Hi all,
I have a 1993 Mk1. and the vinyl hood could be better. I have three issues with it:
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Sticky black stuff all over it from the chap who owned it before me.
-
Faded areas due to age
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A white patch on the top of the roof where a seagull dive-bombed the car. Rubbed off the poo with a damp cloth and now the roof has gone white/shiny in that area. It’s almost like the black colour on the top of the ‘grain’ has been stripped off the vinyl?!
I have bought this kit but I believe this will just clean it and then proof it. I assume this won’t really restore any of the black colour. If not then it seems I will need something else to use after I have cleaned it but before I use the proofer.
It doesn’t look like Renovo offer anything like this for vinyl hoods unless I have totally missed it! Do you have any suggestions? There are many ideas out there but I want to use something that will not interfere with the Renovo cleaner/proofer I will be using.
Thanks
All I used on my vinyl roof (Mk1) was Autoglym vinyl and rubber treatment. It needs regular treatment though as it wears off, no big deal though. Also I have used (shh don’t tell everyone) Autoglym tyre treatment or a similar product, does just as good a job, wipe excess off though being as it’s on the roof.
Before all this of course give the roof a good clean and scrub before applying. Above treatment not for mohair hoods, that’s totally different.
all the Renovo stuff is all for fabric roofs not for vinyl so far as I’m aware, so if you have the stuff I think you have I wouldn’t use on your roof. What the stuff you have called and is yours definitely a vinyl (plastic) roof?
Maybe part of your problem if its got sticky stuff on it is that previously it has wrongly had Renovo applied and unlike on a cloth roof it doesn’t soak in.
I’ve only ever use Autoglym Vinyl and Rubber stuff on mine, cleans it, protects it. Looks as new after 15 years! Black boot polish is also supposed to be good, maybe that will put the colour back.
Thanks for the replies. Sorry, I completely forgot to link to the products I have bought! Here is the link. It does say they are for vinyl…
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/292090361324?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Renovo deffo do a vinyl range. You have to make sure that you use the correct ones as the mohair onws dont work properly on the vinyl hoods. Used them on my Mk1 (when I had it) and they bring the hood up nicely. Obviously if the hood is really faded then it may not bring the color back but a few goes with the cleaner finishing off with the proofer should do a decent job.
Follow the instructiona and all should be good
Personally I would have tried other products first, the one’s mentioned above (Autoglym) are good and can be used all over the car like rubber seals, black plastic trim, interior plastic/vinyl trim, engine bay etc.
The black sticky stuff, have you tried a small amount of white spirit on a cloth to remove it? Treat with care though, try a small area first then wash off with soapy water. If I remember I used this method on a grotty hood, came up a treat and looked good after using the Autoglym stuff as above.
This is from the Renovo site:
Soft Top Vinyl Cleaner
Do
- Test on an inconspicuous area to ensure vinyl is colourfast dyed.
- Use a clean paint brush or sponge to apply.
- Leave Vinyl Cleaner on for 10-20 minutes for general cleaning.
- Leave Vinyl Cleaner on for 40-60 minutes for stubborn dirt.
- Wear protective gloves whilst applying.
- Allow to dry before applying Vinyl Ultra Proofer.
- Use every 6-12 months.
Don’t
- Use on fabric soft tops.
- Use a power jet wash to clean a fabric soft top
- Apply in direct sunlight.
- Forget to shake the bottle prior to use.
Soft Top Vinyl Ultra Proofer
Do
- Ensure that the soft top is thoroughly cleaned.
- Ensure that you have sufficient Vinyl Ultra Proofer to complete a full coat.
- Keep a soft damp cloth ready to wipe off any splashes or dribbles on paintwork and glass.
- Work in a timely fashion to ensure that the edges of the freshly applied Vinyl Ultra Proofer do not dry out too quickly.
- Work from the centre outwards round and round the vehicle.
- Apply to a dry top and allow Vinyl Ultra Proofer to dry completely before applying further product or taking out in the rain.
- Use every 6-12 months.
Don’t
- Use on fabric soft tops.
- Forget to shake the Vinyl Ultra Proofer bottle prior to use.
- Dilute or mix the Vinyl Ultra Proofer with any other product.
- Apply the Vinyl Ultra Proofer in direct sunlight or on a hot day that will cause the Vinyl Ultra Proofer to dry too quickly.
- Allow to dry on glass and paintwork.
- Apply to fabric soft tops or cars with modified paintwork.
The Renovo stuff is just a cleaner and waterproofer. It is not a colour restorer. A good clean may help naturally restore some of the colour but any areas significantly faded will probably just become more obvious. Did a quick search on the internet and found this stuff:
https://www.atggmbh.com/en/convertible-plastic-vinyl-top-dye-cabriolet-hood-dye-grey/repair-color/a-201/
Can’t vouch for its effectiveness but says it can be used on vinyl hoods. Seems to be several other products around so might be worth trying one.
Thanks for all the advice. I have come across this stuff which is on Amazon which may be easier for me to get hold of.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forever-Black-Black-Top-Vinyl-Tops/dp/B001879CUS
There is a video showing how effective it is in ‘blacking’ a vinyl soft top:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU3PeLVKXxs
My question with this is if I were to clean with Renovo cleaner then apply this stuff to bring it to a nice black would I then be able to use the proofer in my Renovo kit?
Basically I am adding a third step between the cleaning and proofing. I am concerned that there may be some sort of reaction or side-effect when adding the proofer to the dyed roof. It may be that nobody knows and it is a bit of a punt. I think the blacktop dye would simply dye the roof and then the colour is ‘fixed’ and shouldn’t be affected by the proofer but i’m not sure!