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      08-27-2012, 08:16 AM   #1
JHZR2
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DIY Convertible Top Water Repellent

Of course no convertible top is waterproof, and as such needs to have its repellent replenished every so often. I decided to do it yesterday as the car had been sitting in the garage for over a week so the top was bone dry. Some repellent products apparently want a dry top to prevent moisture from being sealed into the top or fibers. Not sure about how that works, but I started with a dry top all the same.

The top was clean of bird droppings and anything else visible, but I still cleaned it to be sure that dust and dirt was off. My garage is not well sealed, so it is likely to have dust on the car and on the top.

A horsehair brush was recommended as the tool of choice, so I have a US-made bricklayer's horsehair brush:



I brush in the direction of the fabric (mine is a silverlight top so there is a very fine silver thread in it, making it look almost grey, but also making it easy to see the fabric direction).

After that I have a horsehair vacuum attachment that I use to vacuum anything else out of the top. This way more embedded dirt may get pulled out, dust and other things can be removed easier. Honestly, though this and the brush are ONLY used for the convertible top, it seems that the top looks dirtier (little bits of stuff, not dust) after vacuum. It may be pulling up/out other bits in the fabric, or maybe just shuffling them around a bit so that they are more visible





After vacuuming I brush again and then are ready to go.

I use BMW top protectant, not because it is a BMW product, but because I like that I can control how much I make, how I apply it, and how anything spreads. Im not a fan of the sprays because of the potential for overspray, aerosolization of the spray, etc.





The product gets mixed in a 10:1 ratio with water. There is enough for 2.5L of solution, but youll never use that much on a car. 500mL is more than enough by far.

To apply, I utilize a grout sponge. These sponges are very popular in detailing circles now as compared to other methods like mitts and other sponges. The recommendation seemed to be some loose Greece-made sponges found at HD, but I wasnt able to find them. I was able to find German-made sponges though that seemed nice and soft.



I cut it smaller for more control.



And then wet it in a cup filled with 500mL of solution.



The sponge should be well wet, but rung out to not have too much excess. Then the solution can be worked over the surface. Good indirect light is helpful to be able to see what is wet and what is not. I like to work one section (between bars or seams) at a time, both sides, to get it complete. I pay special attention to areas where water will sit, like water gutter channels and for the seams where there is more potential for entry.



Just keep applying until the whole top is visibly damp and have had product applied.

Then take outside to dry in the sun (instructions say to apply in shade and dry in sun). I also use a microfiber towel after to blot the top to remove any excess that is present, so that the top has a consistent look to it and that there isnt extra repellent that will dry and stain or drip off.



A few things to note:

You end up using about 250mL of solution on a 135i sized top.



But you do not want to make just 250mL of solution, because no matter how well you clean the top, there will be some dirt that the sponge lifts out and will end up in the solution. Id like for it to stay in the solution rather than get re-distributed on the top.



Also, it is important to apply while having another rag in your hand. While overspray is not a problem here, and the fluid is easily controlled with the grout sponge, there is always the chance of having some dribble off when you work it into the material. My car was really dusty, so I had to be careful wiping it up. Youll get a residue though if you dont.





But its an easy job, works fine, and anything to help protect the convertible top is a good thing.
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      08-27-2012, 08:36 AM   #2
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Wow Great DIY!! I don't have a convertible 1er but I have dreams of a Miata happening soon (fall is the best time to buy) And I never really thought about waterproofing the top!
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      08-27-2012, 08:40 PM   #3
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Great DIY!

I've used 303 exclusively on previous verts (Miatas) and use it now on my 135.



It's as good of a product as I've found for this purpose and I don't have a difficult
time controlling the spray (although I understand how you would get even better
control with the BMW repellant). I've always used a brush similar to yours but never
done the vacuuming thing. That's a great addition!
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      08-27-2012, 10:21 PM   #4
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Thanks! Yeah I've looked at 303 because Im not sure how much UV protection the BMW product provides. I'd assume some of course, but as much as 303?
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      08-27-2012, 10:51 PM   #5
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Great diy for us e88 owners. Care for the top and itll last for years and years.
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      08-28-2012, 06:56 AM   #6
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.....or you could try my method of just having your top replaced 4 times in the past year and 7 months. Always looks brand new!!

Thanks for the DIY!!
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      08-28-2012, 11:27 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Xios135 View Post
.....or you could try my method of just having your top replaced 4 times in the past year and 7 months. Always looks brand new!!

Thanks for the DIY!!
Wow, rough luck. Did it run into rubbing issues? I know some of the early e88s had some issues with that, but I think there was a tsb for it.
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      08-28-2012, 12:07 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 135Pats View Post
Wow, rough luck. Did it run into rubbing issues? I know some of the early e88s had some issues with that, but I think there was a tsb for it.
First time was the rubbing issue....the next three were for a inoperable rear window defroster which requires the whole top to be replaced.
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      09-11-2012, 05:01 AM   #9
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What works really great for getting the dust and dirt of the top, much better than a vacuum, is a cloth sticky roller, the top looks like new afterwards.
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      09-11-2012, 06:21 AM   #10
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Well done. Thanks for posting.
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      09-11-2012, 07:46 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alvitdk View Post
...is a cloth sticky roller...
Or, as the rest of us like to call them, lint rollers.

You're right! These things are also very effective
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      09-11-2012, 11:03 PM   #12
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Fantastic! I've been using RaggTopp.. first I used aero and now I'm using spray. I always had the same concern; what about overspraying? what about spraying on paint? I've been wanting to try/use BMW repellent because I understood the way it can be used but could not confirm until this post. Thanks much!
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      02-10-2018, 06:32 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Section147 View Post
Great DIY!

I've used 303 exclusively on previous verts (Miatas) and use it now on my 135.



It's as good of a product as I've found for this purpose and I don't have a difficult
time controlling the spray (although I understand how you would get even better
control with the BMW repellant). I've always used a brush similar to yours but never
done the vacuuming thing. That's a great addition!
I used the 303 on my Saturn Sky. It was a little work, but is an excellent product.


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