Well its obvious that the top on my '03 XK8 is canvas as I have finally seen it get wet for the first time this week. Although I don't plan on his happening often I noticed that the water kinda soaks in instead of rolling off......what do I need to do to waterproof it or teat it?????? any info will be appreciated since my other two convertibles (Fords) have vinyl covers and I don't know how to work with the canvas.......

Thanks

Wojo

 

Hi Wojo
I suspect from the locations that my top gets wet more often than yours but I just cleaned and proofed it the other day with an Autoglym kit. The kit consists of a 2 sprays, one to clean it and the other to seal it once it's nearly dry. The roof looks better now but I haven't tried it in the rain yet. Like yours the water just seemed to soak into mine so time will tell.
The kit cost about £18 on Ebay.
Cheers
Pete

 

Pete, please come back & tell us what you think after it's been in the wet.

 

Here in the colonies the two favorite canvas top care products are RAGGTOPP and 303. I have uses the RAGGTOPP products and been very satisfied with them.

There are a number of car care web sites that have the products and a lot of info on them. Here is one that I have used: Convertible Top Care Products. 303 convertible top care and Wolfsteins Raggtopp Products

 

Pete,

I was wondering when it dried out sufficiently in Morpeth for you to proof it. If you were thirty miles further south, you would have had few opportunities since Christmas!

Graham

 

On my 2004 XK8 I used Renovo cleaner, then their conditioner, which does result in the water beading up and running off. However, there is a rubber membrane under the canvas which prevents water intrusion, so you shouldn't worry about it, except from the perspective of keeping the top clean and looking good. The Renovo cleaner works best out of the several products I tried. The conditioner/water proofer should be applied at least twice for best results, yet the 2nd coat is difficult to apply because the liquid beads up after the first coat dries. It is applied with a paint brush and requires patience.

I will add that my top is quite worn with scuff marks where some areas are actually "fuzzy" and frayed, and overall, the condition just made the car appear older than it otherwise would look. I used the Renovo dye to re color my top, going from beige to brown, which improved the general overall appearance, but the dye really only lasted a year or so before it seemed to appear faded in spots, blotchy almost. But I think that if I hadn't done such a dramatic color (shade) difference that the color would have lasted longer. For example, if I had a black top and just re-dyed with black I think it would have lasted longer.

With that said, I decided to have a new top installed, it is on order, and with scheduling etc should be done around April 14. It is a Robbins top, factory material, beige, and will be $1250 installed. I had quotes all the way up to $4500!

I really don't know though if I should treat the new top. I had nothing to lose on my old top, but I don't know if I should treat the new one. I know someone locally with a 2002 XK8, BRG and beige top. He purchased the car new, has 100k miles now, and the top looks excellent, and he never did anything to it. However he has kept the car garaged all it's life. I suspect the 2 previous owners of my car kept the car outside, yet I garage mine, so I may forego treating the new top.

I hope this helps.

 

We've had my wife's 2006 XK8 since February 2012. I scrubbed and treated its top with a full 16 ounces of 303 in April 2012 and again in April 2013. I'll keep this tradition going and treat it again next month. 303 has worked quite well for us - the beige-colored canvas is still in good physical condition although just a wee bit faded in appearance. Not bad for a car that was built in May 2005 and has been her daily driver ever since it was delivered to our driveway on a cold February 2012 evening....

 

I used the Autoglym kit last spring and am very happy with the results. Water no longer soaked in and the color was improved. I plan on doing it again this spring once we are finished with the latest Blizzard.

 

I did the 303 treatment on my '98 in August 2013 and was very happy with the results, but intend to redo every year. I think my treatment last year was the first the top ever had.

My Cat is a little spoiled. It is not a daily driver, lives inside a heated/cooled garage, and is not allowed to go and play outside in the rain!

 

I am another user of the 303 product. Treat it once per year after a thorough cleaning. Water beads up nicely even after 10-12 months. It does seem to improve the looks somewhat after the application as well.

Mine is a daily driver with a navy blue top and sits uncovered at work in the brutal Texas heat, so it takes a fair amount of abuse.

Definitely a recommended product for my 2 cents.

 

Another vote for 303. Though RaggTopp is a close 2nd. To me, the primary reason for using this stuff is UV protection.

Our tops are made of StayFast (or similar) material, the outer layer of which is acrylic and does not mind getting wet (there's a waterproof layer beneath). But UV will attack the color and even the material itself. Nasty stuff, that UV.

 

I just re-did my top. First scrubbed the top with a medium brush and the 303 cleaner. Rinsed well and let the top dry in the sun. (Sorry, all you UK guys.) Then by accident I sprayed the top with 303 Aerospace instead of Fabric protector. After realizing my mistake, I went over it again with the Fabric spray. Nice even black now, better than the fabric spray alone. I'll let you know how it holds up. Rain just looks at it and runs away.

 

I used both RaggTop and Sunbrella 303, both are good but I am staying with RaggTop. I have photos of how it looked using RaggTop.

Link JagRepair.com - Jaguar Repair Information Resource

 

my vote goes to 303; don't know abt the other products, but I do know I had a shedload of berry eating bird droppings on the (green) top for 12 hours before I removed it with plenty of lake water; 303 did a great job protecting the fabric, no traces whatsoever left

 

I used an Autoglym kit and wasn't overly impressed. I'm going to try Fabsil next. Works well on the canvas work on my boat and that gets a lot more abuse than the hood will ever get.

 

Is your boat canvas Sunbrella? I don't know if they sell their cloth there. It is the go-to canvas in the states, and they recommend 303 Fabric spray. You are correct, anything that holds up in the marine enviroment should work well.

 

Working on the hydraulic rams of my convertible top mechanism, I found pooled water under my back seat, on both the left and right sides, and quite a bit of it, not just a little, about inch deep (we get frequent, torrential tropical rains here in South Florida, and the XK8 is parked outside). Curious to find the cause since the passenger-side had a fair amount of rust, I've left the back seat removed until I can find the cause of the leak.

Water poured along the sides of the convertible top appears to run inside the fender space and pour out of two drain holes on the underside, a few inches apart, at the seam where the sheetmetal of the fender(s) and underbody meet, in front of each rear wheel well. There is no 'drain line' apparent that I can see (that might be clogged), even though I have seen diagrams that indicate one on each side of the top; maybe proper drain lines are indicated for model years other than the 2000...?

Anyway, in a different part of the forum someone found that water under his back seat was caused by water leaking around/through the rubber seal of the rear window. I have noticed a barely-visible dry water stain on the inner lining, just below the rear window, which might seem to back his conclusion. But what is the exact vector for the water intrusion?

The previous owner of my XK8 kept it garaged (15 years), and the rear window seal looks faultless (as does the convertible top itself). Thinking that the issue could be water soaking through the outer top material and then running along the inner rubber layer to be dumped, and overwhelm, the seals at the back, I decided to waterproof the top and see if it mitigated the pooling water issue, as a drop of water applied to the top is adsorbed immediately; it does not repel water at all.

Reading though most, if not all, of the pertinent forums here, and everywhere else online for a week, I decided on the 303 Convertible Top care kit for cloth tops (includes special cleaner and fabric sealant). Procured from Amazon for $24.57 USD, here:


Followed directions; cleaned and applied.

The water beaded and was repelled at the first brief light rain, but hours of steady rain several days later and the top again soaks through, virtually none of the rain beading off. CURSES!! (The water only leaks in and pools under the back seat after hard and/or prolonged rains, never after light rain.)

Back to square one; and thoroughly NOT IMPRESSED with the vaunted 303 product! (I used the entire 16 oz. bottle of fabric treatment).

Any helpful suggestions from better-informed and seasoned convertible owners would be much appreciated!

(The included photos are color-enhanced to better show the areas where the leaks are evident.)

 

I use a marine product called Starbrite with PTEF. I used to use it on sails also, and it gives you a good year or two worth of protection. It comes in gallon jugs, and brushes on. It repels stains, and even bird droppings. Water beads and runs off of it, and it doesn't change the color of the top.

If the top hasn't been treated before, I would treat it twice, initially. It does take a couple of days to completely dry, and is not a pain to wipe off of your paint, and glass. I like it much more than some of the other mentioned treatments. I just don't think the aerosol application treatments give you heavy enough coverage.......my 2 cents.....Mike

 

The convertible top itself, without 303 or any competing product applied, should be water tight. The material it's made of has a rubber layer inside. Similarly, If water is getting in, 303 cannot cure it. If the material is not torn, I think you must have a leak somewhere at the perimeter ... all the places where the top seals against adjoining surfaces.

But that said, my experience is that 303 is an excellent product. Properly applied it lasts about 6 months. Its primary benefit is UV protection; the water beading serves primarily to let us know when it's time to apply more.

 

As Dennis said, your top should be waterproof without ANY protectant on it... so it seems as if you have a bigger issue going on.

I used 303 as well and it is tops in my book (pun intended)... It has been over a year and a half since my treatment and it still beads water like a champ (but my car is in the garage 99% of the time).

If you want to meet up I can give you a second set of eyes to see if we can find out what is going on... just let me know.