Soft Top Cleaning

[bostewart]

Re: Soft Top Cleaning

For some reason I can open the second one but not the first. I get a never ending loading screen, and sometimes tells me I'm not logged in. I know I am or I could not respond to your post like I'm doing. I really want to see that first one. Do you have a sand interior I thought that was the only way these came.

[JAB02LHS]

Re: Soft Top Cleaning

For some reason I can open the second one but not the first. I get a never ending loading screen, and sometimes tells me I'm not logged in. I know I am or I could not respond to your post like I'm doing. I really want to see that first one. Do you have a sand interior I thought that was the only way these came.

It is a current Ebay listing

[bostewart]

Re: Soft Top Cleaning

So, after seeing the listing on that one I'll keep mine. shiny wheels just don't help. and the top might have been worth more if he just sold it as a complete top. Anyway thanks I have to wait on a new one now anyway. last week I just had to buy both kids cars first my daughters car died then less then a week later my son hit a major pot hole and drove 40 min with a big hole in the oil pan. the rest of the story I think you know. So there went my toy money for a bit. I'm still hoping for at least a better result then I have been getting. However my roof is pretty much shot with all the scrubbing and all anyway. The only question is what color to replace it with. And when can I do it. There is one thing I forgot at one point I was putting a very soft fine micro fiber cloth the size of the car top. before I closed it for the winter and after a good cleaning. That really helped a lot. I don't know why maybe it cut down on the rubbing. One other thing my Scientist wife likes to remind me the black is only hiding the black mold or dirt at best. Bio chem/DNA research and we still can't figure out a way to get really get rid of mold. I actually contacted a mold removal company on line looking for a death blow. They were less then useful. The Rag top bleach /water is about the only thing I have not tried I have lots of rag top cleaner so just wish me luck till next year. Plain old road grim comes right off with the Rag top cleaner. Just let it sit and keep it damp 20min and rinse if off very well. it brightened mine up from a god awful mess.

[Welker]

Re: Soft Top Cleaning

Bo, the ebay pictures look exactly like mine except for the pin striping. Merlot color on the '04 came with a sand interior and top package....black was standard and the sand a sort of upgrade.....I think the black top did not have the hard top..not sure. Anyway, if your wife does't like the black I guess you'll have to live with the stained top. Lucky for me my wife likes the black top better. By the way, the bleach thing solution is no solution....it doesn't work for very long.....and I have never been convinced about mold since we live in Arizona and mold is just not a problem anyplace else so I doubt that is the problem with the top.

[Bradford]

Re: Soft Top Cleaning

Bo, the ebay pictures look exactly like mine except for the pin striping. Merlot color on the '04 came with a sand interior and top package....black was standard and the sand a sort of upgrade.....I think the black top did not have the hard top..not sure. Anyway, if your wife does't like the black I guess you'll have to live with the stained top. Lucky for me my wife likes the black top better. By the way, the bleach thing solution is no solution....it doesn't work for very long.....and I have never been convinced about mold since we live in Arizona and mold is just not a problem anyplace else so I doubt that is the problem with the top.

Here is a link describing what I did to eliminate the mildew problem on my Cashmeres top by replacing it with a different type. You could do this with any color you want, rhere is a Sand color availableand be able to keep the appearance of the sand top.
I disagree with you on the cause of the stains. It's not mold, it's mildew. I used the bleach solution and was able to eliminate the stains and as long as I also keep it PROTECTED with a canvas protectant it would last for a good 6 months. Mildew can grow anywhere, the canvas if not protected will saturate deep with water and mildew starts, it has to be killed completely or will soon be right back, I and many others have had much success with it. I finally had to replace my top due to wear and being constantly expose to Florida elements, rain, sun, rain, humidity and in the beginning, I didn't keep it protected as I should. In replacing, I decided I would eliminate as much of the problem as possible.
Most everyone including myself think my top looks better than the original did, even the day I brought it home from the dealer brand new.


http://www.thunderbirdnest.com/forum...ad.php?t=31017

[4LOWBIRDS+7]

Re: Soft Top Cleaning

AFTER FOUR MONTHS, DOES YOUR TOP STILL LOOK THAT GOOD?

[Bradford]

Re: Soft Top Cleaning

AFTER FOUR MONTHS, DOES YOUR TOP STILL LOOK THAT GOOD?

YES, and all I've done to clean it is wash with my regular car wash and a sheepskin covered sponge, dry it wish a synthetic chamois. Have never put a brush to it, still looks like the day I picked it up from the upholstery shop. My car is never garaged so it's been out in the elements since replacing the top. I have a single car garage so the '67 Mustang gets the honor of being garaged. If you read through the post on the thread I attached above, you will see my responses to others regarding cost, who manufactured the top, etc.

[bostewart]

Re: Soft Top Cleaning

Well my top is damaged from all the brushing and cleaning after looking at your top I'm convinced when I can do it I'm going to go the same way. Do you know who the material manufacture is. Personally I don't care if its mildew mold or horse manure "I got plenty of that to" I just want a permanent solution. I have dealt with this since the end of 05 enough is enough.
My car does not see rain all that often and is parked inside all the time. I even cover the top with a cover inside the garage, its just ridiculous to have to go to this extent. So I'm a prime candidate I just want to make sure I get the right material.

[Bradford]

Re: Soft Top Cleaning

Well my top is damaged from all the brushing and cleaning after looking at your top I'm convinced when I can do it I'm going to go the same way. Do you know who the material manufacture is. Personally I don't care if its mildew mold or horse manure "I got plenty of that to" I just want a permanent solution. I have dealt with this since the end of 05 enough is enough.
My car does not see rain all that often and is parked inside all the time. I even cover the top with a cover inside the garage, its just ridiculous to have to go to this extent. So I'm a prime candidate I just want to make sure I get the right material.

Bo, this is made by Haartz Corp. same maker as the canvas on our cars. What I chose was Haartz Single Texture Sailcloth also know as Chrysler Sailcloth. If you google Haartz go to cars exterior, then choose vinyl and the single texture. I attached a link below to a different site that shows the standard colors for the sailcloth Vinyl. I had a tough time deciding not to stay original with my top material and color, but knowing I could always go back to it, I decided to change and have not regretted my decision for a second. I literally hit new car lots looking at convertible tops and colors to make my decision, I put my top down, parked next to a new Chrysler Sebring with its top up, stood to the side to see what the top color would look like on my Cashmere. I wanted to be as sure as possible before spending money on something different. The top was actually $300.00 cheaper than going with the canvas top as originally equipped.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=4&sqi=2&ved=0CDUQFjAD&url=h ttp%3A%2F%2Fstores.ebay.com%2FEZ-Softtops%2FFABRIC-COLORS.html&ei=b_1LTpqlHom2sQKx7YjPCA&usg=AFQjCNFX KfBZgyBJn51Fkc-871SvIz67tQ

[bostewart]

Re: Soft Top Cleaning

Well Bradford Your not going to believe this but I have a 2001 Limited convertible I bought. I had given it to my daughter for college. About two weeks ago it had some issues at 135k miles. It over heated and the Mechanic told her and my wife to get rid of it. Baloney, Yea 2.7L engine does have some problems but this one has never displayed them. Anyway long story she got a new car and I'm using it again as my runabout wheels. Now my wife wants it. Off target here the top looks as good as it did the day I drove it home. I wash it like its a metal roof the only thing don't do is wax it. And I have done that a couple times in car washes with no ill affects. I love fords but the soft top of my Thunderbird is no match for this and you would think it is a cloth top and almost any distance. so now I'm completely convinced Personally they clean up so easy I will probably get what ever is closest to the sand. I'll probably hold off to close to spring after I find an upholster shop that will do this for me. Any chance you still have a receipt you can scan so I can use it to negotiate with. that would be sweet. I'm sure your going to love you top. I have often wondered why the seabring had such a great top and the Thunderbird such a pain in the you know what. The sabering is tight snug as a bug in a rug never leaks. This just makes me happy as all get out... I have driven the seabring which has a fairly light blue roof in every kind of nasy wet icy salty filthy snow weather which I would not eve dream about doing with the Thunder bird. Of course the car is no comarison just the roof. weird.

[Bradford]

Re: Soft Top Cleaning

Bo, I don't have a detailed receipt for my top. I've used this auto upholstery shop for several things over the past years so I typically pay cash without paperwork. He covered the Hard Tonneau pictured in my gallery with Vinyl for $400.00 which was cheaper than painting, and has replaced sagging headliners in a few cars for me as well. I do know it was $1,200.00. Labor was $500.00 of that, the rest was the cost of the top, I believe the rear window portion was $400.00 and the main top cover was $300.00. All shops typically get their tops from either EZ On Tops or Robbins, my upholsterer likes and uses EZ On as he said they were always easier to deal with if there was a problem with the top. When I went in and told him what I wanted, he called EZ On right then and asked if he could get a top made for my Thunderbird in Sailcloth Vinyl instead of the Original Canvas. The canvas top would have actually been $300.00 more than the Vinyl. From what others have commented on in past post it seems like top and labor have all been in the $1.200.00 range. Your headliner is a separate piece and will not need to be replaced.

[bostewart]

Re: Soft Top Cleaning

You have given me a lot of help and I appreciate it. Those numbers are really all I need. I may contact EZ and the others my self first before I go see a local upholsterer. I like to know what I'm getting into before I get there. Old habits I guess. Anyway I can make arrangements now but I won't do it until this winter does its damage. Once I do I'll come back post some pictures.

[Bradford]

Re: Soft Top Cleaning

A little more info. here is a link where you can check some online pricing for the original canvas tops. They have these available in all the original factory colors, Black, Merlot, Med Lt Stone ( for the Cashmeres), Lt Oak (Sand), Lt Ash (for the PCR) and Med Steel Blue. There is another site out there somewhere that showed alternate vinyls, however they only showed the pinpoint vinyl that was used on most older convertibles from the 50's thru 70's, and I knew I had decided on the sailcloth vinyl based on the similar appearance of the original canvas. You will see I also changed my color to have more color contrast to the car body color. When dealing with my upholsterer, I asked if I should order the top directly or should he, he suggested ordering it himself, then if there was a defect in the top, they would pay his labor to install a replacement as well as for warranty purposes if it needed a replacement down the road if there were to be a problem, being that I have trust in him and knew general pricing, I knew he wasn't marking up the top cost itself, even if it's a few dollars more I would let your upholstery shop order for you. I believe my guy probably ordered directly from EZ On and not this site. But this is where I started my homework to get a idea of cost and such to be educated when I went on this new top adventure. This should give you everything to go in and get exactly what your looking for.

I hope this info can be beneficial to anyone else looking at top replacement now or down the road.

http://topsonline.com/inner.html?mode=make&id=27

[bostewart]

Re: Soft Top Cleaning

I would not get in the way of any upholsterer I just want to know what I'm talking about. Helps me know who I'm dealing with. I have found a couple places that I can do the factory top. I wonder what a merlot top would look like instead of sand. I'm sure there are a lot of bewildered and frustrated people out their that keep thier hardtops on all the time that would love to see the info you have put here.

[Sandman]

Re: Soft Top Cleaning

Here's Ol'Daves' wife's Bird. Probably the best looking Merlo Bird on the planet.IMO.