[den123]

is autoglym good for protecting the hood also whats the best way to clean the hood never had fabric hood before thanks

[Peter Crowl]

Well..if you do a search here you'll find a few discussions on the subject. One is just a few doors down ...Hood Cleaner by name. You can also go to www.northamericanmotoring.com and then to the forum Detailing 101 where discussions have been held on top maintenance.

Absent that, www.autopia.org is the definitive source for detailing knowledge and discussion

there you'll find things such as...

http://autopia.org/forums/showthread...ht=cloth+t op

and

http://autopia.org/forums/showthread...ght=Raggtop p

Essentially...wash the top with a good auto shampoo...dry with microfiber towels to avoid lint...then seal with your choice of products. Auto Glym, RaggTopp, 303...it's all good.

Others may disagree...but my personal advice is ...never go through a commercial car wash with your MINI Cabrio. Never. Harsh detergents live there...it's not a car wash it's the Cave of Horrors. Seriously.

But others will disagree and that's OK too.


Peter...installing an outdoor hot water tap today...in Denver

[mxyzptlk]

Its been raining here in Southern California (shocking, i know) so i've been putting off my mini's first car wash. I plan on taking it to the car wash that my mother uses, which is hands only car wash. I was honestly thinking of just telling them to leave the hood alone and only wash the rest of the car... maybe just apply some sort of cloth protectant on my own.

Would that be okay? i mean, its a black hood and i dont want it fading or anything

[Peter Crowl]

Quote: Originally Posted by mxyzptlk

Its been raining here in Southern California (shocking, i know) so i've been putting off my mini's first car wash. I plan on taking it to the car wash that my mother uses, which is hands only car wash. I was honestly thinking of just telling them to leave the hood alone and only wash the rest of the car... maybe just apply some sort of cloth protectant on my own.

Would that be okay? i mean, its a black hood and i dont want it fading or anything

Well...sure...but you'll have to wash the hood before you treat it...and all the dirt and wash water will cascade down over the clean body. You could wash and treat the hood first..but then you're so far into the job you might as well wash the car too.

Are there hand wash restrictions where you live? I mean why not do it all? It may sound odd...but I find detailing our cars to be very ... calming. I like doing it and I love the results.

Go to Autopia ....org... and look around. You just might like it.


Peter....caressing the curves...in Denver

[indimini]

Another thing to consider is that most of the fabric sealants need a dry roof before you apply it. With all the rain you've been having in So.Cal, you may need to let her sit indoors for 12-24 hours before you want to put a product like 303 on. And then, you need a day of dry weather to let it set properly.

You may do best to let the rain pass and do a proper hand washing with a good fabric cleaner (I find the 303 cleaner to be great) and seal it.

Good luck!

[SimonL]

Has anyone tried this?, is it any good?

Cheers,

Simon.,

[funk-star]

I used to use this on my mk1 golf rivage with a hessian roof, works really well.

[Cadfael_Tex]

Found two hood cleaning kits available here in the US and was wondering if anybody has used them. One is from 303 who I've heard good things about on this site and the other is from Mother's who I have had good experience with in the past. Also, since I won't be getting mine for about a week - the top is fabric, right?

[kenatMiniMania]

I used the cleaner / treatment kit made by Raggtop. Seems to work well - the water beads up nicely on the top now (after the recommended 3 coats). I also ordered the 303 treatment to give it a try - the Raggtop was an aerosol, the 303 is a spray bottle.

ken

[heatherh]

I use the Ragg Topp products, too. The water beads right off. I have noticed that after several washings (avoiding getting shampoo on the top), I have a few spots that could use a retouch.

[kenatMiniMania]

According to the owners manual (pg 116):

"After washing the convertible top three to five times, it should be treated with a waterproofing agent."

FYI,
Ken

[REHW]

I've just invested in the 303 fabric cleaner which I used yesterday and it removed some stains I have had on the car since just after it was new. Some kind people walking down the road rubbed donner kebab and chips into the roof, and spent quite some time making sure the chips were well and truely mashed into the weave of my roof. As my car was just 2 weeks old I wasn't too happy. Whilst I had tried cleaning it I couldn't get the grease out and it had left lasting marks. After using the 303 cleaner in a diluted format it was much better. Although as a final hit I tried it in concentrated format on the worst effected area and it is now perfect.

I'm going to use the the 303 fabric protector on it this evening so it should all be perfect again from this point forward.

Well done 303 cleaning products

[jimimini]

Hello everyone,

What is the best way of cleaning the roof on the convertible? If I wash it down with water I can't seem to get it dry and then it drips all over the freshly cleaned bodywork! What is the best convertible roof cleaner that you can get yuor hands on in the UK?

Jimimini

[minisoopercooper]

as i don't have a convertible I may not be the best person to answer but....

Autoglym do a fabric hood cleaner - and their range is usually top notch

[eeney]

Threre are a number of hood cleaners around, you should be able to find something in Halfords or somewhere similar, just make sure that you apply some kind of protectant after you've washed it as the cleaners may remove some of the protectant applied during manufacture.

Everyone here advises a product called 303 (do a search in this forum, it's kinda like Scotchguard for exterior vinyl/fabric). It appears to be a US product but I managed with a litttle effort to find it in Australia so I'm pretty certain you'll find it in Blighty.

When I clean my car I tend to vacuum the hood, it may sound a bit strange but this was the advice on the 303 product. Not sure if it works but I do it anyway

[jimimini]

Ok thanks I will see if I can find the 303 stuff. I have seen the Autoglym product as well so that seem like a good second plan.

Thanks for the advice!

[Shorty]

Quote: Originally Posted by jimimini

Ok thanks I will see if I can find the 303 stuff. I have seen the Autoglym product as well so that seem like a good second plan.

Thanks for the advice!

I've been using the Autoglym, it's good stuff

[REHW]

I used the 303 cleaner which was fantastic plus their fabric guard. you can get it on the net. Came in a couple of days. Try

www.thepolishingcompany.com

[rentagas]

I've stopped using autoglym, not that it's not any good-it is
It doesn't seem worth caring for the roof when it will inevitably need replacing, no matter what you do.

[MadisonMini]

Quote: Originally Posted by rentagas

I've stopped using autoglym, not that it's not any good-it is
It doesn't seem worth caring for the roof when it will inevitably need replacing, no matter what you do.

I agree with rentagas...I've was using Raggtop cleaner and protectant, but the top still looks terrible (it's certainly clean and protected, but the wear spots are very evident).

I'm going out of my way to clean my top until I get it replaced.