Mike Phillips
Active member
- Dec 5, 2022
- 51,004
- 6
Review: 303 Fabric Convertible Top Kit - 1949 Mercury Convertible Kustom Streetrod
303 Fabric Convertible Top Kit
From the manufacturer
303 Fabric/Vinyl Top Cleaner
This cleaner differs from other top cleaners, as it uses colloidal action to get the job done. Colloidal action was first used by scientists to break up particles in oil from oil slicks in our oceans. The oil literally would dissolve in the water. Think of this cleaning action in terms of the reaction of the atom in an atomic explosion. The atoms in the colloid lift, separate and hold in suspension the oils, grease, dust, and soils which have been penetrated.
This breakthrough allows the ultra-wet water to hold grease, dirt, and oil in suspension, allowing them to dissolve within the water. This product is safe for all convertible tops, and also works wonders on fabric, velour, and carpeting. The 303 Convertible Top Cleaner is non-hazardous, non-flammable, and non-toxic. It is safe to use on tile, floors, doors, woodwork, ovens, and upholstery.
303 High Tech Fabric Guard
This product protects all new or cleaned “outdoor” fabrics from water, dirt, grease, and UV sun damage. Outdoor fabrics include,
303 High Tech Guard also resists soiling and mildew formation, by restoring an effective level of lost water repellency. There are no silicones within the product, and if you have used a silicone product before you know it does repel water. That’s about it though. Silicone treated fabric lasts on average 2-3 months, as compared to High Tech Guard that protects for up to three years. Silicone has that harsh, pungent smell; whereas High Tech Guard has a mild, clean odor. Most importantly, High Tech Guard is recommended by industry leaders that include,
One treatment can last up to three years.
My comments
This might surprise some of you? I've been detailing cars all my life now and teaching classes on the topic documented since 1987. Maybe not as long as some but probably longer than most in this industry. Generally speaking, convertibles cost more than their hard top twins, that's the reality of purchasing a "Sports Car". Here's my experience, I RARELY meet anyone that has owned or owns a convertible car that regularly cleans and protects their top. In fact, I would say most convertible owners not only don't take proper care of their car's top but most don't know how to correctly and properly clean and then protect the top. Kind of surprising considering with a little online research it's not any harder than washing and waxing the paint and most car owners are qualified to do this aspect of car ownership.
The key thing...
I would say the key thing about properly cleaning and protecting a canvas top is actually all about the brush. Why? Because if you use a scrub brush where the bristles are too course or stiff, they will tend to tear loose the woven fibers apart and then your canvas top will look fuzzy. And there's no real way to undo this kind of damage. Spraying on the cleaner is easy. Spraying on the protectant is easy, the important part to get right is the part that actually takes a little muscle and that's agitating the cleaner over the top to loosen embedded dirt and road grime and this requires the right brush.
303 Convertible Top Brush
At the time I cleaned and protected this convertible top we did not have the NEW 303 Convertible Top Brush in stock. But we do carry a Horse Hair Brush and it is completely safe for cleaning cloth tops. You'll see a picture of this brush in my write-up below.
The kit comes with the cleaner and the fabric guard, the brush you have to purchase extra. I'll include a link for everything in the last post of this review.
Here's my review car, it's a 1949 Mercury Convertible. This is a custom street rod with a big block Chevy engine. This car is valued just shy of $300.00.00
The owner, a good friend of mine contacted me about purchasing the 303 Fabric Convertible Top Kit, he told me the top needed to be cleaned and protected. Knowing I had this review coming up I offered to do it for him so I could use the 303 products to write the review and get the pictures showing how I would tackle a canvas convertible top.
While the top looks good in these pictures, it's dirty and in need of a good cleaning. This car has been moved around and stored in various shops since it was built. It has also been exposed to fresh paint environments and my guess is it has overspray paint on it just like the paint, which has overspray paint.
Here's a close-up of the top, you can see dirt specs on it but I'll guarantee you that that there is a ton of dirt and dust that has embedded INTO the weave.
Bug poo all around the top too.... and in this shot you can see the WEAVE of the fabric. The dirt sinks into the weave and this is why you need to use a brush to agitate the cleaner over the top. Just rinsing the top won't work.
Step 1 - Vacuum or blow any loose dirt off the top, I did this in the garage with a Tornador Air Blowout Gun, sorry no pictures. You can also vacuum the top. The idea being to extract any loose dirt BEFORE introducing water to the surface as the water via gravity will draw loose dirt DEEPER into the weave. So dry extract first.
Time to go outside and do some washing.
While this is a high-dollar build, there ares some gaps between the top and the window glass. I consider myself a professional detailer and as such, treat all cars like they are mine. I put the painter's tape over the gaps to prevent any rinse water from getting into the car.
rops:
Step 2 - Blast any remaining dirt and other contaminants off the top with a strong spray of water.
Step 3 - Spray the 303 convertible top cleaner all over the top including the sides and the seams.
Step 4 - gently scrub the top to work the cleaner over and into the weave.
It's best to do this early morning or on a cloudy day so the sun doesn't work against you and try to dry the top while you're working on it.
Step 5 - After scrubbing the top, rinse until the water runs clear. You shouldn't see any white foam or cleaner as a sign all the cleaner and thus all the dirt has been rinsed off the top.
Be sure to thoroughly rinse any seams or folds of cloth like you see in the front of this top. Just like any car detailing process, the key to success is always the PREP WORK, not the final step.
Step 6 - Then of course, as a professional, I go ahead and wash the entire car. Besides cleaning and protecting the top we're going to use this car for a Paint Correction and Ceramic Coating Class and make a video of the process. I'll include the video at the end of this review.
Now this is one clean 1949 Mercury Convertible. For me, this is what I call a "Bucket List" car. That is I've worked on a few 1949 Mercury hardtops, but never a convertible. And chances are, I may never work on another convertible 49 Merc, they are kind of rare.
Here's what I used, to clean it's full name is 303 Tonneau Cover and Convertible Top Cleaner.
Here's the Horse Hair Brush....
Clean - but saturated wet with water - that's okay, I have a tip to show you how to get it completely dry.
Next up....
How to safely and correctly dry a convertible top.
303 Fabric Convertible Top Kit
From the manufacturer
303 Fabric/Vinyl Top Cleaner
This cleaner differs from other top cleaners, as it uses colloidal action to get the job done. Colloidal action was first used by scientists to break up particles in oil from oil slicks in our oceans. The oil literally would dissolve in the water. Think of this cleaning action in terms of the reaction of the atom in an atomic explosion. The atoms in the colloid lift, separate and hold in suspension the oils, grease, dust, and soils which have been penetrated.
This breakthrough allows the ultra-wet water to hold grease, dirt, and oil in suspension, allowing them to dissolve within the water. This product is safe for all convertible tops, and also works wonders on fabric, velour, and carpeting. The 303 Convertible Top Cleaner is non-hazardous, non-flammable, and non-toxic. It is safe to use on tile, floors, doors, woodwork, ovens, and upholstery.
303 High Tech Fabric Guard
This product protects all new or cleaned “outdoor” fabrics from water, dirt, grease, and UV sun damage. Outdoor fabrics include,
- Canvas convertible tops.
- Cloth automobile seats and carpets.
- Bimini boat tops.
- Canvas boat enclosures.
303 High Tech Guard also resists soiling and mildew formation, by restoring an effective level of lost water repellency. There are no silicones within the product, and if you have used a silicone product before you know it does repel water. That’s about it though. Silicone treated fabric lasts on average 2-3 months, as compared to High Tech Guard that protects for up to three years. Silicone has that harsh, pungent smell; whereas High Tech Guard has a mild, clean odor. Most importantly, High Tech Guard is recommended by industry leaders that include,
- AMCO Convertible Fabrics
- Winnebago
- Orvis
- Thor
- Sunbrella
- Walt Disney World
One treatment can last up to three years.
My comments
This might surprise some of you? I've been detailing cars all my life now and teaching classes on the topic documented since 1987. Maybe not as long as some but probably longer than most in this industry. Generally speaking, convertibles cost more than their hard top twins, that's the reality of purchasing a "Sports Car". Here's my experience, I RARELY meet anyone that has owned or owns a convertible car that regularly cleans and protects their top. In fact, I would say most convertible owners not only don't take proper care of their car's top but most don't know how to correctly and properly clean and then protect the top. Kind of surprising considering with a little online research it's not any harder than washing and waxing the paint and most car owners are qualified to do this aspect of car ownership.
The key thing...
I would say the key thing about properly cleaning and protecting a canvas top is actually all about the brush. Why? Because if you use a scrub brush where the bristles are too course or stiff, they will tend to tear loose the woven fibers apart and then your canvas top will look fuzzy. And there's no real way to undo this kind of damage. Spraying on the cleaner is easy. Spraying on the protectant is easy, the important part to get right is the part that actually takes a little muscle and that's agitating the cleaner over the top to loosen embedded dirt and road grime and this requires the right brush.
303 Convertible Top Brush
At the time I cleaned and protected this convertible top we did not have the NEW 303 Convertible Top Brush in stock. But we do carry a Horse Hair Brush and it is completely safe for cleaning cloth tops. You'll see a picture of this brush in my write-up below.
The kit comes with the cleaner and the fabric guard, the brush you have to purchase extra. I'll include a link for everything in the last post of this review.
Here's my review car, it's a 1949 Mercury Convertible. This is a custom street rod with a big block Chevy engine. This car is valued just shy of $300.00.00
The owner, a good friend of mine contacted me about purchasing the 303 Fabric Convertible Top Kit, he told me the top needed to be cleaned and protected. Knowing I had this review coming up I offered to do it for him so I could use the 303 products to write the review and get the pictures showing how I would tackle a canvas convertible top.
While the top looks good in these pictures, it's dirty and in need of a good cleaning. This car has been moved around and stored in various shops since it was built. It has also been exposed to fresh paint environments and my guess is it has overspray paint on it just like the paint, which has overspray paint.
Here's a close-up of the top, you can see dirt specs on it but I'll guarantee you that that there is a ton of dirt and dust that has embedded INTO the weave.
Bug poo all around the top too.... and in this shot you can see the WEAVE of the fabric. The dirt sinks into the weave and this is why you need to use a brush to agitate the cleaner over the top. Just rinsing the top won't work.
Step 1 - Vacuum or blow any loose dirt off the top, I did this in the garage with a Tornador Air Blowout Gun, sorry no pictures. You can also vacuum the top. The idea being to extract any loose dirt BEFORE introducing water to the surface as the water via gravity will draw loose dirt DEEPER into the weave. So dry extract first.
Time to go outside and do some washing.
While this is a high-dollar build, there ares some gaps between the top and the window glass. I consider myself a professional detailer and as such, treat all cars like they are mine. I put the painter's tape over the gaps to prevent any rinse water from getting into the car.
rops:
Step 2 - Blast any remaining dirt and other contaminants off the top with a strong spray of water.
Step 3 - Spray the 303 convertible top cleaner all over the top including the sides and the seams.
Step 4 - gently scrub the top to work the cleaner over and into the weave.
It's best to do this early morning or on a cloudy day so the sun doesn't work against you and try to dry the top while you're working on it.
Step 5 - After scrubbing the top, rinse until the water runs clear. You shouldn't see any white foam or cleaner as a sign all the cleaner and thus all the dirt has been rinsed off the top.
Be sure to thoroughly rinse any seams or folds of cloth like you see in the front of this top. Just like any car detailing process, the key to success is always the PREP WORK, not the final step.
Step 6 - Then of course, as a professional, I go ahead and wash the entire car. Besides cleaning and protecting the top we're going to use this car for a Paint Correction and Ceramic Coating Class and make a video of the process. I'll include the video at the end of this review.
Now this is one clean 1949 Mercury Convertible. For me, this is what I call a "Bucket List" car. That is I've worked on a few 1949 Mercury hardtops, but never a convertible. And chances are, I may never work on another convertible 49 Merc, they are kind of rare.
Here's what I used, to clean it's full name is 303 Tonneau Cover and Convertible Top Cleaner.
Here's the Horse Hair Brush....
Clean - but saturated wet with water - that's okay, I have a tip to show you how to get it completely dry.
Next up....
How to safely and correctly dry a convertible top.
But this thread was like an unintentional intervention.
