Soft Top sealing

andy fadster

andy fadster

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2014
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The soft top on my Z3 has become porous....are there any recommendations for resealing or coating the roof ?

Or, is it a case for a new soft top, which would be a shame because other than being porous, it's in lovely order.
 
There are lots of products available to water proof your hood and keeping it looking tip top. I personally use the Autoglym Hood Cleaner and Proofer kit with good results (available pretty much everywhere including Halfords, eBay, Amazon).

There is also Renovo (http://renovointernational.com), gtechniq I1 (what I'm thinking of trying soon) or even tent proofer (Fabsil) from your local camping supply shop!
 
+1 for Autoglym. Halfords often have 3 for 2 offers on AG products.
 
I have used both products mentioned by Gaz, if the roof has faded Renovo is the product for you... but if the roof is in good condition but the water is no longer beading, Autoglym will be the best bet and cheaper :)

If its a case of water actually coming into the car, leaky A pillars are the most likely culprit and this guide was a lot of help to me https://zroadster.org/attachments/a-pillar-leak-fix-susan-ford-pdf.9310/

Cheers


Ash
 
Ash,

This is water actually forming on the seat and its coming through the roof material....Un-garaged !! I'll look at the Autoglym stuff, the roof is in fine fettle with no fading as such so a simple reseal should do it.
 
andy fadster said:
Ash,

This is water actually forming on the seat and its coming through the roof material....Un-garaged !! I'll look at the Autoglym stuff, the roof is in fine fettle with no fading as such so a simple reseal should do it.
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Hi Andy

I had the same with my top, I have been told that the fabric is waterproof by itself and that the products only protect against staining rather than seal the fabric.

With my hood the water was coming in at the A pillar drivers side, travelling and saturating the inside of hood before leaving puddles inside.

Undo the soft top latches and take a look at the top of the seal, if you can do this...
a-pillar%20seal%2004.jpg


That is more than likely your problem :)

Ash
 
It's worth noting that although the footwell carpets may feel dry to the touch, there is 2 inch thick soundproofing foam underneath which can conceal horrors.

We had this on a Z3 we took the seats out of on Sunday, and removed a lot of icky brown water (about 1/2 litre). Obviously the foam is still wet, but it stands a better chance of drying out naturally now. Someone needs to invent a bilge pump specifically for the Z3 cabin :)

Obviously we still need to make sure it's not getting in again!

2014-11-15 16.00.12.webp
 
GazHyde said:
We had this on a Z3 we took the seats out of on Sunday, and removed a lot of icky brown water (about 1/2 litre)
Click to expand...

As far as I am aware, there should be rubber drain plugs in the floor of the car.
 
hard top said:
As far as I am aware, there should be rubber drain plugs in the floor of the car.
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Agree - they are usually covered with a bitumastic patch on the inside - the actual plugs are viewable from underneath.
 
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hard top said:
As far as I am aware, there should be rubber drain plugs in the floor of the car.
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jonco said:
Agree - they are usual covered with a bitumastic patch on the inside - the actual plugs are viewable from underneath.
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Hey, @Lee... Do you want to tell your Dad there are drain holes, or should we just keep it quiet... :bag:
 
Yes there is and they were clear, This was soaked into the sponge. =))
 
Soaked was not the word.. It was like the boot had a header tank installed.. Lets hope the car will dry out.
 
Lee said:
Yes there is and they were clear, This was soaked into the sponge. =))
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Hi Lee,
I am a bit confused:confused: (happens more often these days) as to what `were clear'.
On my '98 the floor drain holes behind/under the seats are sealed `plug and patch' and I believe only to be opened up for repair/emergency draining (which I have had to do). If the plugs are missing then the foam absorbs water from under car road spray.
Have I missed some other drains points, and if so where are they please?
@andy fadster - Apologies for wandering a bit off topic.
 
I was not very clear, We initially popped these out to let some water out, then is was squeezing the sponge floor and collect the water in a bucket. I climbed in the car yesterday night to let her tick over and the wet smell and vanished.

Lee
 
A friend of mine had his car drowned in an under ground garage by flooding, I thought it would be totaled but some 'specialist' garage stuck it in an 'oven' for a week and it came out like brand new!!
 
We had a Citroen Nemo towed in last Spring which had been flooded , to a fair depth admittedly, but it killed all the ECU's. Scrapped a 3 year old vehicle.

Tony.
 
The water did not get in to the engine bay or electrics in my friends case.
Maybe the Citroen Nemo had been out looking for the other Nemo....;)
 
Could be Mike, I hadnt thought of that. But when it got dumped off the beaver tail there wasn't a gang surrounding it going " mine, mine, mine"=))

Tony.
 
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