Convertible Top Cover (Boot)

Some PPL may not recommend it, but I apply Armour All maybe only twice/yr. I have used Armour All more at least over 30 yrs. and have always liked it. It really makes the top and dashboard look awesome upon application. Negatives or not, I'd rather use it than see some of the sick looking tops that I've seen :-).

Well, I took a good look at the latch yesterday and the plastic cover on the little nub-type end that goes into the plate was broken. I was able to get the rest of the plastic out of there (not easily though) so hopefully that might solve the not latching properly problem.

Looks like I'll be able to test it today - the forecast is not so nice. Any forecast that includes the four letter word for frozen precipitation is Not Nice!

Iva & Vixen

2004 Classic Red No more winkin' Miata

I think that it has been 4 1/2 years since I have seen snow in person, but it got down to an unacceptable 43 degrees last night, and it might freeze tonight just a little north of where I am. (talking 32 degrees, not exactly a hard freeze)

We should have a high of 73 and sunny today.....This is the time of the year that makes those blazing hot summers worth it.

October through December are by far my favorite months here.

Pat

Over here in the UK you can get something (which I use) called Renovo, it's a reproofer for vinyl tops, protects against UV etc. Meant to be applied to the outside though!

I don't mind the heat in the summer, although I do mind the humidty, but I really Do Not Like that-word-for-frozen-precipitation. (Can't say *that* word or it will hear me!)

And it turned out that the broken plastic piece was the problem with the latch - it snugged right up like it was supposed to when I put the top up today. That was not the rattle though. That little problem turned out to be the passenger side seatbelt guide tapping against the rollbar. I rotated the guide all the way toward the back of the car and the rattle stopped. That's fine when there's no passenger but....

Guess I'll have to stick a piece of foam on there. Or something.

Iva & Vixen

2004 Classic Red No more winkin' Miata

Top was down with boot on most of the summer, even through a couple of rain storms! Now top is still down, but with the hardtop on! Already drove through snow flurries on Saturday.

Stuart H.

1991 Eunos Roadster

Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada

Exact-a-mundo. Here in the very center of "fly-over" USA, the top is up and down daily or hourly or minute-by-minute. I worry more about how the very smoothly functioning top on our 2006 will endure: a. up-and-down, up-and-down cycles, over and over and over and over... b. ghastly summer heat/humidity/rain/sun c: miserable bitter winter cold/ice/snow

So far - 3 years, so good. The top is down most summer days. For the next 3 or 4 months (November - March), it MAY go down on good weather days after a decent warm-up. Replacing and removing a cover would be a major hassle.

BTW: Have you ever watched Saturn Sky or Pontiac Solstice owners folding the infernal convertible top on one of *those*? It is amusing to see how many of them rarely have the top down. No wonder...

Yes, and that is the same for Armor-All. I have never seen anything to put on the bottom part of the cloth or vinyl tops.

Shortly after the purchase of my first miata, my "helpful" neighbor dumped about half the bottle of Armor-All onto my top and it took a while for it to stop dripping onto the paint.

Using it sparingly is probably not going to cause a problem, but there is another product for protecting vinyl that is made by Meguiars.

I can't remember what it is called, but it is seems less greasy than Armor-All to me and has never dripped onto the paint even when it rained almost immediately after applying it.

Pat

Renovo isn't greasy at all. In fact you wouldn't know it had been applied... I assume it is doing something though!

I do use Armor-All, but on the inside plastics etc.

Tried and true advice from miata.net:

"The black vinyl top does not need much maint at all. The National club has advised useing a vinyl protector/cleaner. Armour All is not advised due to the way it turns a milky white and runs down the sides of the car.

Armorall. Armorall is a sealant, which is not good for rubber at all, even less so for the soft top of your car. It doesn't allow for the vinyl in the material to breathe and causes the top to break down due to UV rays. The net result is cracking. Our club was fortunate to get a local Meguiar's rep out to one of early spring meetings for a product demo, and while I have no ties to Meguiar's, I do believe what he stated about Armorall and the soft top. The MCofA expresses the same sentiments in the Miata Magazine--don't use armorall. You need a product that is a protectant (UV and otherwise) but not a sealant. Meguiar's #40 is made just for this purpose. "

Yes, it possibly can. Experience over the years shows that material treated with Armor-All might deteriorate very quickly *IF* the treatment isn't repeated at regular intervals, it depends on the material of course.

BTW, the most fun you can have with Armor-All is on motorcycle seats, wipe a seat down with it on a dirt bike and watch the rider slide off when he tries to accelerate! For some reason, it makes the seat as slippery as .

2000 Miata. Have used Armour All maybe twice annually, the life of the car, and for the past 30 yrs. or so on different things. Love it and will keep using it. My top looks like new, and is in great condition. I hate seeing Miatas running around with ugly looking, dirty or dull looking tops. Armour All has always been touted as a protector from UVs on vinyl, leather, and many other like materials

You won't see give it up for the supposed Armour All haters, especially cause reps from competing products say so :-).