Hi, just picked up an 04 350ZR Grey with Blacktop, and wondering what you use to protect the roof and to make it look new. The black roof looks good but fades after a day or two from being washed. Any suggestions? Emilio

 

http://www.303products.com/tech/inde...Product_ID=430


Get the vinyl kit.

 

^I was going to say 303 too.

 

Why would you get the vinyl kit, arent all the z tops cloth?

I used the 303 Cloth kit and it worked well for me, but the protectant needs to be wiped to get the coverage even. When I followed the directions on the bottle I wound up with dark patches, so I tried evening it out with a damp cloth by dragging it front to back so the coverage was uniform. Looks perfect now.

Seems to repel very well so far, but it has only been a month or so. But in that month it has rained quite a bit here in NJ.

 

NO

 

Thanks for the info...so Vinyl or cloth kit?

 

Vinyl.

 

Vinyl

 

I'm confused - why does the owner's manual say that the top is cloth:

Soft top care and cleaning (Roadster
models)
Proper care and handling should be observed to
maintain a good appearance of the soft top.
Improper care may cause the top cloth’s surface
to stiffen, stain, or mat. Follow the instructions
shown in this section.
It is not necessary to wash the soft top every
time you wash the vehicle body, but clean the
top regularly before it becomes quite dirty. Leaving
the soft top dirty or soiled for a long period
will cause deterioration to the quality of the top
material.
Remove dust or dirt on the soft top with a soft
brush or sponge, then rinse it with plenty of
clean water. When the top is quite dirty, wash
using a mild detergent, such as a general
cleaner especially made for a cloth top or a
general purpose dish-washing liquid, mixed with
clean, lukewarm (never hot) water. Rinse the top
again with plenty of clean water to remove all
traces of soap.

That is from the 04 manual but the 06 says the same thing:
http://www.nissanextendedwarranty.co...issan-350Z.pdf

http://www.nissanextendedwarranty.co...issan-350Z.pdf

 

Excellent point, but take a look at this:

http://www.350zmotoring.com/forums/g...top-vinyl.html

 

WOW - that info should be stickied at the top of this section!

Do you think the fabric protectant will hurt the vinyl?

I bought it online at autogeek, maybe I'll give them a call just to be safe.

 

OK so I called 303 Products directly, and spoke to their tech guru Roger.

The good news is that the fabric conditioner will not hurt a vinyl top in any way.
The semi-bad news is that since it is designed to be long lasting, unless I want to use an abrasive to get it off (which I dont and Roger does not recommend), its going to be 5-6 months before I can treat the top correctly. Putting a vinyl protectant over the fabric conditioner wont do anything, so I will have to wait until the fluoropolymer wears away due to the elements.
Roger did say that after a few months try a small area with vinyl protectant, and if the spot looks more "lustrous", then the fabric guard is wearing off.

At least Nissan's reluctance to divulge the type of top material didnt cause any harm.

 

thanks =)