I would like to know from somebody who used their convertible in winter. How is fabric roof withstand cold, dirt and road salt? Any issues? How easy to maintain?

 

I'm not in a very cold area, or an area that uses salt, but the canvas is very resilient. The main issue is seam failure, which seems to be more of a problem in warm climates, but it will likely happen on all of them in time.

 

I drive mine all year in Colorado. No issues.

 

I pray that Im not going to encounter seam issue. I check my pretty often and it seems to be in like new shape.

 

Non at all? How do you clean fabric from salt residue when it is freezing outside?

How do you handle rwd benz on Colorado steep hills in winter?

 

Colorado does not use regular road salt. No rust or corrosion or that white crusty salt reside on cars here. I live in Denver, which is not hilly. I would not use it on mountain roads in winter if it has snowed. But unless there is no more than maybe 4" on the street surface, which is rare, I have no issue driving it with all season tires.

 

Plus I should add that Denver is not nearly as cold and snowy as most people who do not live here think it is. So as for washing, I just do it on warm days, which are pretty common. Lots of winter days in the 50s and 60s and sometimes even 70s here.

 

Damn! What kind of road salt do they use? Here in NJ they do a huge mess! Any color car becomes pale white! I really hate this part of winter.

 

The wife has a BMW Z3, we treat the canvas top every six months or so with 303 Fabric Protectant, seems to do a good job. I used to own a Geo Tracker a long time ago and the seams were constantly fraying, precise application of crazy glue on the thread was my best friend.

 

I use that stuff in summer too.
How do you clean salt from the fabric on wife's bmw?

 

The only time I did anything special with the top was to scrub it with a scrub brush with car wash soap from the wash bucket right after she got the car. She doesn't really like to drive it when it's very cold, says the heater is only so-so. We also have a Grand Cherokee. For salt removal might want to use hot water and scrub and rinse thoroughly.
BTW for salt removal on the underside of all our cars I park them over a small doughnut shaped sprinkler and it pull by the hose from front to back. I usually let it spray the underside for a good thirty minutes of so.

 

Thank you very much for tip! Very helpful.
How do you handle bird droppings? I nearly have a heart attack when I see one.

 

Mostly a fairly fine gravel/sand and some liquid stuff sometimes.

 

There are several options for cleaning the canvas. Raggtopp is a favorite, but there are other options. I like Griot's Garage products. I use a medium nylon bristle brush and Griot's fabric/interior cleaner to clean the canvas. I treat it once a year with Rust-Oleum NeverWet for Outdoor Canvas. The only problem I have is that that the NeverWet repels water so well, I can get a face full of water when getting into the car when it's raining - my weight in the seat makes it all come running off in my direction!

As for seam failure, they use a high-temp glue, but with heat and solar radiation, it deteriorates. I initially tried repairing mine with contact adhesive (Goop brand Boot & GLove adhesive works well) but it's messy, and it's also impossible to glue the inner fold without removing the top. I eventually replaced the canvas with a Robbin's top (they use OEM Haartz fabric). Their seam is glued AND stitched.

 

This is great. Your state cares about your cars. I really like it and wish we had it here.

 

I use 303 for cleaning and repellency but it still absorbs some of the liquid over the short time. My guess I didn't spray enough so I bought a whole gallon for treatment this summer.

Granted, my seam holds especially well. My top is in great shape. In some spots it has unremovable marks for some reason. God know what it could be within 10 years of life.

 

I make a dam around the blob with a disposable rag and flush the crap out of it with water, then wipe after it's all lifted.

 

I don't understand what kind of dam you are talking about. Could you explain that part, please?
Do tou work on fresh or dry one? Which one is better?

 

You might want to try some kind of fabric protector after you clean your top like KIWI or Scotch Guard. Just do a search on ebay or Walmart.com for "Fabric Protector" and see what comes up. This stuff will keep your top dry and stain free even in rain and especially from bird droppings. It keeps the poop from sticking. I know first hand what the winters are like back east. I am originally from NYC and the weather is probably the biggest reason I now live in California.

 

What is about 303 series? I use both of them. Aren't they sufficient enough?

 

I put a rag AROUND the spill to contain the run off. The idea is to flood and lift off the poop using lots of liquid WITHOUT rubbing (and scratching)the clear. Bird poop is highly acidic and is said to soften and eventually etch clear coat so it's best to remove it as quick as possible. Not sure if the MB ceramic clear is any more durable than regular clear in that regard or not.

BTW back on subject I use 303 protectant as it got good reviews on Amazon, never tried anything else so I can't compare. People have said it makes a mess so I applied it with a foam paint brush and tape off trim with blue painter's tape.

 

It is not a biggie on paint. I was asking about dropping on soft top.

303 does mess indeed. That's why preparation takes 4 times longer than actual spraying procedure.