So now that we've protected the interior,
let's raise the roof!
♫ Boo boo bodoo... ♫
♫ Boodoodoodoooo ♫
♫ Raising the roof! ♫
♫ Taking so long... ♫
So we've gone ahead and cleaned and conditioned all the leather on the interior of the convertible,
we've raised the roof, now we're gonna clean and condition the fabric soft top.
The fabric top is always exposed to the environmental conditions that the car is in.
There's always pollution, dirt, and dust landing on the top,
and as you can see, it's actually looking pretty faded and pretty dirty.
The Convertible Top Care Kit is a two-part system.
We're gonna first clean away dirt and grime from the top using Convertible Top Cleaner and Scrubbing Brush.
This looks a lot like the Leather Brush, but you'll see it has shorter bristles for more aggressive scrubbing.
These convertible tops get very dirty, they're exposed to a lot of stuff, so you need more muscle to clean them.
Afterwards we'll go ahead and seal and protect the top with Convertible Top Protectant & Repellent.
This is a fabric protectant for convertible tops.
Not only will it repel water and moisture by making it bead up and roll away from the top to keep it clean,
it also adds UV protection to help keep any color top looking newer for longer.
If you keep your top maintained with Convertible Top Protectant regularly from the beginning,
it's gonna look better and last longer!
You normally have to replace convertible tops every 2 to 3 years,
but if you protect it with Convertible Top Protectant, it might last much longer.
We're gonna go ahead and clean the top, then protect it, and show you the results!
So to get started, I'll take the Convertible Top Cleaner and Brush....
...and I'm actually going to open the door so I don't rub up on the door and install any scratches as I clean.
I can also get much closer this way without reaching the door that's in the way.
I'll take the cleaner and saturate the roof just like this.
It's safe to get this on any paintwork or glass if you miss the car.
It's not gonna cause any problems, and I can just wipe it off without any issue.
I'll spray down the brush as well, set the bottle down, and scrub.
I want to scrub and agitate any debris and grime out from the fabric.
This white foam is exactly what you want...
Now that I've agitated all this debris, I'll set my brush down...
The kit comes with a few Tan Workhorse Microfiber Towels.
The first couple passes I'll wipe in a straight line to pull off any grime and filth, or horsehair brush bristles.
This is a brand new brush, so I expect some hairs to pop out from the material.
I'll continue to wipe one way...
...and you can see all the grime and filth being removed from this top.
I'll flip to a clean side to buff off any remaining residue and get this as dry as I can.
This is an essential step when protecting a convertible top.
You need to remove and clean any filth and grime from the surface.
That way when you put the protectant on, it can seep deep into the fabric to saturate
for a good bond and long lasting protection on the convertible top.
I'll clean the rest of the top, the roof, and the sides,
then we'll go ahead and show you how to protect it with Convertible Top Protectant.
Now that we've cleaned the convertible top, you can see it looks like an even color!
We've removed all the dirt and contamination so when we spray on the protectant,
it'll seep all the way down into the fabric for a great bond that will last a long time.
Before I get started with the protectant, I want to demonstrate how the fabric behaves with nothing on it.
I have some plain water in a bottle, and I'll spray some water on the top.
See how it just kind of absorbs into the top and makes a puddle; it doesn't run off or bead at all.
I'll wipe this off...
Now I'll apply the Convertible Top Protectant And Repellent.
If you read the instructions, it says to apply two coats, wait 20 minutes between each one,
then let the coating cure for 24 hours for a nice solid bond.
If you're gonna apply this coating, it makes sense to leave the car indoors
over night or 24 hours for the maximum bond.
If you live in a wet environment or back east where there's a lot of snow,
it definitely makes sense to do this in the garage first, or finish this preparation before the winter rain and snow.
I'll go ahead and shake up the bottle, and spray an even coat over all the fabric.
I'll do my best to not have any dry spots or miss any areas.
I'm not too concerned with any overspray, I'll just go ahead and wipe that off from the paintwork.
I'm gonna go ahead and coat all this fabric.
I don't want to miss any areas or get any uneven blotches, so I'll go for an even coating on all the fabric.
I'll go around the back, hit above the engine, and above the window...
...and get this whole half of the canopy.
This coat does not have to be sopping wet or super thick...
...but I do want a nice even coating over the whole surface.
Once your convertible top looks something like this with an even coat over all the fabric,
go ahead and let the coating sit for 20 minutes to seep deep into the fabric for a great bond.
I'm gonna wipe off any excess overspray from the paintwork, glass, and plastic trim
because I don't want it to sit on there too long and make it weird to take it off later.
I'll take off the overspray while I let the top cure.
After 20 minutes I'll come back, do one more coating, and let the car sit over night to ensure a great bond.
The first coating is nice and dry, so I'll apply the second coat just like the first one:
I want an even coat over all the fabric top.
Again, I'm not too concerned about any overspray, I'll just wipe it off once I'm done spraying the coating.
There we go I have a second coat.
I'm being very liberal with the protectant to make sure I'm getting total saturation with this coat over the top.
I'll go ahead and let this cure on the surface for 20 minutes, wipe off any excess from trim or paint.
We'll check to make sure it's drying how we want, then we'll let it sit over night and check back tomorrow
and check the water repellency of the top!
We waited a full 24 hours here in the Detail Garage.
We've moved the car around the shop while we waited for the Convertible Top Protectant to cure.
We're gonna go ahead and check the water-beading abilities of the top with regular water.
Let's see what kind of beading effects we have on the convertible top.
See! Look at that.
Water just beads and rolls right off the top.
So if you ever wanted to wipe it off, you can flick off the water with a microfiber towel,
but once you start driving away, the water will just sheet and bead right off!
If you want to have this level of protection on your convertible top through the winter months,
or if you live in a rainy climate and you want to make sure your convertible top doesn't get rainwater stains,
you should definitely check out the Convertible Top Kit from Chemical Guys.
If you want to learn more about the Convertible Top Kit, you can check it out on our website, the links are below.
If you want to learn more about detailing convertible top car interiors like leather pieces,
or the exterior of the car like the top, paintwork, or pieces around the car,
subscribe to our YouTube channel!
We have over 800 videos showing you how to do just about everything.
You've got a nice car, let's keep it clean with Chemical Guys.