Convertible tops and salt and grime from winter....
 

Any roadster owners in the northern areas who drive year round? I haven't driven mine in the winter yet, but, my daughter is now 16 and my Z may become my daily driver. I'm worried about the convertible top in the winter with all the salt and grime that would get on it. Anyone have experience with this? Is there something I can do to protect it from the salt and crap? Will it wear to faster? Will it get stained? Our winters can be harsh here in Chicagoland. Thanks in advance.

Hi

I don't live up north but the best thing you can do is keep it clean & use a protectant on it. The two popular ones are 303 fabric protectant & raggtopp. I use Raggtopp & it has worked very good for me.

RAGGTOPP Convertible Top Care

303 high tech fabric guard, 303 fabric guard

Hope this helps.

Bearfan,

While I have never driven any of my convertibles in the winter here in Southern Ontario, Canada, I have done enough convertible research over the years.

The two products OldGuyFla suggests are the two that I have found that everyone swears by for antique as well as modern cloth tops. There may be others but these two sit at the top of the pile.

Gene

Another Option
 

In addition to the 2 products mentioned by OldGuyFla, another that is right up there is Meguiar's Convertible Top Cleaner:
http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotiv...e-top-cleaner/
I live in Chicago too. Between my wife and me, we have had 4 convertibles including my current Z roadster over the past 25 years, and have always driven them year-round. This nearly snowless winter is the first for the Z, but Meguiar's has always been good for the previous ragtops.

Winter Tires
 

Bearfan, if you have not driven your Z in snow, you may not realize how important a set of winter tires will be. The stock Potenzas combined with rear drive and a light rear end give you very little control even in light snow. I have been driving in snow for 50 years and can't recall another car where the winter tires were quite as critical.

Does the Meguirs have UV protection? I hadn't heard of that one.

Thanks for the information. These products, how is it applied and how often?

Hi
The two I mentioned are basically sprayed on. There is one member here that puts the 303 brand on with a brush & says it works real good for him.
How often really depends on the conditions that the top is subjected to. If it starts not beading up then it is time to reapply. As for me I keep mine in a garage & I don't drive it in the rain very often, so I only reapply twice a year. I never let mine stop beading up.

Maguiar's
 

The Meguiar's is a cleaner, but not a protectant. So, no it does not offer UV protection.

The Meguiar's sprays on and rinses off. It is a cleaner, but not a protectant. A protectant might be a good idea, especially if the car is not garaged. For that, one of the other products mentioned previously might be a better bet.

I use 303 Fabric Protectant twice a year. While it is supposed to be sprayed on, I apply it with a cheap nylon bristle paint brush. (I'm the guy OldGuy was talking about.) The brush method allows me more control over application - no overspray, direct placement where I want it, easy application to seams, a second coat after it soaks in. I tried spraying the first time but found the brush method to be much easier to control.

Prior to applying the protectant I use 303 Fabric Cleaner to clean the top. Once it's dry I move to application of the protectant.

The only down side to using the brush method, if it is in fact a down side, is that I use more each application. When I'm done water beads like a fresh wax job. In a heavy rain it'll eventually soak in. After all, it is fabric. But the heavier application seems to work better than the spray method did.

I just finished a treatment of protectant on my top. It makes the top look like new again.

For anyone that isn't using a protectant on their top, I would recommend that you think about it. Especially if the Z is kept outside all the time. It will help keep the top in good condition longer.

Dan