Mercedes CLK hood clean, reproof and two-year nano-coating. Heavy mould, car-wash brush staining and perishing stitch edges all treated. Gutter cleaning included; exterior detail carried out at the same time.
This Mercedes CLK came in for a hood clean and reproof. Gary's opening assessment: the roof is in a bad way. Mould and lichen had built up in the fabric; staining from car-wash rollers had left marks across the surface; and the stitching at the edges was starting to perish. Left any longer, the hood would have needed replacing.
What a new hood costs
A replacement convertible hood on a Mercedes CLK, including fitting, runs to £1,500–£2,000. That is the figure Gary uses as the reference point when a customer asks whether a clean and reproof is worth doing. In almost every case, it clearly is.
The process
Machine clean to lift the mould, lichen and embedded staining; hand work on the areas the machine cannot reach, particularly around the gutters and the perished stitch edges. Nano-coating applied to the whole hood; two-year hydrophobic protection. The gutters were cleaned out fully. An exterior detail was carried out at the same time.
After: Gary's view was that the roof came up really well given where it started. There was still a little softness at one edge; that is the original perishing and not something cleaning can reverse. The customer was also given an estimate for a rear bumper respray while the car was in.
See our convertible roof cleaning and restoration page for the full clean and reproof service, and cabriolet hood protection for nano-coating options.
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