1970 Cadillac vinyl top protectant

[Scot Minesinger]

Have not owned a car with a vinyl top for more than 30 years.  All the Griot's and Bill Hirsch's of the world have leather and convertible top applicants to the nines.  What is everyone using to protect their vinyl tops for Caddys of the 1960's and 1970's?

On my 1970 Cadillac SDV with original perfect vinyl top (no bubbles, no flaws, like new) what is everyone using as a protectant such as Armoral (only I hear that makes it brittle).  The top is cleaned and rejuvenated, needs protecting.  The car is outside maybe 100 hours in sunlight a year and spends all other time in garage.  Started looking for this product and came up empty.

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

The best and IMHO the only foolproof protection is an outdoor car cover.
Greg Surfas

[76eldo]

I trust Maguires line of products and they make a vinyl top coating.

Brian

[Scot Minesinger]

Greg,

Car is stored in a garage 8600 hours of the 8760 hour year, just need it to look nice be protected when outside.


Brian,

Thanks will try the Maguires

[Dan LeBlanc]

You want to stay away from ANYTHING silicone based.  303 Aerospace protectant is a water based product that doesn't leave an oily residue.  Oily residues will attract dirt.  303 comes very highly recommended.  It also has water repellant properties, so, if it starts to lose the ability to sheet water, you know it's time to reapply.

The problem with silicone based protectants is they will cause plasticizer migration- IE, they pull the plasticizers that keep the vinyl soft and pliable out of the material and give it that dried out, brittle problem.

[936CD69]

X2 on the 303 protectant, works great, used on the white phaeton (vinyl) roof on my 93, no discoloration or dirt issues after 4 years of use

[Jon S]

Scot -

I bought a gallon of this several years ago. I believe it's the best stuff out there. I attached a picture of my non-Cadillac which i applied it to a few weeks ago:

[Scot Minesinger]

Tried the 303 protectant today and it worked great, exactly the results was hoping for.  Took it for a drive today with all four windows down - gets almost as many thumbs up and attention as the red convertible.

Dan, the 61 Fleetwood in the SS looked beyond amazing.  Congratulations on such a great looking car. 

BTW it is nice when my issues are what type of protectant?, what color?, rather than exhaust, suspension and etc.

[beastly beauties]

Just an FYI for those out there looking to find a solution to vinyl top dressings. I used to buy everything on the market back in the 1970's for a great simple long lasting dressing. No such product existed. I stumbled upon the use of a product that stood the test of time and it was ""Future Vinyl Floor Wax! Best stuff I ever used and all my cars back then never saw the inside of a garage. I lived in the northeast and they saw some nasty weather. I still have some now. I remember a friend of mine telling me that dealerships were using Mop and Glow to shine up engine compartments. I know that was very temporary and would scale of in no time because it was a watered down floor wax. But I swear the Future wax wore like iron, never cracked, yellowed, and stayed shiny for a long, time. It's claim to fame was its durability to hold a shine on floors and never yellow. You soak a new clean artificial square sponge and apply it with one non stop stroke, front to back, reapplying for each stroke. The square sponge gave  control on where it was coating. Do not use it on a hot top as it dries too fast before you complete the adjoining strokes. It can be removed carefully if needed with a few passes of a sponge or rags soaked in ammonia. Careful not to get on painted surfaces with ammonia cause it will strip that wax too. Sometimes the best solutions are right in front of our noses.     David Symonds

[Scot Minesinger]

The floor wax probably did a great job of preventing moisture from getting underneath the top too if you slathered into the seams and edges real good.  That was probably a strong factor in your success with this product. Since my top has no bubbles was looking for something to seal it with.

[Dan LeBlanc]

Dan, the 61 Fleetwood in the SS looked beyond amazing.  Congratulations on such a great looking car. 

Thanks Scot!

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

If a top is beginning to show signs of deterioration, I'd err on the side of Meguiars products which are usually excellent. Never use ArmorAll.

For vinyl tops in that are excellent condition, the best protection is simply to limit sunlight exposure, otherwise just leave it alone.

[Scot Minesinger]

Eric,

Car is always garaged, and only outside when driven on nice days (say 100 trips per year at 2hrs each average, so 200 hours of sunlight per year).  All my cars are driven and enjoyed, and hopefully the top will remain in great shape.  The first 45 years and 36k miles it has stayed perfect, hopefully the next 45 years and 36k miles it will too.  The protectant was more to add a shine than anything else, as it was real dull.

[jwjohnson86]

Do you also advise Meguiars for interior plastics such as the dash pad and door panels?  Or something else? 

[Scot Minesinger]

That 303 protectant is probably perfect, it shined up the top.  I will use it on my interior parts too.  Silicone based products I hear are not really good for the vinyl and plastics long term.