When I first got my roadster, the top beaded like crazy, but now it's lost that. Does anyone have any recommendations about what I should use? I do have a convertible top cleaner which does a great job at cleaning but not protecting. Mini does make something for this, but I was wondering what you folks use.

 

303 fabric repellent is by far the best product out there for the money. One treatment yearly

 

Raggtop fabric protectant

 

Raggtopp Convertible Top Cleaner & Fabric Protectant are recommended products by HAARTZ, the manufacture of the BMW and MINI convertible tops. It has been my professional experience to go with what the manufacture recommends. It usually works the best and is specifically designed for their product.

 

303 is the best!

 

That's what I use too. Applied with a foam brush to get a thorough coating. Very durable.

 

303 is on sale atm, too. $20 for the 32oz

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. I decided to go with 303 although what Mr. T said about going with the recommended product made a lot of sense. I'll post something up after I try it this weekend. Thanks again folks!

 

I'm waiting to see if they replace my top because of the rubbing issue. Once I know what they are going to do I'll either put the Raggtop on this one, or on the new one.

 

I treated my top with the Raggtopp Convertible Top Cleaner & Fabric Protectant yesterday. It looks velvety black. Very happy with this product.

 

I did 303 on mine last night and it looks good, actually looks cleaner than just washing.

Question for you guys: Do you spray it on and leave it alone or do you rub it in? When I sprayed mine on it looked.... i guess dusty or frosty. There were VERY small particles/bubbles kind of sitting on the surface and not soaking in. I was a bit worried that it would dry funny, so i did another misting to get it wet and then used a small lintless square of fabric to work it in. The top is DEFINITELY waterproof again, but I'm wondering what hte results would have been if I had left it alone. What should I do next time?

 

I pour it into a container and use a foam brush to get a full, heavy, even coating. After initial application, it has that frosty/bubbly appearance that you describe. After it dries just a bit, I run over it the surface again with the unfilled foam brush in even, front-to-rear strokes. This second pass removes the frostiness and makes it look nice, black, and pretty.

 

The Raggtop comes in a aerosol spray can. Just clean the car and top, let it dry and spray on. It could not be easier, and it beads the rain like crazy.

 

I tried the 303 (finally) at it went on easy. The warning they give you is to keep it away from rubber, so to make sure, I wrapped the seal of the top with painters tape. I didn't get the "dusty" look you did Zlog, but I did mine in the middle of the day in bright sunlight. I sprayed it on in multiple rows and left it. It seems to bead up the water nicely with my test, but, I'm waiting for the first rain to really see how it does.

 

I have used both RaggTop and 303, and they both work very well. Over the long term, I settled on 303 because it is a better value (RaggTop in an aerosol can contains much less product than 303 in a spray bottle), and I've seen that 303 is popular in the boating and sailing community, which I think is a testament to its effectiveness.

With both products, after spraying on, I rub down the top with my hand in a plastic bag. Maybe it isn't necessary, but it just makes me feel that I'm helping it penetrate the fabric more.

 

Resurrecting an older thread, rather than starting a dupe...

I've been a 303 guy but this stuff has been getting a lot of press lately, and I noticed that they're now advertising a clear solution intended for fabric. Has anyone given this product a try on their soft top? The videos on TV are pretty impressive, though it could be a case of "too good to be true." Maybe this isn't really that significantly different from RaggTopp and 303.

Rust-Oleum NeverWet

 

A little more googling puts the lie to the NeverWet hype.

It's not intended for electronics or cloth regardless of what the video shows.

It leaves a milky white residue over everything. This residue is what provides the water resistance.

The residue starts to flake off immediately.

It has a very finite life span. This product is far from "never" wet. If you let the product sit in water for about 5 minutes, or wait for it to flake off, whatever you applied it to will be soaked.

 

I just did the RaggTop myself a couple of weeks ago, but I hadn't looked at this thread in a while so I forgot the plastic bag trick. I think you are right, immediately after application it seems to be sitting on top of the fabric like dew, and not actually penetrating. It hasn't rained much since I did it, and I haven't even had chance to wash the car, so I can't comment on the beading.

 

Well, I missed that trick.
Definitely something I'm going to try!
Thanks Spiney!

 

Here's my top about 4 weeks after treating with Raggtop: