What's the product of choice to bring my faded top back to life?

black paint

we loved the old black top wax, but now use kiwi shoe polish and then buff it with a brush!

What kind of brush ? A shoe brush...??

I use the parade polish for a bit more gloss

PO used shoe polish on my 75. Every time I put the roof in the trunk, I'd end up with a black streat across my pants. Ended up removing the polish and buffed it out with an orbital buffer and compound. Turned out nice.

Properly applied shoe polish and properly buffed (with a shoe brush) and then let it dry...it wont rub off...just like shoes.

If you put to much on and dont buff it out, it will rub off.

Rich

The top on my 74 was looking rather cracked and had been sanded which remove the little textured bumps. I used Rustoleum's Hammered paint to bring back the texture and color.

Mother's


Back to Black


or shoe polish

Does the shoe polish last longer than the Back to Black? I've used B2B a couple of times and it doesn't seem to last very long at all. I guess you can't expect but so much from a rub on product when I probably need to just bite the bullet and repaint the top.

Mike

i make an effort every time I detail my car to use one or the other (whichever is closer)

its not hard to apply (back to black is easy to do) so its wash, wax, tire shine, roof shine

not too bad, shines it up, keeps it original


the car is small anyways, so its like an extra 2 minutes maybe every couple of months, nothing to bitch about.

right on Rich.

Tried that today on my faded top ... The polish might work on a otherwise still nice top that's just a bit dull, but on mine, which has some serious faded to gray spots, the polish did almost nothing.

So, for a really faded gray top, the only real remedy is PAINT ...
Andy

I've painted them with flattened enamel, but the prep work is a PITA, especially if it's been treated with shoe polish!

+1 for Mother's Back to Black. Goes on fast, easy to get a nice even sheen.

Maybe try a small section with the shoe polish applied properly. Then in a couple days after it's buffed etc., see if any doesn't come off with a white t-shirt. If not, then go for it. It is a bear to remove once it is on.

Maybe this is the subject for a completely new thread...But,

Seems there are less and less VERY good tops around...without corners bashed in and not faded and so on...

And, it also seems that there has been a ton of good work here making most of our parts back to factory and even concours condition...

What about the tops? Is there anyone who has put the work in to accurately recreate the factory finish/texture to perfectly restore a top?

The guy who did the work on my car also redid the roof...and it was the only thing I wasn't quite happy with...the texture was close, but, not close enough, and certainly the finish color wasn't quite right either. No doubt great from 5 feet away.

I am sure sanding the top down smooth is not quite the answer for those anal retentive perfectionists among us.

Peter

I asked this question in a post about a month ago and was told that Rhino Lining was a good choice. I was told they could dial in the pebble look to match the top. I have not seen this done in person, but it seems that Rhino Lining would be very heavy. Other than that, I can not think of anything else that would work.
James

A few months back I sold a near perfect top that I had...had it for at least 15 years...in storage wrapped in bubble wrap and stored in my basement for as long as I had it...

I had it listed for $750...and caught some crap here for my price...that you could restore one for cheaper...

At that time, in the classified section I asked, "Restore it how?" I have not seen any restored tops that match the factory texture or finish...same goes for dashes.

When close is not close enough for some of us...

Peter

This is a great thread. My creamsicle goes out for paint this week. I had planned on having the top repainted. Is there a black color that is close to factory? Should I try the polish first. Or will this make painting it even harder

WURTH Stone Guard

This stuff leaves a textured finish that is similar to the factory finish.
Auto Atlanta sells it.

I still have a new, unopened can of Turtle Wax Black Top Wax, as well as a half-used can. So, I'm good for some years. I apply it to the roof side edges with a shoe polish brush, to rub it in good. Let it settle fo arbout 5 minutes & buff it twice.

Guess I'll need to go to black shoe polish eventually, since it's no longer available, but it wears like iron.
Pat

Can somebody add a picture of what a stock targa top is supposed to look like? Mik has been glossy black since the day I picked up my teener. Wel, dull glossy black... kinda...

Eric

Here's a close-up of the texture on my original finish top. I just don't see Rhino liner reproducing the same type of texture.

its fiberglass, like the Stones (and GreatPumpkin) said Paint it black.

That's a later roof. The texture on the early roofs is a little finer.

I didn't know there was a difference in texture, good to know. That picture is from my 73 top.

74 top original finish taken inside with flash.

Click to view attachment

Only got a few minutes so here goes..
Jon Paterek at the Porsche Club told me years ago the proper way to do it..
from start to finish and what to use..AND that he would do my top..BUT the freight
to and from would be a killah!!!! Since then my ducks are not in a row re the correct way to do it or the full conversation we had......
IF some nice person here would put a request into him....( I am off the World board for the next few weeks, tax time) and have it go into the Pano..All PCA members could read it and or pass it around....OR if a bunch of us wanted it done we could get a group price..!!
THAT is if he is willing and he is not too bizy with 200,000$ cars he is restoring...
(if yah got my drift)...He is a great guy.....And for you Pano Readers you know he is the shizzle...There yah go....Gottah go....
OH PS...>>The Rhino linning's etc..CANNOT do the factory finish.......
Have seen 2 tops done..One was okay...the other was really rough..
But for 50 or so bucks ...

But if you work with it right Shoe Polish!

Are you saying that Jon Paterak has a method of completely restoring a top? Or just simply to freshen it up? Shipping is not horrible...but, you MUST build a crate...I think mine was around $100 terminal to terminal with a freight company.

I am curious what his prices are and how extensive his work is...has anyone here ever seen one of his completed tops? How do they compare to early original.

I would be interested in having a nice top restored perfectly...after I have the GT steel cross members installed.

Peter

I'm about 30 minutes away from John and Ray's shop. If someone wants to confirm if they have on hand, I'd be happy to take a run down and take a few shots. The times I was there, I never seen a refinished top.

Is this info you can share?

mothers back to black is great for the black rubber bumpers!!!

Hey Spoke,

Do you have a picture of your top which you painted with this stuff? I'm going to have to sand at least part of my top smooth due to fiberglass repair that is needed. If this stuff looks pretty good I may sand the entire top and just respray it with this.