaning the top?
Originally Posted by Kelly_A
Quote from the 07 manual, pg. 7-3:
"Improper care may cause the top cloth's surface to stiffen, stain or mat"
and from the same page:
"When the top is quite dirty, wash using a mild detergent, such as a general cleaner made especially for a cloth top or a general purpose dish-washing liquid, mixed with clean, lukewarm (never hot) water."
Just a heads-up before you drop any $$ on vinyl cleaners for your 07 roadster, based solely on the info in earlier posts.
"Improper care may cause the top cloth's surface to stiffen, stain or mat"
and from the same page:
"When the top is quite dirty, wash using a mild detergent, such as a general cleaner made especially for a cloth top or a general purpose dish-washing liquid, mixed with clean, lukewarm (never hot) water."
Just a heads-up before you drop any $$ on vinyl cleaners for your 07 roadster, based solely on the info in earlier posts.
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 14
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From: Central Oklahoma
You can download the 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2006.5 and 2007 350z owners manuals from Nissan techinfo here.
Just click on the little "meat grinder" looking symbol to the right of the year you need.
Files are in PDF format, readable using Adobe Reader - which is likely already installed on your computer. If not, or if you you want the most current version of Adobe Reader it's available here
looks like both "top material" and "cloth" are used in the 2004 manual
Just click on the little "meat grinder" looking symbol to the right of the year you need.
Files are in PDF format, readable using Adobe Reader - which is likely already installed on your computer. If not, or if you you want the most current version of Adobe Reader it's available here
looks like both "top material" and "cloth" are used in the 2004 manual
Originally Posted by Zazoozle
As a note, it says to use a cloth-top cleaner in the 2006 manual as well. I have an 05, but don't have the manual for the 05...I use a vinyl top cleaner, but out of curiousity, what does the 05 (or 04-05) manual say about cleaning the top?
Example: I use Aerospace 303 cleaner and Protectant.
Vinyl kit
Frabic kit <---- don't use this one on 350Z roadster vert tops.
This is the cleaner that comes with both kits. If you read real close it says "Frabric/Vinyl" on it below the "303".
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 16
Likes: 1
From: USA
Originally Posted by 35TH ANY
No, they are vinyl and those products designed for vinyl and not cloth should be used.
The way to tell is by texture and shine. A vinyl top has almost a slippery like feel to the touch and it has a very slight shine to it. Also when you take a heat gun to it and it starts to warm the top gets a slight "greasy" feel to it because obviously vinyl is a form of plastic and the heat starts to melt it. When vinyl gets wet the water will ride off the vinyl much easier than on untreated cloth tops.
Canvas on the other hand being cloth does not have the shine to it UNLESS it has been treated with a water repellant like 3M. Many times canvas is mistaken to be vinyl for this very reason. The 350Z roadster top is treated with 3M before leaving for the dealer. That is why they tend to have a slight shine to the top. If any canvas is not waterproofed or if the water-proofing is sufficiently worn-off then the canvas will begin to actually soak in the water. This will be evident by a mottled or matted wet appearance particularly so above the rear window where the roof top curves to form the rear window plane.
Another way to tell vinyl from canvas is by the stitching. Vinyl cannot hold the stitching like canvas can and requires glue soaked stitching to reinforce what little stitching one may find on a vinyl top, particularly so in the high-stress areas. Canvas on the other had CAN hold stitching without glue and examination of the raodster top shows plenty of stitching without glue. Reinforcement is accomplished by doubling over the seams and passing the stitching through the doubled over canvas. Doubled over vinyl will not hold stitching for the life of the top whereas canvas will.
As for cleaning one should use a cleaner and protectant that is made for either cloth (canvas) or vinyl, however they can be used interchangeably but the repelling affects will be somewhat diminished when using a cloth protectant on the vinyl because the cloth protectant is made to be absorbed into the cloth and it cannot do so if the surface is vinyl...instead the cloth protectant will ride on top the vinyl surface. On the other hand the vinyl protectant will absorb into a cloth top.
Last edited by Now_U_Z_Me; Aug 23, 2007 at 08:36 PM.
Originally Posted by dutchboy350Z
Convertible top CLEANER is usually generic and the same cleaning product can be used on cloth and vinyl tops. Convertible top PROTECTANT can only be used on one or the other.
Example: I use Aerospace 303 cleaner and Protectant.
Vinyl kit
Frabic kit <---- don't use this one on 350Z roadster vert tops.
This is the cleaner that comes with both kits. If you read real close it says "Frabric/Vinyl" on it below the "303".
Example: I use Aerospace 303 cleaner and Protectant.
Vinyl kit
Frabic kit <---- don't use this one on 350Z roadster vert tops.
This is the cleaner that comes with both kits. If you read real close it says "Frabric/Vinyl" on it below the "303".
Tony
Originally Posted by Now_U_Z_Me
Here we go again with people who don't know what they are talking about. If you have a 350Z roadster the tops are made of CANVAS, not PVC spun vinyl or any other kind of vinyl. And I have verified this with Nissan. And for you folks who don't know how to tell the difference here is the blurb:
The way to tell is by texture and shine. A vinyl top has almost a slippery like feel to the touch and it has a very slight shine to it. Also when you take a heat gun to it and it starts to warm the top gets a slight "greasy" feel to it because obviously vinyl is a form of plastic and the heat starts to melt it. When vinyl gets wet the water will ride off the vinyl much easier than on untreated cloth tops.
Canvas on the other hand being cloth does not have the shine to it UNLESS it has been treated with a water repellant like 3M. Many times canvas is mistaken to be vinyl for this very reason. The 350Z roadster top is treated with 3M before leaving for the dealer. That is why they tend to have a slight shine to the top. If any canvas is not waterproofed or if the water-proofing is sufficiently worn-off then the canvas will begin to actually soak in the water. This will be evident by a mottled or matted wet appearance particularly so above the rear window where the roof top curves to form the rear window plane.
Another way to tell vinyl from canvas is by the stitching. Vinyl cannot hold the stitching like canvas can and requires glue soaked stitching to reinforce what little stitching one may find on a vinyl top, particularly so in the high-stress areas. Canvas on the other had CAN hold stitching without glue and examination of the raodster top shows plenty of stitching without glue. Reinforcement is accomplished by doubling over the seams and passing the stitching through the doubled over canvas. Doubled over vinyl will not hold stitching for the life of the top whereas canvas will.
As for cleaning one should use a cleaner and protectant that is made for either cloth (canvas) or vinyl, however they can be used interchangeably but the repelling affects will be somewhat diminished when using a cloth protectant on the vinyl because the cloth protectant is made to be absorbed into the cloth and it cannot do so if the surface is vinyl...instead the cloth protectant will ride on top the vinyl surface. On the other hand the vinyl protectant will absorb into a cloth top.
The way to tell is by texture and shine. A vinyl top has almost a slippery like feel to the touch and it has a very slight shine to it. Also when you take a heat gun to it and it starts to warm the top gets a slight "greasy" feel to it because obviously vinyl is a form of plastic and the heat starts to melt it. When vinyl gets wet the water will ride off the vinyl much easier than on untreated cloth tops.
Canvas on the other hand being cloth does not have the shine to it UNLESS it has been treated with a water repellant like 3M. Many times canvas is mistaken to be vinyl for this very reason. The 350Z roadster top is treated with 3M before leaving for the dealer. That is why they tend to have a slight shine to the top. If any canvas is not waterproofed or if the water-proofing is sufficiently worn-off then the canvas will begin to actually soak in the water. This will be evident by a mottled or matted wet appearance particularly so above the rear window where the roof top curves to form the rear window plane.
Another way to tell vinyl from canvas is by the stitching. Vinyl cannot hold the stitching like canvas can and requires glue soaked stitching to reinforce what little stitching one may find on a vinyl top, particularly so in the high-stress areas. Canvas on the other had CAN hold stitching without glue and examination of the raodster top shows plenty of stitching without glue. Reinforcement is accomplished by doubling over the seams and passing the stitching through the doubled over canvas. Doubled over vinyl will not hold stitching for the life of the top whereas canvas will.
As for cleaning one should use a cleaner and protectant that is made for either cloth (canvas) or vinyl, however they can be used interchangeably but the repelling affects will be somewhat diminished when using a cloth protectant on the vinyl because the cloth protectant is made to be absorbed into the cloth and it cannot do so if the surface is vinyl...instead the cloth protectant will ride on top the vinyl surface. On the other hand the vinyl protectant will absorb into a cloth top.
Ours tops are synthetic. They are made from a material from Japan. This info came directly from Haartz THE NUMBER ONE CONVERTIBLE MAKER IN THE WORLD. Use the vinyl protectant NOT fabric.
BTW this is the same person that does this to their roadster. Never use the touchless power washers on the soft top.
Originally Posted by Now_U_Z_Me
Well I'm going to go against the whole bunch. I have been putting my daily driver show cars into the touchless car washes including rag-tops for over 11 years now and never once has the paint, shine, finish, wheels or chrome or convertible ragtop ever suffered any problems.
Last edited by dutchboy350Z; Sep 3, 2007 at 03:59 PM.
Originally Posted by joekool
I was recommended by Haartz to use vinyl protectant.. been using it for 2 years now with out any probs.