303 Fabric Guard

**christian900se** · 10-06-2009, 02:21 PM

I have been using Raggtop fabric protectant for a while but I was never a fan of the aerosol application since it got into every nook and cranny other than the fabric it was intended for.

Anyways, I decided to try 303 Fabric Guard for the black convertible top on my 1996 Saab 900. I sprayed it on liberally about 12 inches from the edges of the top to avoid the majority of overspray. I then got a small paint brush and brushed it into the rest of the top, including into the folds of the fabric.

I let it dry overnight and came to a nice, pitch black top! I immediately went to try out its water repellency and was absolutely amazed. I hosed the top down and it was dry since not a single drop of water was allowed to get into the fabric. I have never seen beading like that, although I won't have a durability report for a while since the car never sees rain and is always garaged.

Pros:

-somewhat easy to use
-top notch protection
-looks great, restores some color to darker tops
-amazing water repellency

Cons:

-make sure you have some time to let it dry
-wipe it off immediately if it gets on your paint, windows, or trim
-a little time consuming to apply with a brush into the smaller areas

Conclusion:

I am very happy I switched to 303 Fabric Guard, having been very happy with their protectant for a long time!

**CEE DOG** · 10-06-2009, 02:32 PM

Great review! Thank you- I too hate that aerosol. I have to tape off with garbage bags my entire Skybaby before I can spray her top. I love 303 as well and already bought some of the fabric gaurd for the top. I am going to finish off the raggtop container first though... One more application and then I can move onto the non-aerosol 303.
Can you post an update to this a few months from now to let us know how it hold up? That would be great.

**christian900se** · 10-06-2009, 02:33 PM

Sure thing, I will add some pictures of the top and beading this weekend I think.

**HighEndDetail** · 10-06-2009, 05:02 PM

303 Fabric Guard is the only product I use, for cloth tops.
And I just used it on my new sneakers

**Rsurfer** · 10-06-2009, 05:13 PM

If your using 303 FG for interior seats, wear a long sleeve shirt and a respirator wouldn't hurt either. The overspray in a cabin will get you. The chemicals in 303 will burn your skin.

**christian900se** · 10-06-2009, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by Rsurfer

If your using 303 FG for interior seats, wear a long sleeve shirt and a respirator wouldn't hurt either. The overspray in a cabin will get you. The chemicals in 303 will burn your skin.

You know, after reading reviews I was expecting a lot more of a 'solvent' smell but it wasn't bad. Then again I did apply it in the garage, I applied it in one medium coat to see how it did. When it was dry, it had no smell what-so-ever which I was happy about!

**Rsurfer** · 10-06-2009, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by christian900se

You know, after reading reviews I was expecting a lot more of a 'solvent' smell but it wasn't bad. Then again I did apply it in the garage, I applied it in one medium coat to see how it did. When it was dry, it had no smell what-so-ever which I was happy about!

Yeah, the smell is pretty mild, but the fine mist in the interior will get to you. Using it on a rag top should not pose any problems.

**christian900se** · 10-06-2009, 07:09 PM

Thanks for the heads up. I was never planning on using it on the interior simply because it doesn't get alot of use.

Does it really make a difference if you apply it to a carpet as far as ease of cleaning is concerned?

**christian900se** · 10-08-2009, 08:05 PM

Ok, I snapped some pictures of the kind of protection this stuff has. The car went through some nasty rain storms this week and I haven't cleaned the roof off yet. The interesting thing about these pictures is that the reason why all my pictures are in the same spot is because if I applied any water elsewhere, it would just fall right off the roof!

FYI; This was after one layer (I laid it down pretty heavy, dried quickly though) and seeing the results I think I will do one more. I'm not sure how long the durability is so maybe someone with more experience can chime in?