MTFCA Forum

Hello,
I just had a quick question. Does anyone know if there are any products that are good to apply to an older top to protect it from deterioration. I have a 27 tudor and the top looks perfect but I don't know how old it is. The car was restored probably in the 60's and I assume that the top dates to then but I do not know. We are driving the car a lot and sooner or later I am sure we will get caught out in a rain storm. I have had a brand new headliner in a Model A ruined by a good looking top that leaked through and stained it so I want to hopefully prevent that in this car. Let me know what you think.

Thanks and God Bless,

Joshua A. Powers

This might work;
https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/Prod ... hByKeyword

You can almost tell if an aged top on a closed car will leak across its span, as a failing top will appear dry, and small cracks will be visible on close examination. A top dressing like Mark suggested may solve that, it may require a couple of applications. Any road, it would be good for an older top even if it looks 100%.

Where most aging closed car tops leak is around the fastenings and rain rails. I had good results weatherproofing a 70 year old closed car top by calking edges and seams with windshield urethane rubber. It comes in a tube like conventional calking materials and sets up hard. It's stiffer from the tube than silicones, so it stays where you put it. It's easily worked with a small squeegee.

If you want to protect your vinyl top I recommend 303 Aerospace protectant. I've used it and am very happy with it. If your top has already started cracking and breaking down, you may need something like Snyder's product.

The top on my original unrestored Centerdoor was alligatored, dry and cracking. It was also sagging in spots between the bows so water could pool there. I used Flex Seal on it and it came out great. I applied numerous coats and eventually it filled the cracks and reduced the alligatoring. My only objection was that it has a gloss finish but after leaving it out in the Florida sun for a time it has dulled down. Don't know how it will hold up over the long haul but 3 years later it still loos great.

My dad owned an unrestored 1927 Hupmobile sedan for many years. This was a very pristine, low mileage original car.

The original leatherette top covering of this car had no deterioration to speak of, i.e. no cracking of the finish of the leatherette material.

For upkeep, he would clean the top with mild soap and water and, after it thoroughly dried, apply black Kiwi shoe polish and then buff it with a horsehair shoe brush, no different than how you would polish and buff a pair of shoes.

Russ T Fender wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 04, 2020 8:35 pm

. . . My only objection was that it has a gloss finish . . .

Golly Russ, you need a steo ladder to even SEE the top

Canvas used to be waterproofed by a solution of parafin wax dissolved in gasoline. Unfortunately, it is very flammable and resulted in the tragic 1943 Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey Circus fire in Hartford, Conn. that destroyed the big top, killing 167 people and injuring 700, so I wouldn’t recommend it. Jim Patrick

Rich, I debated doing anything to the top as you have to be 7 feet plus just to see it unless you use a ladder. I was just going to use it on fair weather days but in Florida a fair weather day can turn into a downpour in a flash and why have a closed car if you can't use it in foul weather!