waterproof my new soft top roof

The place to pick up tips on bringing that showroom shine back to your E30.

Moderator: martauto

Post Reply
User avatar
itsamomentintime
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 44
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:00 pm

Thu Sep 21, 2006 12:36 pm

guys can anyone recommend anything i can put on the roof to waterproof it? is there a resin or something i can use?
DaveD
E30Zone Wiki Specialist
Posts: 5129
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Sheffield

Thu Sep 21, 2006 4:12 pm

renovo...worked for me

http://www.renovointernational.com/

then again so did tent proofer, from a camping shop, on my old black top
User avatar
itsamomentintime
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 44
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:00 pm

Thu Sep 21, 2006 10:20 pm

my roof doesnt need renovating as such (its brand new) it needs sealing, any ideas lads?
DaveD
E30Zone Wiki Specialist
Posts: 5129
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: Sheffield

Fri Sep 22, 2006 12:03 am

as i said ,or at least i think i said, renovo or tent proofer :roll:

http://www.renovointernational.com/prod ... ducts.html
User avatar
IainB
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 39
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: Dunstable
Contact:

Tue Sep 26, 2006 8:03 pm

This is going to sound really bizarre, but Ive heard going things about thompsons water seal. Ive recently used it on a canvas tent with no issues (and at around Ԛ£10 for 5 litres its much cheaper than the genuine tent sealer!!) and Ive heard of it being used with a lot of success with the TVR boys soft tops.
User avatar
orangecurry
E30 Zone Addict
E30 Zone Addict
Posts: 2512
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: West Sussex

Wed Sep 27, 2006 10:08 am

I used something like this on my OLD OLD canvas roof for my 318 - it worked well, but the car stinks and it doesn't last as long as the Autoglym does...

having said that, on another forum someone suggests using the stuff for boat-cover canvas - called FABSIL or something, BUT I HAVEN'T TRIED IT YET, so beware.

http://www.transmarine.co.uk/product4.a ... ct_ID=5195

I am going to buy/try it though, as there are loads of chandlerys round 'ere
User avatar
orangecurry
E30 Zone Addict
E30 Zone Addict
Posts: 2512
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: West Sussex

Wed Sep 27, 2006 10:20 am

ahh good old Pistonheads - they say use Fabsil or Thompsons :D

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topi ... 8&t=219434
User avatar
IainB
E30 Zone Newbie
E30 Zone Newbie
Posts: 39
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:00 pm
Location: Dunstable
Contact:

Wed Sep 27, 2006 10:28 am

orangecurry wrote:ahh good old Pistonheads - they say use Fabsil or Thompsons :D
All came down to cost for me :cry: Ԛ£10 for 5 litres V's something like Ԛ£45/50 for 5 litres of the other - did the same job, but did smell for a day or so...
User avatar
orangecurry
E30 Zone Addict
E30 Zone Addict
Posts: 2512
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: West Sussex

Wed Sep 27, 2006 10:30 am

the only difference I have found so far (apart from price) is that Thompsons make no claim that it protects from UV, whereas the FABSIL does make this claim...

http://www.toughproducts.co.uk/prodshow ... =82&gID=25#

I've got some Thompsons in the garage; I'll give it a sniff when I get home :mad:
User avatar
orangecurry
E30 Zone Addict
E30 Zone Addict
Posts: 2512
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: West Sussex

Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:36 pm

Thompsons smells strongly of petrol-type-ness

for me the lack of smell outweighs the extra cost.... FABSIL for me :D
padi
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 305
Joined: Sun May 01, 2005 11:00 pm

Thu Oct 19, 2006 1:44 pm

mate we sell that through our chandlery and we do it for 11.95. just a thought. ive never used it on my car as the roof is old, so always used the autoglym kit, but ill happily post u sum... ps were setting up an autoglym account 2moz so if thats any help im sure i could get that aswell...
User avatar
orangecurry
E30 Zone Addict
E30 Zone Addict
Posts: 2512
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: West Sussex

Thu Oct 19, 2006 1:52 pm

thanks Padi - but at the moment I work opposite a chandlery! I went over to buy some Fabsil the other day, and they only had Renovo, so I had that instead - 8 GBP I think and I used 2/3 of the bottle. Good results so far; DaveD recommended this too.
padi
E30 Zone Regular
E30 Zone Regular
Posts: 305
Joined: Sun May 01, 2005 11:00 pm

Thu Oct 19, 2006 1:57 pm

cool glad u got sumthin sorted as this weathers crap!!!! mines busy hiding in the garage in the warm and dry...lol :D
User avatar
orangecurry
E30 Zone Addict
E30 Zone Addict
Posts: 2512
Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 11:00 pm
Location: West Sussex

Mon Oct 23, 2006 4:42 pm

Renovo - this is after lots of rain, not just a shower, and it was still beading - good stuff; I don't know if it'll last as long as the Autoglym does, but it's cheaper and you apply it by brush which is better; stick an old blanket under the hood/frame over the car paintwork, and you won't have to clean off the drips :D

Image
Post Reply