rennlistuser3

Hi,

I'm inexperienced with soft tops and I was wondering if I drove a Boxster in the middle of snowy winter and got it covered by all the salty snow slush which will definitely reach the soft top, is it easy to wash off in a normal car wash? or does the salt get stuck in the fabric and is hard to get rid off? maybe even causing damage?

the_vetman

There are many Porsche owners who abhor the thought of salt - let alone rain - touching their P-cars, so opinions may vary.

Having said that, salt touching the soft top is not a big deal. You can wash it. It's important to apply a fabric protectant 1-2 times yearly, however. For example, Ragg Top sells fabric top washer and conditioner (2 separate products).

Spokayman

While I've not driven any of my convertibles much in the winter and therefore have not had to deal with cleaning salt off of the tops, I have had pollen and dirty wet road spray make a mess on the top and was able to clean that just fine.
Pollen will not soak into a top like salt might, but it is a sticky substance and a bit hard to clean off.
Modern convertible tops are made of canvas backed with a waterproof rubber-like layer and the canvas can be washed thoroughly without water penetrating thru to the inside.

There are online sites that sell replacement tops that will provide info on how to care for tops.

LexVan

The key is proper protectant like the RaggTopp mentioned or 303 makes a good one too.

Wash with water only. No soaps.

Zeus993

I drive mine year round. Not a ton of salt here but I do wash it weekly. No problem.

swmic

+1 on RaggTopp, great stuff. I think the application calls for something like at least 60°.

Macster

Drove my Boxster in the winter in the snow in the mid-west for a couple of years and got plenty of road spray on the car with salt in it. Whenever the weather would warm up above freezing I'd visit a DIY car wash and use the rinse setting to just flood the car with plain (and warm) water to rinse away the dirt along with any salt. The fabric of the top lets water in and this water then leaves the top and carries the salt away.

The fabric is to protect the rubber from the sun and other things (bird mess) and stuff hitting the rubber. My concern using something on the fabric is this will work to seal in moisture and dirt (or if the wrong stuff damage the rubber underneath) so i just never used anything.

rennlistuser3

This is sort of how I feel about third party products as well. I'm just afraid they might do some unknown damage that's worse than just washing out the salt. But your idea seems good, just rinse out the salt completely. Seems to work with cloths at least. I just know for a fact that salt damages leather on shoes so I wouldn't be surprised if it had its toll on soft tops as well.

meteor10

I have used the 303 products with good results. I wash the roof with the 303 cleaner on a warm summer day. Let the top dry thoroughly in the sun, then I put the car in the garage and do the repellent the next day to be sure top is really dry. I used the 303 fabric guard water repellent product. I also masked the car with plastic sheeting to protect the paint from the over spray of the repellent product. Before treatment the water just sat on the top and appeared to soak in. After treatment water beads up and rolls right off. I plan on doing this treatment at least once a year. There is a good thread on the Boxster Registry site on rag top care and specifically on this treatment.

meteor10

I know the above post does not really address the salt issue but the treatment might help retard salty water from getting into the fabric.

Macster

My concern is the top is not fully/completely sealed. Thus water with salt gets through the fabric but because of the top's partial seal can't leave if rinsed. Also, this partial seal interferes with the water evaporating.

This can result in the rubber sheet -- which is what keeps the water and other elements out of the car's cabin -- failing. Techs tell me to look for what appears to be bubbles or raised areas under the fabric which is a sign the rubber sheet underneath the fabric is deteriorating.

Even if the rubber is not affected I prefer to keep the amount of salt -- even dried salt -- caught between the fabric and the rubber to a minimum.

LexVan

The parent company of RaggTopp is Wolfsteins. Wolfsteins is the OE supplier to Porsche for its cabriolet top coatings. FYI.

rennlistuser3

No, your post was actually very helpful. Thanks for it.

rennlistuser3

I stand very corrected and happy to be so. I'm getting my car detailed soon so I'll ask if they use a similar product. Else I might just go ahead and buy/apply it.

Thanks for this bit of information. That was really helpful.

John Perser

I've used the Porsche waterproofer (wackchem.com). It seems to work and hold up well. Just about time to do another treatment. It's my understanding that dealers don't typically include this in their detailing and will charge you an additional $150 to treat the top. Taping off the entire car takes a bit of time.