Convertible Roof Cleaning & Restoration

Convertible Roof Cleaning & Restoration

Our Specialist cabriolet hood restoration service was developed, over 20 years, into a process which restores and protects your soft-top.

Cabriolet/Convertible roofs are tough to keep clean and prone to fading. Fabric hoods usually attract mould and moss. Without protection, you can expect an unmaintained convertible hood on a cabriolet to last on average around 6–8 years before it will need replacing.

Have your hood cleaned by a convertible roof specialist

The majority of people come to us because their convertible roofs have been neglected, they haven't been regularly maintained or cleaned.

This neglect leads to the hood becoming covered in green algae, moss, mould or lichen and when left untreated to the elements, the fabric can deteriorate rapidly. Unfortunately, if left unmaintained the rotting process begins and when reaching a point of no return, it will create further problems such as water leaks and functional issues.

Recovery and restoration of the existing hood will no longer be possible and will inevitably lead to an expensive convertible hood replacement, costing anything between £500 - £3000. In order to avoid costly hood replacements, regular cleaning, protection and maintenance is essential.

Hood before cleaninghood after cleaning.
Once cleaned and refinished, this soft-top looks near new.

Weather Protection & Fabric Hood Proofing

Weather protection with Renovo Ultra-Proofer or our  Vädervakt Nano-Proofer
Brand-new fabric soft tops come with an invisible 'weather proofer' already applied and over time, this special coating deteriorates and needs replacing leaving your soft top roof unprotected from the elements becoming weak and more prone to damage.

We offer a varied range of convertible hood protection products including, Renovo® Ultra-Proofer and Vädervakt​ 2-Year Nano-Proofer. These dedicated convertible hood products protect your convertible/cabriolet hood by creating an invisible chemical, waterproof barrier. The barrier prevents discolouration from ingrained dirt, tree sap, bird droppings, road salts and much more from penetrating into the fibres and doing damage to the convertible hood material.
Cabriolet hood protection products have a specially developed formula which contains Ultra Violet (UV) inhibitors and agents to prevent mould and mildew and prolongs the life of your soft top whilst maintaining the value of your car.

Our Cleaning Process.

Before Ultra-Proofer is applied, your convertible hood is washed and brushed using a variety of specialist tools and hood cleaning products, and then dried.  Your car will also be given a quick wash so that you won't be collecting a dirty car with a clean roof -- there may even be a special offer meaning your exterior is detailed and given a coat of sealant. This level of service is ideal for most cars that are no more than a few years old where the hood is reasonably free from mould, moss and lichen. For the older, dirtier hoods, you may also require a Hood Machine Clean.

Your hood is cleaned, dried, re-proofed and then dried again, so in normal circumstances you will be required to leave your car with us for a minimum of 4 hours. Please be mindful to allow extra time if the weather is unfavourable and experiencing rain, as it is vitally important that the hood is properly dried before returning the car to you. Take a look at some of the cabriolets we have already cleaned and weatherproofed.

Renovo 1 Year weather proof coating

6-Month  Hydrophobic Coating

Renovo is a British company and their recently improved formula Ultra-Proofer is UV stable and contains mould and mildew inhibitors to protect your hood and keep it weatherproofed. Ultra-Proofer is a one-year coating, however Renovo recommends that for best results, re-apply every six months.

Vadervakt 2 Year weather proof coating

2 Year  Nano-Coating Protection

We can also provide Vädervakt two stage protective and hydrophobic coating which contains antimicrobial agents. The nano particles coat the fibres of your fabric hood, providing extended durability. It lasts for two years and also has the added benefit of darkening your roof and giving it a silky sheen. You can see the difference.

Convertible Hood Price Menu

If you have a new or fairly new car and just want weather proofing, then you will just need a quick clean and the weatherproofing. Otherwise, you will most likely require a machine-clean and weather protection. Recolouring is seldom needed.

We will help you to choose when you are here. -  What size is my convertible?

2 Seater Convertible Roof Cleaning Service Renovo® 6-Month Vädervakt 2-Year
Clean / Weather Protection £255 £322
For new cars with clean roofs, or new roofs.**    
Machine Clean / Weather Protection £298 £365
Our Most Popular Service    
Machine Clean / Recolour / Weather Protection £388 £455
Recolouring is seldom required!    
4 Seater Convertible Roof Cleaning Service Renovo® 6-Month Vädervakt 2-Year
Clean / Weather Protection £298 £365
For new cars with clean roofs or new roofs.**    
Machine Clean / Weather Protection £365 £432
Our Most Popular Service    
Machine Clean / Recolour / Weather Protection £452 £519
Recolouring is seldom required!    
Limousine Convertible Roof Cleaning Service Renovo® 6-Month Vädervakt 2-Year
Clean / Weather Protection £398 £465
For new cars with clean roofs or new roofs.**    
Machine Clean / Weather Protection £465 £532
Our Most Popular Service    
Machine Clean / Recolour / Weather Protection £552 £619
Recolouring is seldom required!    
Plastic Window Refurbishing Service Prices
Hand Refurbish £23
Machine Refurbish £45
Only available with the services above.  No VAT to be added to our prices.
Krytox Rubber and Neoprene clean and conditioner [?] Prices
Whole Car + pipe-flush and drainage checkup.* £120
Roof rubbers/seals + pipe-flush and drainage checkup.* £80

 

*Pipe flush and drainage checkup - If drainage pipes are found to be blocked, we will unblock them if we can. However, on some models of cars they might also be missing, broken or damaged due to age, or need dismantling to diagnose the problem. 

**If you have a new roof, or a new car, and you want it protected, we don't need to machine clean it because it won't yet be dirty. However, we will need to give it a light wash to remove any dust, and we will need to dry it because protective coatings can only be applied to a dry roof. 

Soft Top package Deal

The Special £799

Normally worth £962

Let's make this simple, get your car a complete makeover, and get this fantastic package deal, which includes.

  •  Hood Cleaned and our 2-Year protective coating
  • Drainage System Flushed
  • Krytox Rubber Seal Restorer/Conditioner
  • De-scale - limescale removal
  • Exterior paintwork clay decontamination
  • Two-Stage Machine Polish
  • Rupes 1-Year Professional Advanced Paintwork Sealant

This is a great deal with an average saving of £163, and in addition to this, you can take advantage of the Sweetheart deal as a bonus, if you Whatsapp us videos before and after. (see below)

 

Soft Top package Deal

The Full Monty £999

Normally worth £1239

Let's make this simple, get your car a complete makeover, and get this fantastic package deal, which includes.

  •  Hood Cleaned and our 2-Year protective coating
  • Drainage System Flushed
  • Krytox Rubber Seal Restorer/Conditioner
  • De-scale - limescale removal
  • Exterior paintwork clay decontamination
  • Three-Stage Machine Polish
  • 2-Year Professional Ceramic Coating.

Learn about the benefits of ceramic coatings by watching these videos.

This is the same as The Special, but with a 2-year ceramic coating and extra machine polish, and in addition to this, you can take advantage of the Sweetheart deal as a bonus, if you Whatsapp us videos before and after. (see below).

Film your car

Sweetheart Deal

When you buy The Special or Full Monty package deal, if you make a before and after video of your car, you get to choose one of the following options, absolutely free:

Everyman Cinema

Dinner and a Movie - worth £50

Everyman is a cinema with a difference. Enjoy a movie in a luxurious armchair, with a glass of your favourite beverage, and a slice of homemade pizza.

The food is superb, so if you decide to kill some time while waiting for us to work our magic on your car, this is an excellent way to spend a few hours.

Please check for availability.


Lush Chelmsford

Lush Gift Card - Worth £50

Visit Lush in Chelmsford, home of the art of bath. Lush sells homemade cosmetics, but you probably know that already.

Gentlemen, the staff are very helpful, should you decide to get your lady a gift; otherwise, the gift card can be redeemed at any outlet or online.

 


Courtesy Car

Courtesy Car Day Hire - Worth £50

Need to get on with your day? Then choose the courtesy car option. 

If you have your own insurance, you'll just need to pay for the fuel. Terms and Conditions apply

 


extra polishing

Extra Machine Polish Worth £97.50

Some cars can benefit from extra polishing. In fact, sometimes it can make all the difference.

If you are not sure about this, ask us about this when you get here, we can assess your car and advise how much polishing you need. We provide full polishing and paintwork correction services.

*Badly scratched cars may need additional remedial work.

 

 


 

All we ask is you make a video before bringing us the car, and a video after, telling us what you think.
Why not get started now? Send us a video!

 


 
logoKarl Liparoti 
It looked like it had just come off the production line and 2 months later it still does. I highly recommend them as the job was way beyond my expectations and worth every penny. Really nice honest and skilled guys too.

Google

Have your hood cleaned by a convertible roof specialist

Call Today!

 

 

**Important** Waterproofing

Hood Proofing products will only weatherproof the fabric of your convertible hood. They will not stop leaks or fix damage, rips and tears to the hood membrane.
For more information about Water Leaks, visit our Water Leak Detection Page

Can you recolour my convertible roof?

We could, but we probably won't. In the vast majority of cases, it isn't needed. Cleaning and re-waterproofing will darken up the hood and bring the colour back sufficiently.  The re-colouring treatment is less of a dye and more of a paint... and the end result looks painted. Unless you have a convertible that is so vintage that they don't make patten roofs for it any more, we think a replacement roof is a better solution.

Why is the water no longer beading up on my roof?

When water beads up on your hood, it is a sure sign that your roof is protected, but if it stops doing this, does it mean the waterproofing has worn off? No, it doesn't. Dust and dirt will begin to build up on your hood over time, and this will break the surface tension of the water droplets, meaning they will no longer form beads. However, the fabric is still shrugging off the water and staying dry. When the waterproof coating wears off, the fabric will become sopping wet as it soaks up the water.

How do you get stains and algae out of a convertible hood?

Lichen is a combination of a fungus and algae living together in harmony; it can be very tough to get off, but it will soften if soaked. So, we wash it, wash it again, then wash it some more and keep going until it's gone. There's no real magic to cleaning roofs, it's elbow-grease and perseverance. 

How long does waterproofing last?

They recommend cleaning and topping up the reproofer every six months. This is why the  Vädervakt Nano-Coating is so popular, not only does it look darker and have a nice sheen, it lasts 2 years.
Be aware, these products waterproof the fabric, preventing it from going mouldy because it's always wet. This is actually a cosmetic layer, it's the neoprene sheet under it which you don't see, which actually keeps the water out of your car.

Why is my soft top covered in green mould?

The simple answer is 'dirt'. Moss, lichen and algae need something to live on.  As dust, grit, leaves and other organic matter land on your hood, they settle in the fibres, and then birds come along and drop fertilizer on it. It becomes a perfect garden, and so eventually you'll get things to start growing on it. Regular cleaning will prevent this, and weather-proof coatings contain inhibitors which help prevent it. 

Can I clean and reproof my convertible roof myself?

You certainly can. You can buy a kit from Halford's or get some products online, it's likely to be similar to what we are using. But it is hard work... it's very hard work to do properly and get good results, it's an all-day job to do by hand. Applying a restorer is fairly easy, but it won't work very well unless you first get the hood spotless first. Pressure washers will damage your hood, so will harsh chemicals, so it needs to be cleaned by hand. 

Do you come to me, and how long does it take?

No, we do not offer a mobile service, and convertible roof waterproofing needs to be done in a controlled environment. We are based in Chelmsford, Essex.
We clean your hood, and then it needs to be properly dried before we can apply the waterproofing. Then the waterproofing needs to dry, so we do this inside or undercover. Drying times vary, but we can do this within a day. We recommend dropping the car off in the morning and picking it up in the afternoon. If you need to, you can leave the car with us overnight.

Can you repair a rip in my roof?

We can repair very small holes, but the repair isn't invisible. If you have areas where the hood is worn through, ripped or the stitching has rotted and coming apart, it's really not worth repairing. To repair it you have to take the hood off, and if you are going to do that, you might as well replace the roof with a shiny new one.
You will need the services of a coach trimmer that specializes in cabriolet hoods, and luckily, we know a very good one. They came to us recommended, and we dealt with them for many years - wonderful company.
See our address book below.

Go Direct!

For repairs or replacement roofs, you will need the services of a coach trimmer, preferably one that specializes in convertible roofs. Give them a call, and don't forget to tell them we sent you.

Steve ~ C. E. Moore Coach Trimmers
North West London (not mobile)
020 8961 2225
website

 

What Our Customers Say

Below are a selection of comments from some of our satisfied customers.

New Again

Can We Help You?

"We can offer specialist advice on the best Convertible Roof Cleaning & Restoration service to suit your requirements"

When bringing your car to New Again, we often ask you to explain exactly the reason for having your car Protected, Detailed or Repaired. Once we understand exactly what it is you are trying to achieve, we will appraise your vehicle using our detailed appraisal check-sheet allowing us to identify areas of concern and tailor specific services that match your requirements and budget.

If you are not sure what service you need and would like to speak to one of our technicians, simply request a callback by filling in the form on our contact page.