Well, the Mini Lounge tells me that the "new addition" is "waiting transport".
Its a Mini Cooper S Convertible with black paint, black leather interior, black convertible top and white stripes.
I am trying to get everything together to welcome her to the fold!
I favor Autoglym products for the polishing process, using resin wax and final protectant on both of my other vehicles, (both of which are also black!), but I am searching for the best product for the convertible top.
I have heard on some forums that 303 products are the best for this job, with a cleaner and protectant two stage process.
First question......Is the top canvas? This will define which 303 products to use, as they seem to offer products for both Vinyl and canvas.
Second question.....Are 303 products the right ones to use? Again, I have heard good things about them, but there is nothing like first hand experience.
Living in the Chicago area, we are subject to extremes of weather, and although the car will be garaged, and the garage is heated and air conditioned, the environment and extremes of climate in this area seem to play havoc with most convertible tops I have seen.
Thanks in advance of your valued input.

 

I have my MCSC and the top is cloth and I have ordered the 303 kit. I have a friend that makes tops and this is all he uses and recommends. My cabrio is only a couple of weeks old so I have not used it yet but I will be soon.

 

Thanks for the input, 4th Gear, and it seems to both come from a reliable source and matches what I have seen in other posts.
I hear that when applying the 303 protectant, it is advisable to mask off the rear window and surrounding paintwork...Apparently the stuff is hell to remove from these surfaces.
Any more comments, anyone?

 

To be honest, I've driven rag tops for a long time and never used anything but plain water. :smile:

Donna
02' CR/W MCS & 05' Cool Blue MCSC

 

I have used 303 on several of my cloth tops with great success. You should apply it twice a year especially on the seams. It will definitely keep the top in better condition, better sealed and tighter across the bows. (Moisture allowed to penetrate the seams will let the material stretch creating unsightly pulls and can cause buffeting.) Also it makes the top more resistant to staining.

If you prefer something that is easier to apply, get Raggtopp. The aerosol is just faster. It's just as good a protectant. I used this on my Boxster for 4 years.

I had a friend with a two week old Cabrio Mini get a pidgeon poop stain on his black top. We cleaned it with detergent and everything to no avail. We used 303 Cleaner and it worked great!

Yes, you should mask off the paintwork and window.

 

I've had ragtops over several years and have never used anything but water.

 

There is a sticky on bimmerfest which gives my take on cabrio top care.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34595