Its time to waterproof he hood - help please
Discussion
I agree with Petros RE Fabsil. You can buy a tin (not the spray can) from outdoor/camping shops for about £11. Decant into a bowl and use a paintbrush to apply to the whole roof- including the targa panel.
It dries quickly and leaves no residue. I give the velcro/stitched sections behind the windows a double coat
>> Edited by kenny chim 4 on Thursday 14th April 23:41
It dries quickly and leaves no residue. I give the velcro/stitched sections behind the windows a double coat
>> Edited by kenny chim 4 on Thursday 14th April 23:41
I agree with Thompsons. As you are a virgin the process I would do is clean the hood first, you will see any big bits of dirt(bird poo) - a damp cloth usually does the trick, then I find going over it with a vacuum cleaner gets the dust off, then proof away, do it sparingly and you'll soon get a 'feel' for it.
jem said:
use a renovo kit first to re establish the colour.
although some colours aren't supported. Also, the Renovo colour may not quite match the original hood colour. For that reason I run a vacuum cleaner over the roof and then use Autoglym's Fabric Hood Conditioner to spruce it up a bit. I've always used Renovo waterproofer, but hear good things about Fabsil and Thompson's.
Whatever you use, I would recommend that you have a paper towel handy to wipe up any overspray. Also, go over any mopped up overspray with Autoglym Super Resin Polish to make sure it's all off...
OK pop-pickers I have just finished my hood and here is what I found to be a good sequence.
1) Vacuum the hood
2) Use some specialist hood cleaner, I washed mine twice with Tuurtle Wax fabric roof cleaner
3) Remove the centre panel and lay on table
4) With the rest of the hood in Targa position mask off all surrounding areas with 2" masking tape, under the roof bar, the rear window, either side of the Targa panel, body etc.
5) Apply two or three coats of Renovo roof restorer, applying in straight lines working from the centre allowing each coat to dry overnight
6) Apply two coats of Thompsons Waterseal to the roof and panel again allowing each one to dry overnight.
Comes up lovely!
The beauty of doing it with the panel out of the car is that all fabric in the joins and recesses gets an even colour continuation.
1) Vacuum the hood
2) Use some specialist hood cleaner, I washed mine twice with Tuurtle Wax fabric roof cleaner
3) Remove the centre panel and lay on table
4) With the rest of the hood in Targa position mask off all surrounding areas with 2" masking tape, under the roof bar, the rear window, either side of the Targa panel, body etc.
5) Apply two or three coats of Renovo roof restorer, applying in straight lines working from the centre allowing each coat to dry overnight
6) Apply two coats of Thompsons Waterseal to the roof and panel again allowing each one to dry overnight.
Comes up lovely!
The beauty of doing it with the panel out of the car is that all fabric in the joins and recesses gets an even colour continuation.
i'd also add that you should mask off the rubbers, on the back part of the hood, and on the ends of the targa panel, as thompson's causes the rubber to swell a bit.
otherwise it's great stuff and cheap.
have used fabsil in the past on tents and it didn't last too well on those, can't comment on the hood.
edited to also add, i used the folded edge of newspaper pages pushed in around the targa seal, which the rubber held in place.
used lots of paper around the base of the hood with masking tape - and don't leave that on the paint to dry out a lot, as this will leave behind glue on the paint.
sheets over the seats.
didn't bother to mask the window, was just very careful, as the tompsons is thin enough to wick round the canvas.
wipe any spills immediately with clean soft cloth, particularly on the window i'm told ( never left any there long enough to find out what happens, but i can imagine the solvents attacking the plastic ).
lastly the covers sold by the likes of leven go right over the hood and the windscreen, which means if you do have to leave the car outside in heavy rain for any length of time, it makes it much more pleasent intially - like it's been in the garage. easier on the nerves too
not essential ( my car hasn't leaked at all, in the time i've had it ) though - the hood is designed to keep the interior dry, after all
>> Edited by chimburt on Saturday 16th April 00:33
otherwise it's great stuff and cheap.
have used fabsil in the past on tents and it didn't last too well on those, can't comment on the hood.
edited to also add, i used the folded edge of newspaper pages pushed in around the targa seal, which the rubber held in place.
used lots of paper around the base of the hood with masking tape - and don't leave that on the paint to dry out a lot, as this will leave behind glue on the paint.
sheets over the seats.
didn't bother to mask the window, was just very careful, as the tompsons is thin enough to wick round the canvas.
wipe any spills immediately with clean soft cloth, particularly on the window i'm told ( never left any there long enough to find out what happens, but i can imagine the solvents attacking the plastic ).
lastly the covers sold by the likes of leven go right over the hood and the windscreen, which means if you do have to leave the car outside in heavy rain for any length of time, it makes it much more pleasent intially - like it's been in the garage. easier on the nerves too
not essential ( my car hasn't leaked at all, in the time i've had it ) though - the hood is designed to keep the interior dry, after all
>> Edited by chimburt on Saturday 16th April 00:33
I'm probably being dense here, but is thompsons water seal the same as you can use on brickwork?
Where can I get some?
I've had my car a week now, and the heavy rains of thursday and friday have left me with wet carpets, worse at the rear edges of the doors, so I'm guessing it needs waterproofing asap.
Where can I get some?
I've had my car a week now, and the heavy rains of thursday and friday have left me with wet carpets, worse at the rear edges of the doors, so I'm guessing it needs waterproofing asap.
Yes, its the same stuff. You should be able to get it from B&Q, or perhaps ordered from Screwfix.
If your carpets are wet, pull them out immediately! You don't want them to start smelling the car out, and they'll take ages to dry out properly left in the car.
Check the rubber seals around the Targa section, make sure they're all intact as a worn seal could be letting water in as well.
If your carpets are wet, pull them out immediately! You don't want them to start smelling the car out, and they'll take ages to dry out properly left in the car.
Check the rubber seals around the Targa section, make sure they're all intact as a worn seal could be letting water in as well.
bojger said:
Corin - I wanted to find out if Renovo Restorer works well with Thompsons and you've answered my question.
Did you have to buy 1L of the 'Soft Top Reviver' or was 500ml sufficient for two coats. I'm planning to do the job in the summer.
Cheers
Mark
Three coats from a 500ml bottle and still got some left!
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