Looking after Spider roof

I had a 355 spider for a few years. Only soap and water keeps it clean. Careful spraying of WD40 or some other lubricant to the frame pivots isn't a bad idea. Have a raq handy to wipe the over-spray. I went overboard and sprayed Scotchguard on my canvas top to further water proof it. Probably not necessary.

 

If you want to clean it try using a vacuum prior to any sort of water. You'll be amazed how much cleaner it will look.

Also, don't use WD-40. It's a solvent, not a lubricant. Use a silicone lube with nozzle so you can focus the spray. Silicone is a lubricant and won't attract dirt.

 

Keep it dry.
Use the OEM car cover in the garage.
Avoid parking under trees that emit or drip sticky crap.
Use blue painters tape to remove dust and lint (and cat hair!!!)
Store your 360 with the top up.
Light soap and water for the back window.I dab-dry with an old cotton T-shirt. Polish annually with 3M plastic polish.

 

Raggtop makes a good top cleaner/preservative which I have used with good results.
Plastic X is good for the rear window.

But the absolute "Must Do" is checking the elastic straps periodically and replacing when they have worn and lost tension. If you're buying the car, make sure this is included in the PPI. If you own the car, I would include a check in every annual maintenance. There are six straps, four small and the critical two large. The two large ones are sewn into the headliner and are responsible for maintaining tautness when the top is up, and for providing the motive force to fold the top properly prior to its mechanized stowing. If the straps get stretched, then the top will not stow properly and you will start getting rubbing and the dreaded wear marks or even holes in four locations on the top. Some good postings with pictures available herein to see what I'm talking about.

Having said all that, the top on the 360 is really well put together: three layers of Twillfast canvas, two of which are rubber bonded plus a headliner. Great appearance and even better cabin comfort. Owned a lot of convertibles, all of which were drafty, noisy and didn't last long. The 360 is relatively quiet, draft free and well insulated.

 

2x.. the 360 was designed with a Spider version in mind so the chassis gains relatively little weight compared to other vehicles that are adapted for an open top. Plus I understand that 3500± hours of wind tunnel testing went into the design so wind noise, buffeting, and overall efficiency are significantly improved.

I can hold a conversation at 130 MPH with the top down.

 

I was advised to use Raggtop too.
Use the cleaner to clean the top and after it is dry apply the waterproof layer (similar to Scotchguard). Works great if you're ever caught in the rain.

 

The top has straps on the back where the plastic window is located, these straps get weak and the screen starts folding incorrectly, the window should fold rearwards not frontwards
If it folds frontwards it will get creased and you will see square marks, just push the window from the inside while you are putting the top down and you will make sure it folds correctly.

I have heard the same advice about not getting it wet, I think you can get it a bit wet to clean it and there will be no problem, I clean it with water a very low pressure and then dry it with a chamois.

The top has so many moving parts that can fail so using the top all the time is not a good idea, but neither storing the car with the top down for several days (you will see creases that will take several days to disappear)
You can use a hairdryer in low to make the plastic gets a little hot and help with the recover process.

So it is common sense, I always keep my car with the top up, but if I put it down let's say on a Friday and I am planning to use it over the weekend I just keep the top down so I do not create excessive wear on the mechanism, and I will put it back on Sunday for example.

Finally, do not operate the top while moving and when the engine is not running.



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And the conversation at 130mph goes something like this
Passenger "SLOW DOWNNNNNNNN"
You "shut up and keep looking for cops"



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Hahaha... and bears in the air.

 

That tip with the tape is great!
Just tried it and can't believe the results!

 

Will the 3M polish clear up the plastic? I am hesitant to rub anything on there.

 

Welcome to the country club.

The soap and water will remove the dirt and grit. The polish removes light scratches.......

But heat and UV damaged plastic is just that and no amount of polishing will remove it. Whenever attempting to remove imperfections, always start with the least abrasive means....

 

I use mothers plastic polish but be careful to not touch the canvas, you just rub it with a microfiber cloth on a circular motion, you will buff out light scratches (it takes a while though)


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It would be great if we were able to replace just the plastic

 

Easier with a lint roller. I do it once a month.

 

+1 Lint roller is the best at removing any debris. Then spray it with water replant.