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E85 roof

2003 - 2009, roadster, coupe, facelift
Scott S
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Post by Scott S » Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:18 pm

Hi all

Can anyone tell me please. Can you use black shoe/boot polish on the roof. If so what's the procedure.

Regards
Scott

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Crazy Harry
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Post by Crazy Harry » Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:44 pm

Hi Scott, what problem are you trying to fix?

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Number5
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Post by Number5 » Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:52 pm

Yes, mix it 50/50 using liquid polish with the Autoglym roof protector and it comes out a treat :thumbsup:
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Post by buzyg » Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:53 pm

Never heard it done. But apparently it works a treat.. :thumbsup:
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Post by Chris_D » Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:58 pm

the outer black layer is meant to be porous, allowing water/rain/moisture to permeate through to the waterproof membrane beneath it.
anything which impedes this process e.g. waxes/oils is a disbenefit to the overall condition of the outer layer.
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Scott S
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Post by Scott S » Mon Jan 22, 2018 8:18 pm

Would this be liquid shoe polish that you can buy from tesco's, that you just dab on to your shoes. Sorry I'm sounding a bit derrrrrr. Just that it's a big job that could go horribly wrong.

Hearing what Chris D is saying, is making me think I shouldn't do this. :wink:

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Post by Scott S » Mon Jan 22, 2018 8:21 pm

Crazy Harry wrote: Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:44 pmHi Scott, what problem are you trying to fix?
Hi. There no problem I just thought it might have been a good idea. I just wanted to know dosage and process really

Cheers scott :driving:

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Post by Scott S » Mon Jan 22, 2018 8:22 pm

Number5 wrote: Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:52 pmYes, mix it 50/50 using liquid polish with the Autoglym roof protector and it comes out a treat :thumbsup:
What would be the process please

Cheers Scott :driving:

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Post by Crazy Harry » Mon Jan 22, 2018 8:36 pm

Scott S wrote: Mon Jan 22, 2018 8:21 pm
Crazy Harry wrote: Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:44 pmHi Scott, what problem are you trying to fix?
Hi. There no problem I just thought it might have been a good idea. I just wanted to know dosage and process really

Cheers scott :driving:
They can tend to go a bit 'green' over a damp winter - I can see a slight tint on mine so it will get a scrub over with 'Milton fluid'. Then first dry day a going over with a stiff (plastic bristle) brush and the vacuum cleaner - I kid you not. This gets the majority of dirt out of the fibres then hot soapy water. Its amazing how well they come up.

If its fading then the treatment outlined above will darken the colour. The top layer doesn't have to be sealed there is a waterproof membrane under the outer layer.

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Post by RickRob » Mon Jan 22, 2018 9:58 pm

Adding a bit more to the above.

The AG roof cleaner kit has a protector which is waterproof. I say this because when just done the water beads just like water on polished paint. Some people think this is OK, others say it can mess with what the construction of the roof is supposed to do; I.e the top surface is porous and a lower level is waterproof.

Therefore adding liquid shoe polish to the AG product isn't going to make the roof any more waterproof.

If I were you I'd give the roof a really good clean with the AG kit, having vacuumed it first. With mine that got it all back to black!
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Post by mjennings23 » Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:02 pm

I'd agree with the above, just get a proper brush as the sponge supplied with the AG kit is as useful as a chocolate teapot.

I use a Vikan soft top brush personally with the AG soft top cleaner, although I expect Renovo or similar will be equally as effective.

I did actually give it a coat of Renovo restore after the first proper clean and that got the roof back from a bit faded to proper black.

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Post by Davz » Tue Jan 23, 2018 12:07 am

Treat your softtop with as much care as possible if you want it too last.

When I treated mine before winter, I hoovered it all over to remove loose dirt/debris, washed it with baby shampoo - no harsh detergents, using a very soft baby nail brush (couple of quid at boots) this gets out any ingrained dirt. Washed the soap away using a watering can starting from the top down. Allowed to dry and treated with Grangers Fabsil waterproofer, online about £10 litre, brushed on with a 1.5" paint brush, working from one side over to the other. Fabsil will make your softop look like it has just come out of the factory, will UV protect and beads brilliantly! I wouldn't use anything else.

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Post by Monkeydonkeyratmagic » Tue Jan 23, 2018 7:02 am

Best thing for cleaning it is baby item sterilisation tablets. Kill the germs and bacteria right off without any harmful chemicals at all. Works an absolute treat and costs next to nothing. Just dissolve in warm water and off you go.
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Post by Scott S » Tue Jan 23, 2018 9:26 pm

Crazy Harry wrote: Mon Jan 22, 2018 8:36 pm
Scott S wrote: Mon Jan 22, 2018 8:21 pm
Crazy Harry wrote: Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:44 pmHi Scott, what problem are you trying to fix?
Hi. There no problem I just thought it might have been a good idea. I just wanted to know dosage and process really

Cheers scott :driving:
They can tend to go a bit 'green' over a damp winter - I can see a slight tint on mine so it will get a scrub over with 'Milton fluid'. Then first dry day a going over with a stiff (plastic bristle) brush and the vacuum cleaner - I kid you not. This gets the majority of dirt out of the fibres then hot soapy water. Its amazing how well they come up.

If its fading then the treatment outlined above will darken the colour. The top layer doesn't have to be sealed there is a waterproof membrane under the outer layer.
RickRob wrote: Mon Jan 22, 2018 9:58 pmAdding a bit more to the above.

The AG roof cleaner kit has a protector which is waterproof. I say this because when just done the water beads just like water on polished paint. Some people think this is OK, others say it can mess with what the construction of the roof is supposed to do; I.e the top surface is porous and a lower level is waterproof.

Therefore adding liquid shoe polish to the AG product isn't going to make the roof any more waterproof.

If I were you I'd give the roof a really good clean with the AG kit, having vacuumed it first. With mine that got it all back to black!
Hi, I did Hoover the roof, cleaned it then treated with some sort of camping seal. This seems to have work. I've had the car covered a fair bit over this winter. There is t any green on the roof at this moment.

I can't wait for it today up, get warm then I can get the car clean and get driving. :driving:

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Post by Scott S » Tue Jan 23, 2018 9:28 pm

Hi all

All these tips are really useful and helpful.

Cheers to all

Scott

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