PROTEX Convertible Soft Top Canvas Waterproofer 1 Litre - Seals and Protects

This is a great product it’s easy to use and once applied to the roof water just beads off my convertible lives outside so I apply this twice a year and it looks like new I can recommend this product

Does exactly what it claims to do, for a while anyway. Cleaned the soft top prior to application but not with a proprietary product which may have something to do with product longevity? Absolutely mask off any area you do not want this product on, if it dries on paint or glass it is very difficult remove when dry so wipe up any spills immediately! Easy to apply; I used an old window cleaner spray bottle and a paintbrush as instructed. This takes a good while to dry and cannot be applied in strong direct sunlight so check the weather forecast and plan the application. Equally it should not be applied on a windy day. Initial results are good but each consecutive coat is increasingly repelled by the previous application so the process becomes fairly messy as you go on. A day or so after application the first drops of rain rolled off the soft top like freshly polished paintwork and I was pleased with my efforts and the expected results. However this sadly does not last as long as you might expect. I use a soft top cover as I do not have a garage, this may be responsible for wearing away the top layer of product but after 3 months under cover and exposed to the weather in equal amounts the water repellent ability is now more of a brief pause before the water soaks into the material. I expected it to wain over time as it doesn't claim to last for years but to be honest I did expect it to last a little longer than it has, perhaps a biannual treatment as most similar products claim is required? This product is not 'Nano Technology' so any expectation of that kind of performance will result in complete disappointment. It is however very competitively priced and the 1Ltr bottle I bought has covered very well. I have a larger soft top with my vehicle being a 4 door drop top so it is probably 2.5 time the size of a BMW Mini? I applied 3 coats to my roof but bear in mind the increasing inability to penetrate the fabric as the product repels itself so each consecutive layer uses less product than the previous one. Unfortunately I have no pics to show initial results compared to how it is performing now but it is a gradual decline in performance. Light showers do not provide enough fluid to penetrate the fabric so essentially it is still working though heavier or more prolonged exposure does seem to wet the fabric out. As I have product left for further treatment I may well use this to top up the protection but for winter protection I shall be looking to invest in a Nano Technology product despite the additional cost as they do offer a greater level of protection for longer periods. As it is not possible without an indoor area to apply these products I will be looking to treat my soft top around late autumn for full winter protection. Overall, easy to use, fair results for the effort required at a good value for money compared to other products. At the end of the day the protection you give your soft top will pay dividends compared to replacing the soft top after a short life due to lack of care. EDIT *October 2020* After some fairly poor weather the hydrophobic properties of this product are still visible. The photos are of the second application of Protex however I did thoroughly clean the first application from the top. I STRONGLY recommend this approach as the results are much better and longer lasting.

I have used many products over the years on the hood of my 1988 Saab 900 convertible and this was the first time I’ve tried this product. I am happy to say that this is the single best thing I’ve ever used. It went on evenly and the hood absorbed it with no streaks or uneven patches. Today was the first day it rained since I treated the car and the results are outstanding. Water rolled off the hood and there is that lovely ‘beading’ of the remaining drops, indicating a truly hydrophobic coating. I will now use this exclusively.

Very good does the job wey

Recommended this product by a friend after a disappointing result previously with a better know product that rhymes with `porto-flym'!! gave the hood a real good wash 1st with baby shampoo (mild) then rinsed with sterilisation fluid. The following weekend, following the instructions with the product, had got 1 coat of sealant on, only just had enough to do my beetle, so ordered another litre for the 2nd coat (yet to do) I did the application 8 weeks ago, in light rain, or damp days, the roof beads the water up lovely, in heavy rain, not so, but definitely no leaks at all. I will apply 2nd coat in a month or 2. Only `neutral' point I'd make, is the ratio of product used could be clearer, I reckon I used less than 200ml of cleaner to 1 litre of sealer. yet it is sold in a pack of equal measures of each.

It’s a good product does what it says. I would have given it 5 stars except the kit only contains half a litre of cleaner and half a litre of water proofer. But you need at least a litre of proofer to cover the car hood. (Says this on the bottle). This meant I had to buy another bottle of proofer so gets a bit expensive. But at least I think I’ll have enough for a second clean before winter. Manufacturer should provide a kit with enough to finish do the job. A spray application might also be better as the brush application is tiresome.

Great quality and easy to use

Doesn't really work

My Saab 9-3's roof announced that it was no longer interested in keeping rain out after eleven years of service, when the rainy season started in CA last month. I was horrified to see drips coming from both the driver's side and passenger side from the edges of the roof, and booked an appointment to see a car upholstery specialist. Diagnosis? "You should get a new roof. That'll be $3000." I thought it was at least worth trying to get a couple more years' service out of the current roof with a sealant, so I gave this a try. Early indications seemed promising: the roof was clearly beading up with water rather than absorbing it (see photo) and after the first rain shower it was easy to see the patches I'd missed with my initial treatment of the roof (see other photo). The acid test was a drive up the country from southern California to northern Washington. In total I went through seventeen hours of driving rain. No evidence of any leaks. Pro tip: as well as having lost its effectiveness as a moisture shield (prior to the treatment) it was also sagging in a few places, meaning the water pooled when the vehicle was parked instead of running off. I stuffed some of those postage/packing air bags into the space between the roof and the headliner to restore the shape of the roof. Seems to have worked very well. Long thin balloons might be an even better choice. Just remember to take them out before it's top-down season again.

Amazing product

The product did a nice job and was easy to use. The convertible top looks almost new again and water beads well after applying the protectant.

Works really great - water WILL bead up on your rag top. 2nd time using in 3 years. Word of caution - mask your paint and glass well. Use painter’s tape + newspaper. If this stuff gets on those surfaces, and you miss it, and it dries, god help you - this stuff is so tuff, it’s not coming off!!! I learned the hard way, and after 3 years, it is only starting to come off the windows. Go VERY SLOW, in painting it on - really slow, like dabbing it on. On vertical parts of the top, it has consistency of water, so will run off!!! Take my advice and MASK. But it really is a great protectorate “re-weatherizer” for rag-top convertibles.

If I’m uncertain which product to buy I read the reviews, compare the cost per unit of measure and then...usually buy the most expensive one I can afford. I followed that process when looking for a cleaner and a waterproofing solution for my convertible. First off, it was a bit surprising to read that the manufacturer recommended this product not come into contact with the paint of the vehicle. But, ok...I taped off the edges around the top and then used plastic drop cloths to cover the paint and windows. A couple hours later I was ready to clean the top. Followed the directions exactly. Then unmasked the taped off car and washed it just to ensure none of the product was on the paint. Dried it then left the top to dry overnight. The next afternoon I taped off the car again...tape around the edges then plastic drop cloths. Then I applied the waterproofing solution. The directions indicated it’d take the full bottle for a standard 4-door sized top. I have a 2-door, but I used the entire bottle. It took a few hours to apply because, again, the bottle said to avoid having the product come into contact with the paint. Well, that was very challenging. It’s the consistency of water, but it seemed to almost repel itself from absorbing into the fabric top. I had to “paint” over every strip of product several times to get it to absorb into the top. About half way through the project I started to get cramps in my hands. I finally finished and then left the top to dry overnight again. The following day I washed the car and was none too pleased to find that the top had ZERO water repellent properties and, to make matters worse, the top was now slightly faded. Before using these products the top was a beautiful dark blue color. Now it appears a slightly faded dark blue color. So, not only was it a waste of my time, my painters tape and several plastic drop cloths, but the fabric top is now faded. And it DOES NOT REPEL WATER AT ALL!! What a complete waste of time and money.