Waterproofing my 987 hood

[Janner]

OK
For almost a month and 3 windows later (1 from the South of France) I finally have a working window in the drivers door of the car. This is such a joy, given that for 2 weeks, the glass was in the passenger side footwell, the door trim in the boot and cable just hung from the inside of the door.

Anyway . . . .waterproofing.
Very many thanks for all the good advice.
I have given the top 2 coats of Fabsil, applied, as suggested, with a sponge.
It rained (a little) late last night and the Fabsil seems to have made a marked improvement.

However, to be sure, I plan to spray a final application onto the roof, during the next few days.
I have a load of old towels, rejected by SWMBO, but perfect for protecting paintwork and glass.
I have a roll of yellow Frog Tape, which I can use to mask the rear window seal and the hood front bar.

I just need a still warm morning.

John

 

[Janner]

Job done
Fabsil tin empty and in the bin
The roof looks better, no doubt.
The test will be this coming Thursday. With No1 son, I will be doing the Lands End to Ness Point run, chasing the sun.
With luck, it will be roof down, but, if it rains, I have a waterproof roof!

Thanks again for the advice
John

 

[D911ARK]

Good work!

 

[BartyB]

The materials used by Porsche for Boxster 986 and 987 hoods is Haartz Sonnenland A5.0 Singed, a 1.1mm fabric laminate with woven solution-dyed acrylic / polyester facing. Haartz's technical publications state that "RAGGTOPP Cleaner, RAGGTOPP Premium Convertible Top Brush, and RAGGTOPP Protectant available from Wolfsteins Pro-Series are recommended by Haartz" (Haartz, 2018).

From experience, the RaggTopp kit is effective and long-lasting (and if, like me, you're bothered about our children's futures, it doesn't contain CFCs or other chemicals harmful to the environment or wildlife) but seems harder to find retailers stocking it near me these days. I've also used Autoglym, Renovo and Fabsil products to proof hoods. In my experience Autoglym is the easiest to apply, Renovo is the most water-resistant and possibly the longest-lasting. I've had disappointing results with Fabsil but I've since discovered that there are two versions of Fabsil available. Fabsil Gold (Super Concentrated Universal Protector) seems the most suitable for cabriolet roofs as it is specifically designed for fabrics exposed to weather for long periods of time. It has a greater amount of silicon included in its formulation which probably explains why its better than the regular Fabsil Universal Protector which proved less effective and barely lasted a year.

The Porsche OEM kit is a non-starter for me as it is vastly overpriced and judging by its odour it’s really re-packaged Raggtopp. 303 is another brand I've heard good things about but never used.

To avoid getting reproofer all over the paintwork I use a plastic dust sheet (£3.99 from B&Q) with a hole cut in it and masking tape to cover the paintwork, trim and glass (see picture below). I also use a garden leaf blower to speed up the drying process.

Hope that helps.

 

[Janner]

The materials used by Porsche for Boxster 986 and 987 hoods is Haartz Sonnenland A5.0 Singed, a 1.1mm fabric laminate with woven solution-dyed acrylic / polyester facing. Haartz's technical publications state that "RAGGTOPP Cleaner, RAGGTOPP Premium Convertible Top Brush, and RAGGTOPP Protectant available from Wolfsteins Pro-Series are recommended by Haartz" (Haartz, 2018).

From experience, the RaggTopp kit is effective and long-lasting (and if you bothered about our children's futures, it doesn't contain CFCs or other chemicals harmful to the environment or wildlife) but seems harder to find retailers stocking it near me these days. I've also used Autoglym, Renovo and Fabsil products to proof hoods. In my experience Autoglym is the easiest to apply, Renovo is the most water-resistant and possibly the longest-lasting. I've had disappointing results with Fabsil but I've since discovered that there are two versions of Fabsil available. Fabsil Gold (Super Concentrated Universal Protector) seems the most suitable for cabriolet roofs as it is specifically designed for fabrics exposed to weather for long periods of time. It has a greater amount of silicon included in its formulation which probably explains why its better than the regular Fabsil Universal Protector which proved less effective and barely lasted a year.

The Porsche OEM kit is a non-starter for me as it is vastly overpriced and judging by its odour it’s really re-packaged Raggtopp. 303 is another brand I've heard good things about but never used.

To avoid getting reproofer all over the paintwork I use a plastic dust sheet (£3.99 from B&Q) with a hole cut in it and masking tape to cover the paintwork, trim and glass (see picture below). I also use a garden leaf blower to speed up the drying process.

Hope that helps.

Alan
Useful thanks.
Most useful is the picture . . . . . .that's the way mine will be done next time.

TBH, I tend to steer clear of brand reccommended products, I find that they (Porche especially) are expensive and generally no better than good quality stuff from Halfords and the like.

I found Fabsil to be a good option for my boats, which, obviously, were out all year, in all weathers.
Having said that however, the hood materials are distinctly different.

I needed to get this done before tomorrow, as I am doing the 'Chase the sun' run from Lands End to Ness point, in fact, I am in Plymouth now, with co-driver, No1 son, on our overnight stop, for the big run.
A steady run down Cornwall tomorrow, fill up the tank, sleep, then 430 miles straight, the more I think about it, the more I am convinced I'm barking mad!
Hey ho . . . . . .

The hood will be done again, before the bad weather sets in, and the car will look like yours during the process.

Thanks
John

 

[BartyB]

It's easy to do. Just open the top and stop half way through the opening sequence. Cut a hole through the plastic, pull it over the open roof, gather it up a bit and tuck it under the hood making sure you don't tear it. Then close the top and lock it down. As the picture shows, use masking tape to tap the plastic down and mask off the rear screen and plastic hood trim. Simples.

Have fun on the LE2NP.