Roof care

smorris_12

Senior member
 Somerset
Just over 4 years ago in a rush of blood to the wallet and after a quadruple password bypass, I bought my Z4. About a month later I noticed it was a convertible and enthusiastically bought a soft top restoration kit to keep the car in tip top condition.

It promptly arrived and I popped it onto a shelf in the garage to wait for a dry and not overly sunny day with no chance of rain, as per the instructions. It wasn't long before, bang, four years had passed and I dug it out, err, last week.

It's the Renovo (I thought they made laptops?) Soft Top Restoration Kit, and it's excellent:


Renovo_Soft_Top_Restoration_Kit.jpg

It's got a bottle of jollop for cleaning, a bottle of dye to ruin your shirt with and a bottle of waterproofer to spill everywhere. You apply each with a 2" brush that may, or may not, have come with it. It's been so long it's all fallen out of my eBay history and I can't remember if I bought them separately and popped them in the box to keep it all together.

My roof had some dark yellow/brown staining which I'd not really shifted any other way so I opened the cleaner and, to be honest, neither did this. The roof otherwise seemed clean and it didn't burn holes in it so we'll call it a win. It's the most economical bottle and I'll get several more washes out of it so that's all good.

The dye bottle made a lovely job of my skin so I'm a shoe-in for the next revival of The Jazz Singer, but also took the roof to a deep shade of black that would annoy Procul Harem. The staining of the roof disappeared a treat; I may have overdone it a bit in places but I really wanted it gone. I've probably used slightly over half a bottle but with a light touch it'd do two E85 roofs. But only if you've got two E85s.

Another few hours passed without unexpected snow and I did the top coat. I was maybe a bit quick because of the excess dye I'd applied in places but I wanted to get it done before the last crack of recorded time. This was a funny one. The previous two coats had been fairly clear about where I'd already been. This one I've a horrible feeling I lost where I'd got to several times and retraced my footsteps (reminder, take off your hobnail boots before standing on the roof) and I used, again, over half a bottle. However, the end result didn't look patchy, it didn't affect the lovely black dye and, yesterday, after the rain gods looked down and unzipped, it looked like this...

IMG_20260516_193951455_HDR.jpg

... which seems like the sort of thing that people who own two wash buckets like.

So, in conclusion, I Can't Believe It's Not Roof Cleaner went on nicely, did what it said on the tin, reached the parts other roof cleaners can't (because I lifted the roof a bit to get my hand under the hidden bit at the back that traps bugs and hay) and left me with enough beads to win over the natives.

That's a solid XVIII out of 0x00010100 from me and I look forward to using it next year in 2031.

I'm just a happy customer, no association with Renovo. In fact they've asked if I can still recommending them as it's hurting sales.
 
Interested now to hear how this roof retracts. Some say it makes the material stiffer and the motor can struggle to lock it fully down?
 
I've only put it down once since and it seemed ok. I don't think it's added any great thickness (I hope not or or would lead to cracking at the folds) and the motor doesn't sound any more strained but of course it's hard for me to judge as I've no experience of what it would have been like out of the factory. I've often wondered how long the butyl will stay supple - I almost try not to use it too much to avoid problems.
 
Nice writeup and that's a job I really need to get around to as well one of these days!
Also very much enjoyed your writing style; got anything else to review? :)
 
I've used Renovo on both my Z4 and previous MX5 - and it's always worked very well. Now, it's interesting that the comment was made about the roof not retracting all the way and locking down, as mine never has. I've always retracted it until the little red light goes out, and then just lean on it a bit until it clunks into place. I just put it down to getting a bit old and creaky. The roof, too, is no longer in the first flush of youth. But in all seriousness, I've not noticed the roof becoming any less compliant after being treated with Renovo.
 
Did you keep the receipt?
Not often you see a spoonbill in the UK.
Clever, I like that!

My roof worked fine in Scottish rain last weekend too!
I found a damp patch that other day under the rubber boot liner. It had me worried until I realised it was probably me being a bit over enthusiastic with the hose.


But I didn't keep the receipt last time I bought tea spoons. :oops:

Then how will you know how many you've lost?
 
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