candymanjl
11-22-2008, 03:56 PM
word, so you've got your S, now make sure you're taking care of it :frow: this sticky will be dedicated to info on keeping the convertible top in the best possible shape.
*** the first mod is the fix for the rag top elastic straps that wear out. this will cause the top to not fold down as far as it should or in an extreme case, keep it from folding down at all. if you get the stock replacements from the dealer they're riveted in and it'll be a big mission to replace. www.modifry.com sells replacement parts that lock into the rivets so all you have to do is cut out the old straps and put in the new ones, no drilling. I did this mod start to finish in 15 minutes after reading the directions completely. I'd say even a newb could do this no problem :)
http://www.modifry.com/products/ctf/index.htm
*** the next thing is to make sure the rubber seals for the top don't dry out. this will keep you from having leaks and also keep the seals from making noise. the gangster stuff to use is Shin-Etsu grease, Honda part #08798-9013. this is job is easy, just takes a little time. just dab a little on your finger and rub it onto all the rubber seals on the top. there's a seal that goes around the front windshield, then on the top itself there's seals around the side windows. if your seals were a little dry like mine you'll sell the rubber shine up kinda like using armor all as the grease soaks in. a little of this stuff goes a long way! the bottle you get from the dealer would last ten S2000 owners a lifetime!
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/srchrslts.jsp?search=sku&catcgry1=&inputstate=&srchwords=08798-9013&vinnosrch=Enter+VIN+Number+---
*** your top making creaking sounds or squeaks? check out Honda's official service bulletin...
http://www.superpimps.com/candymanjl/thes2000/s2000top.pdf
*** now for the top itself, S2000 convertible tops are made of vinyl, even though it looks like fabric to me, smarter people than me say otherwise :) I tried RaggTopp brand cleaner and protectant today for the first time and it worked great! it's pretty simple to use, just wet the top and spray the stuff on. then brush with a gentle brush or rag to loosen everything and just rinse the top off really good when you're done. I did this first when I was washing the car since you make a little bit of a mess and I didn't want that stuff on the paint. once I finished cleaning the whole car and the top was dry I used the RaggTopp vinyl protectant. they suggest you put that one every 3-5 weeks to keep the top from fading, it's kinda like sunblock for the top. I'm gonna do it every 3 weeks and see how that works, Florida's sun can be brutal. autogeek suggests getting a good convertible protectant onto the top as soon as possible to get the most life out of it. I also just used 303 brand convertable top cleaner and 303 aerospace cleaner, worked well also, hard to say if it worked better or worse than the RaggTopp brand stuff, but the results were definately good :)
here's autogeek's section on ragtop care...
http://www.autogeek.net/covtopplas.html
*** the first mod is the fix for the rag top elastic straps that wear out. this will cause the top to not fold down as far as it should or in an extreme case, keep it from folding down at all. if you get the stock replacements from the dealer they're riveted in and it'll be a big mission to replace. www.modifry.com sells replacement parts that lock into the rivets so all you have to do is cut out the old straps and put in the new ones, no drilling. I did this mod start to finish in 15 minutes after reading the directions completely. I'd say even a newb could do this no problem :)
http://www.modifry.com/products/ctf/index.htm
*** the next thing is to make sure the rubber seals for the top don't dry out. this will keep you from having leaks and also keep the seals from making noise. the gangster stuff to use is Shin-Etsu grease, Honda part #08798-9013. this is job is easy, just takes a little time. just dab a little on your finger and rub it onto all the rubber seals on the top. there's a seal that goes around the front windshield, then on the top itself there's seals around the side windows. if your seals were a little dry like mine you'll sell the rubber shine up kinda like using armor all as the grease soaks in. a little of this stuff goes a long way! the bottle you get from the dealer would last ten S2000 owners a lifetime!
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/srchrslts.jsp?search=sku&catcgry1=&inputstate=&srchwords=08798-9013&vinnosrch=Enter+VIN+Number+---
*** your top making creaking sounds or squeaks? check out Honda's official service bulletin...
http://www.superpimps.com/candymanjl/thes2000/s2000top.pdf
*** now for the top itself, S2000 convertible tops are made of vinyl, even though it looks like fabric to me, smarter people than me say otherwise :) I tried RaggTopp brand cleaner and protectant today for the first time and it worked great! it's pretty simple to use, just wet the top and spray the stuff on. then brush with a gentle brush or rag to loosen everything and just rinse the top off really good when you're done. I did this first when I was washing the car since you make a little bit of a mess and I didn't want that stuff on the paint. once I finished cleaning the whole car and the top was dry I used the RaggTopp vinyl protectant. they suggest you put that one every 3-5 weeks to keep the top from fading, it's kinda like sunblock for the top. I'm gonna do it every 3 weeks and see how that works, Florida's sun can be brutal. autogeek suggests getting a good convertible protectant onto the top as soon as possible to get the most life out of it. I also just used 303 brand convertable top cleaner and 303 aerospace cleaner, worked well also, hard to say if it worked better or worse than the RaggTopp brand stuff, but the results were definately good :)
here's autogeek's section on ragtop care...
http://www.autogeek.net/covtopplas.html