WATER LEAKAGE

[NEWBIRD]

AFTER HAVING MY CAR 21 HOURS I WENT TO THE HAND WAND CAR WASH AND RINSED THE DUST OFF. WHEN WE TOOK THE TOP OFF SUNDAY, BOTH SIDES OF THE CANVAS TOP WERE WET. ANY SUGGESTIONS. THANKS 02TBIRD

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[pbocciardi]

I think this is a common problem, Newbird. I drove through a heavy rainstorm on Saturday, took the hard top off when I got home, and found the same small amount of water. Others have posted similar stories.

What do the rest of you out there think? Will this end up damaging the soft top in any way if we don't remove the hard top every time we go through some water?

 

[DavidA]

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. THe new materials are very water resistant and mildew resistant as well. Besides, if this is a real problem, Ford will have to replace the top under warranty and fix the problem on an awful lot of cars. Taking the hardtop off and on is more dangerous to the car and the tops in my humble opinion.

 

[jodrod]

A word on mildew. Don't let it start! On my Mustang with a white top, it got a little a head of me during the summer. In FL in the summer the humidity never goes below 85%. Once it starts it is next to impossible to get rid of. The Stang had a vynal convertable top, not cloth like the Bird, so I don't know if this will make a difference. Believe me, I am not willing to find out. Also, you won't be able to use any bleach on the black top.

Nasty, nasty stuff.

 

[yellowwing1]

I found no water on my top, but some dust like spots. I think a brush would get them out. Am I ok using a brush on the top to get the spots out? Joy

 

[Tom M]

Yellowwing1:

Start with a sponge. If that doesn't remove the marks you can GENTLY use a soft brush on your top with no problem.

Griot's Garage (griotsgarage.com) makes an excellent boars hair brush but it's quite expensive.

There are a number of top cleaners made expressly for convertible tops, personally I use a 20:1 diluted Simple Green solution. It's cheap & effective.

Tom M.

 

[2birdblue]

I took my hardtop after delivery in October and again a few days ago to enjoy our pleasant weather. No signs on my car of any water spots. Lucky setup?

 

[Chief]

What is the soft top outer material?
What kind of cleaner should be used?
Where can it be purchased?

My Bird is in storage, haven't had the hard top off yet. (154 miles on unit)

 

[thenewtbird2]

The soft top is fabric (not vinyl), and you should rarely have to use anything more than water on the top. When it's dry, a lint remover can be used or a vacuum cleaner. A soft brush will work on more stubborn spots. As for "cleaners" - I would avoid and only use as a last resort.

Checked the owners manual and no mention is made there of how to take care of the soft top (unless it's in some other spot than the Cleaning section)

 

[jodrod]

I have applied 303 Products cloth top protectant and it is doing a nice job of repelling water. It has been on about a month now with no signs of degradation.

A word of caution though. If you do decide to try it, mask off the windows and body areas around the top. It is impossible to apply without getting overspray on the vehicle, which I did. I had to remove it with mineral spirits, which fortunatly did no harm to the paint. However, if the car has been waxed, the mineral spirits will probably remove the wax.

One spray bottle will just cover the top, so I would suggest getting two in case you notice spots that were not thourghly covered there will be additional to recoat.

I have also used 303 Products Aerospace protectant on the dash and tires. It was applied at the same time and it also seems to be going strong. It does not leave a finish like Armorall does, after application you would not know it has been applied.