Yeah, I know... I'm not talking about a Jag here, but this still applies to you guys.

My wife and I took our new (to us) 2006 Saab convertible on a road trip up to Ohio for her brother's wedding. On the first night there we went to the mall to do some shopping and while we were in the mall a huge thunderstorm passed over. The top hadn't show any signs of leaking, so I wasn't worried. When I got back out to the car, however, the interior was soaked. EVERYWHERE. There was an inch of water pooled in the passenger seat. And it was still raining. It didn't seem to be leaking from any one spot, it was just leaking from everywhere. The entire canvas top was just porous and water was coming straight through.

There was nothing I could do about it that night, but the next morning I got up and went to Walmart to look for some sort of waterproofing spray. Someone on this forum a while back had asked about the possibility of using tent waterproofing spray on the convertible top. I figured it was worth a shot since the hotel we were staying in didn't have covered parking and more rain was expected. First I bought a can of Scotchgard camp sealant. I forget what it was called exactly, but it was in the camping section and it was "heavy duty" and specifically made for waterproofing tents and other camping stuff.

I took the stuff out to the car there in the Walmart parking lot and proceeded to mask off all of the painted areas. With a convertible that's really pretty easy because you just raise the top enough to slide the newspaper under the top and then lower it. I started spraying the Scotchgard and it SUCKED! There was a very very light breeze blowing and about 95% of the Scotchgard was blowing away in the breeze. Even when I held the nozzle about 2 inches from the top the spray would still just disappear in the wind.

I had to do something, so I went back into Walmart and bought a can of another brand of silicone spray. It was right next to the Scotchgard in the camp section. It was just called "Silicone Water-Guard". I figured it was worth a shot. When I started spraying the convertible top it was a HUGE improvement over the Scotchgard. It came out of the can in a nice cone-shaped spray and very little blew away in the wind. It immediately penetrated the canvas and I could easily see where I had sprayed and had not sprayed. Plus, it seemed to soak into canvas and spread out. I probably could have sealed the whole top with half the can, but I just sprayed the whole can on the top.

Later that day we had another thunderstorm and this time the inside of the car stayed bone dry. It's been rained on a couple more times since then and there are no leaks at all. Here's a picture of the convertible top yesterday morning after it had rained the prior night.



Keep in mind that at the time I took that picture the water had probably been sitting on the top for 6 hours or more. The spots with no water droplets are where the water had rolled off, not where it soaked in.

Here's the stuff I used. I don't know how long it is going to last, but my initial results are great. I don't know how it compares to RaggTop, but for $6 it seems like a bargain. I couldn't find it on the Walmart website but it's probably in most stores.

Waterproofing Stain Repellent and Scent Free Silic

 

Wouldn't happen to a Jaguar........

 

Actually, I think you're correct. My XK8 obviously had some sort of waterproof liner under the canvas because when I bought it the canvas could get saturated without any leakage into the headliner. Apparently my Saab relies on waterproofing in the canvas to keep the water out of the passenger compartment. The prior owner apparently didn't know that. I didn't know it until Monday night. I know it now, though.

 

Hi Sam. Good to hear from you.

On the first day I had my 2000 XK8 conv we ran into one big Texas rainstorm. And we did not get any water inside at all. I was quite pleased and thought that all tops would be that good. But evidently not. And the previous owner, that had it for six years, never had it out in the rain. I wonder if Jaguar did something really great and provides us with a superior grade of canvas for our tops. It would be interesting to hear from other members about their rain experiences.

But thanks Sam for the info and recommendation. I'm going to get me some of that just to be safe.


EZdriver

 

I always use the regular tent reproofing product bought from Outdoor World on my XK8 roof - works fine even after a beating from the Florida sun.Again, about $6 a can.

 

Rev Sam's right (as usual) there's an interliner in Jag tops. The canvas is just for show.
I wonder if the Gripen cockpits leak as well. Wouldn't get me in one of them things.

 

Here in Playa del Carmen Mexico, we get occasional massive rain storms. My top doesnt leak at all. The headlights get wet inside, and the blowers cant deal with the interior condensation, but no the top is fine!

 

That explains why my XK8 top never leaked except around the windows.

You should have seen the Saab top in the rain. Honestly, water was dripping from EVERYWHERE.

 

But... that explains why so many of the Saabs I looked at had terrible, terrible leather. I bet many people don't know they need to regularly waterproof their canvas. Or maybe they just don't care to do it, or don't know how. I saw so many of them with damaged leather and I just assumed the owners hadn't taken care of the leather. Now I know that maybe the tops just leaked like crazy.

 

I owned a SAAB convertible once.
It was just a big SAAB story from beginning to end!!

 

My wife's 2006 XK8 top has not leaked during the three months we've owned it, but I don't intend to take any chances. Based on the recommendation of the long-time owner of the ragtops & interiors shop that I've utilized for decades, I purchased a 16-ounce spray bottle of 303 High-Tech Fabric Guard Water Repellent. He says it's the best top protectant on the market. It was a bit pricey at $16, but if it works, that's a small price to pay to keep our interior dry....

Washed the car this past Sunday, let the top dry in the sun, then carefully sprayed the entire bottle of 303 over every square inch of the top. Used an old bath towel to protect the glass and trim from any overspray, just moving the towel around as necessary depending upon where I was spraying. The top was good and wet with the product when I finished, then gradually dried out as the product soaked into the canvas. It looked and felt completely dry after approximately two hours....

We have not had rain since I treated the top, but I expect water beading similar to what Sam's photos show. We'll see once the next soaking rain covers our neck of the woods....

 

Seems like the Saab should still do better.

My MGA has a top made of a Haartz product called "Stayfast", I think. (If that's right, it's the only fast thing about the car, but anyway ... )

Yes, it leaks like crazy around the top, but the material itself seems to be waterproof. This fabric is probably something fancy, but it looks like plain old canvas. Even back in the day, the fabric on the ragtops was pretty much waterproof, but the MGs and Healys and Triumphs and Jags always had a hard time around the edges.

Saab: real good at this, real bad at that.

 

I use 303 protectant on my top also, I used to live near Newport R.I. ( big boat building area) before moving to Canada. I purchased a gallon at wholesale around $50 when I went back last year and it's great stuff. Gives it a nice fresh look and no leaks.

 

I am also happy with 303. I used the big 32oz bottle on my top.

 

I used the Raggtop first and it was fine but switched to 303 as its easier to use. Pump spray bottle vs the aerosol can.

 

I found an official Jaguar roof clenaing and waterproofing kit in my car when I looked in the trunk after buying it. It came with a horse hair stiff brush like you'd use on a pool table or felt hat and a small container of white (!) cleaning gel and a quart can of liquid sealer that you painted on with the official Jaguar paint brush.

Very high quality all around. I saw the kit at the dealership for a very high price, of course.

Personally, from experience, I believe a paint on liquid does a much, much better job of really penetrating the material.

I'd like to get a quart of 303 next time...

 

i also have the Jaguar canvas kit.....I have never given much thought to the issue mentioned, however I do treat my top every year with the kit....i think it was about $40. and I have used it 3 times....I guess it works....no leaks

 

Marco

I spend a lot of time in myrtle beach......If required, where do you take your xk8 for maintenance and/or repair

 

Thanks for the info about the top conditioners. Just bought a bottle of the 303 and a horse hair brush on Amazon. I usually drive my Jags in nice weather with the top open and find, if the top is not clean and then opened, there is a good chance that you will get abnormal ware where the top rubs against itself on the sides. I noticed this on my 03 XKR top as it was usually open, due to it being a Southern car.

My 01 XK8 top still looks like new and is two years older, but was a Northern car so it was stored and covered in the winter months. I think the 303 will help fix the fabric rubbing problem, as it should have some type of fabric lubricant in the formula.


Bill N

 

Mine is also a southern car. Did the products you used restore the top to its original color? I would like to get rid of the sun fading at the same time. If possible. Jim