Review: Machine applying RaggTopp Vinyl Cleaner and Protectant - 1967 Camaro Convertible

[Mike Phillips]

Review: Machine applying RaggTopp Vinyl Cleaner and Protectant - 1967 Camaro Convertible



RaggTopp Vinyl Cleaner and Protectant






What is it?

2-step system to clean and protect vinyl.


What does it do?

The vinyl cleaner safely lifts and removes built-up dirt in the weave of the vinyl and the protectant restores a rich vibrant appearance with protection.


When do I use it?

After first washing and drying the top.


Why should I use it?

To preserve your car's vinyl top for both appearance reasons and resale reasons.




From the manufacturer


RAGGTOPP Convertible Top Vinyl Cleaner & Protectant


RAGGTOPP Convertible Top Vinyl Cleaner

Our RAGGTOPP™ Convertible Top Fabric & Vinyl Cleaner has been formulated exclusively for fabric and vinyl convertible tops. It will safely remove even the toughest soils, stains as well as some mildew. RAGGTOPP™ Convertible Top Fabric & Vinyl Cleaner is tough on dirt but will not harm or streak your paint, metal, plastic or rubber automotive surfaces. Safely use RAGGTOPP™ Convertible Top Fabric & Vinyl Cleaner on interior vinyl, carpet, rubber, exterior & interior plastic and vinyl trim. Our exclusive low pH balanced, no bleach, anti-oxidant formula leaves no residue and it is also environmentally friendly, biodegradable and non-toxic.


RAGGTOPP Convertible Top Vinyl Protectant

RAGGTOPP™ Convertible Top Vinyl Protectant is the strongest professional strength vinyl protectant on the market today. It has been exclusively formulated for exterior and interior commercial vinyl products without streaking. RAGGTOPP Convertible Top Vinyl Protectant contains NO silicone, oils or petroleum distillates and will not harm automotive paint, aluminum, exterior trim, plastic or rubber surfaces. Our patented formula repels dust, grease, dirt and the growth of mildew which with regular use keeps your vinyl like new for years to come. Long lasting washable formula, RAGGTOPP Convertible Top Vinyl Protectant offers complete protection against UV fading, cracking and hardening of all vinyl products. RAGGTOPP Convertible Top Vinyl Protectant is the only vinyl protectant that contains ultraviolet (UV) blocking absorbers from CIBA Tinuvin© offering maximum protection from harsh environmental elements from nature and man.

Can be used to safely restore a like new appearance and protect all vinyl surfaces such as convertible tops, interior panels, seats, dashboards, Jeep© soft tops, awnings, hot tub covers and more.


DIRECTIONS

1. Properly clean vinyl surface with RAGGTOPP, Vinyl Cleaner and RAGGTOPP HAARTZ Premium Brush. Dry thoroughly.
2. Shake well and spray onto dry vinyl surface about 18-24 inches away using gentle sweeping motion, or spray onto clean towel or applicator pad and apply to vinyl.
3. Wipe dry with clean cotton towel or microfiber towel.
4. Apply every 3-5 weeks for maximum protection from UV and wear.
5. Use a clean cotton towel, rag, or microfiber to wipe away any overspray.

My comments....

I know Rick Goldstein the owner of RaggTopp personally. Not only is he a genuinely nice guy he's also a huge supporter of the car detailing industry and a member of and supporter of the IDA or International Detailing Association. I have multiple how-to articles showing his RaggTopp products for canvas fabric tops but this is my first how-to article and review for using his vinyl protectant. My review and how-to below is going to be a SUPER TEST for his products as this vinyl top is in HORRIBLE condition. It's going to take a miracle - or great products to make it look presentable again.



Project car: 1967 Chevy Camaro Convertible

When this car arrived to the shop I knew the paint needed some correction and perfection work, I assumed the top would be in "good" condition, just needing a light cleaning and an application of a vinyl dressing.

I was wrong.



Here's the car as she looked when she arrived...






Here's a great picture showing the overall condition of the vinyl top.




Pretty bad huh? Keep reading.....




How to machine clean a vinyl convertible top with RaggTopp Vinyl Cleaner


Step 1: First thing I did was use a waterless wash to wash the entire car including the vinyl top. Sorry no pictures.




Step 2: Machine apply the RaggTopp Vinyl Protectant using a DA Brush on the FLEX PE14 Cordless Rotary Polisher

The FLEX cordless rotary works GREAT for machine scrubbing. I rarely scrub anything by hand because this tool, with the DA Brush you see on the backing plate far excels what the puny human hand and arm muscles can accomplish. The bristles on the brush are 1.5" long, this enables them to flex or bend easily and this feature makes them both effective at scrubbing while still being very safe to vinyl tops.








Step 3: Using a clean towel, wipe off all the dirt and grime the cleaner loosened.

You can also rinse the top by flushing with water but because I was doing this work inside I started by wiping the grime off and after two thorough machine cleanings, I then used a rinseless wash to fully rinse and wash the top off.









Continue working around the top working section by section.












Results after 2 thorough cleanings

Most of the oxidation and staining has now been removed.










Step 3: Apply a wet application of the RaggTopp Vinyl Protectant and work in well - allow to penetrate and then wipe any excess off.

For the application step, I switched over to a fresh clean DA Brush and then machine applied the protectant. The key here is to use a LOT of product. Because the FLEX cordless PE14 is a ROTARY polisher, you're going to see some product sling as centrifugal force will sling some of the product outward and thus it will land on the car body panels and glass blow the top. The protectant won't harm anything and this why I'm working through the cleaning and protecting of the top BEFORE I start on the rest of the car.







There's no way the human hand can duplicate the massaging action of the brush bristles spinning over the top and working the protectant into the weave.







Normally I would be holding the tool with both hands but someone had to take the pictures.






Soak and penetrate

Here's how the top looked after the first very wet application of the RaggTopp Vinyl Protectant. Looks so much better - BUT - I'm going to apply and work in 2 more wet applications. At this point I called it quits for the night and went home allowing the protectant to soak into the vinyl and do it's magic as much as is possible.

Note: A vinyl top in GOOD or GREAT condition would need this type of extreme interdiction, this type of process is best used on severely neglected tops like the one on this Camaro.






Final results...

I took these pictures at 6:00pm the next day. By then I had applied and let soak 2 more very wet applications. At some point earlier that afternoon I wiped the top down to remove any excess product to leave a dry-to-the touch surface.










Before




After





BEFORE

Here's how the car looked when it first arrived. Top is dull, paint has overspray and swirls, I wet sanded the hood and tires had never been properly cleaned and dressed.





AFTER

Here's how she looks after a proper extreme makeover to the top, paint, tires and interior.





Review

I really think you'll agree that the pictures tell the story. The vinyl top on the cool Camaro was dull and lifeless looking. But worse than that it had lots of stains and even water spots on the vinyl material. More than anything, it was a true test of both the RaggTopp cleaner to remove as much as the dirt and staining as possible and then a test of the protectant's ability to restore a crisp, deep, dark appearance that would accent the appearance of the car not be an eyesore.

The RaggTopp product performed flawlessly. The cleaning aspect would have taken longer if I were to have worked by hand so I have to give some credit to the extreme changeover to the cordless FLEX PE14 equipped with the DA Brush. (both available at Autogeek.com)

The top looks BETTER than new. It looks exactly like a vinyl top should look on true show car.



On Autogeek.com


RaggTopp Vinyl Convertible Top Care Kit


Heavy-Duty DA Carpet Brush – Long Bristles

The Heavy-Duty DA Carpet Brush features deep 1.5-inch nylon bristles that are stiff enough to remove stains, and gentle enough not to damage delicate surfaces. Attach the Heavy-Duty DA Carpet Brush to a 5-inch hook and loop backing plate and you’ll be able to clean carpet faster than you ever thought possible!



FLEX PE-150 Cordless Rotary Polisher

The FLEX PE-150 Cordless Rotary Polisher has a 1400 watt motor with a no-load speed range of 150 - 1,450 rpm. When powered by the 5 amp battery pack, the FLEX PE-150 Cordless Rotary Polisher can use a cutting wool pad at full power for 30-35 minutes – the perfect amount of time to polish a couple panels. The average charge time from dead to fully charged is approximately 40 minutes – and you can have a back-up battery on hand to keep going while the other battery is still charging!

[Mike Phillips]

Continued.....

And as they say, here's the rest of the story....

As I worked through detailing this Camaro inside and out and from top to bottom I took pictures to show the products I used and how I used them....



Review: Wolfgang Si02 Paint Sealant







Review: Pinnacle Black Label Tire Clear Coat - Machine Scrubbing Tires - 1967 Camaro - (write-up in progress)

[mc2hill]

Review: Machine applying RaggTopp Vinyl Cleaner and Protectant - 1967 Camaro Convertible



RaggTopp Vinyl Cleaner and Protectant






What is it?

Liquid one-step polish and wax with Si02


What does it do?

Removes swirls, scratches, water spots and oxidation while adding incredible gloss, depth and shine and a layer of Si02 and wax protection


When do I use it?

After first washing and drying your car and after removing any bonded contaminants if discovered.


Why should I use it?

To remove swirls, scratches, water spots and oxidation while leaving a show car finish in one step.

Great write up Mike, and I have met Rick at Detail Fest, and he is a great guy.

But you need to get on your proofreader! A little confusing on the 'What is it' section.

[Mike Phillips]

Great write up Mike, and I have met Rick at Detail Fest, and he is a great guy.

He's a SUPER guy. He attended my Roswell Roadshow Class and let my students buff out his Porsche AND clean and protect the convertible top.



Pictures & Comments - Atlanta, Georgia Roadshow Class!


I always try to have cars with canvas tops to show the correct way to clean them and then protect them.

For this class we have the owner of RaggTopp - Rick Goldstein’s personal classic Porsche to train on!



























After washing, drying and treating with the RaggTopp Fabric Protectant we then covered the top to protect it so the class could then do the paint correction step.

But you need to get on your proofreader! A little confusing on the 'What is it' section.

Thanks for catching that. I've fixed it.

What most people don't see is behind the scenes I have a template for doing my reviews. And sometimes I just borrow the text format from something I've already written via COPY AND PASTE and in this one instance, I simply forgot to replace the copied and pasted text for fresh text --> me writing.

I'm not going to feel bad with at the time of this post, 218 reviews.




Product reviews by Mike Phillips


But yeah, I fixed it. Maybe a PM next time?