Re-dyeing your convertible top

[ishkabibble]

In a previous post, I had asked if anyone had heard about Renovo Soft Top Reviver, but nobody piped up.

The top on my car is original. It was more of a dark charcoal than black due to sun fade, still had the white stitching, and had fading and mildew spots on the bows and around the rear window. I had tried to color the white stitching black with a Sharpie, but it eventually washed out.

Here's a "before" pic:



I got a 1L bottle of the Renovo stuff and a 303 "Convertible Top Kit" (1 bottle cleaner, 1 bottle fabric guard). I used the 303 cleaner, let the top dry for two hours, did a coat of the Reviver, waited two hours, did another coat of the reviver, waited two hours, then did a coat of the fabric guard.

The top does not look "brand spankin' new" due to 14 years of use, but it does look great. The top is now a much deeper black, the appearance of wear/mildew on the bows and around the rear window is greatly diminished, and the white stitching is black.

"After" pic:



It might be hard to tell the difference from the pics, but it was worth the $70 I paid for the Renovo reviver and 303 kit. Much cheaper than a new top.

I'd do a write-up of the process, but it's easier to tell you to just follow the directions on the bottles. It's pretty straightforward.

[Loki]

Oooh, nice! My top looks even worse than yours did, so this stuff might be right up my alley. I'll definitely ask for a tube of this gunk for my birthday. Maybe I can sell the vinyl top dye I foolishly bought to the Mustang vert owner in my school...

[ishkabibble]

Be sure to get the 1 liter bottle so you can do 2 heavy coats. The 500ml bottle is only for people whose top looks pretty good already - if you top looks bad and you put one one coat, you might get an uneven finish.