Vinyl top care

[randy73]

To bring the color back and protect it at the same time  I use the Kiwi black shoe polish. The kind that comes in the bottle with the foam applicator.   Before you laugh at the idea, think about the similarities between shoes and a vinyl top.  They both are subject to dirt water, and sun, and shoes are often made of vinly also.  I have been using it for decades and look at the picture of my avitar and you can see how good it still looks.  Instead of just shining up a faded black roof it gives it back the new deep black look along with the shine.  It also works great on my black vinyl seats and door panels.  I have had my charger since 1975 and if there was any problem with using the kiwi polish it would have shown up by now.

Great idea! How many bottles would I need to do a complete vinyl top? How much time does it usually take to cover the whole top? I am assuming there is no choice but to remove the Charger emblems from the sail panel. I may try this in the near future.
Any tips would be appreciated.

One bottle should do it with extra left over.  No need to remove the emblems. The foam applicator gets you right up against the emblems and then a Q-Tip will let you get in between the letters on the emblem. The Q-Tips will also let you clean off any excess from the sides of the emblems.   Do two coats the first time to make it look even, and wait an hour in between coats. Then after that I just do it once or twice a summer or as needed.  Make sure the roof is clean and completely dry before you start.  Be very generous with it but don't let it run.  I have also used a 2 inch square piece of foam in place of the applicator just to cover more area quicker.  After both coats are dry you can buff it with a cotton cloth, but I usually don't have to buff it at all.  Let us know how it works for you.

I remember way back when it was a strict no-no to use leather products on vinyl and vise versa, not sure if that holds true for shoe polish.

[68charger440]

I don't know about that, I figure if it hasn't had any ill effects after 40 years I'm not going to worry about it.  To me its just like Hewlett Packard saying that if you use aftermarket ink in their printers you will ruin your printer, when if fact it works just fine.  They are just trying to sucker you into paying 10 times the price for the same quality ink.  I have been using aftermarket ink in printers for as long as inkjets have been around, and my printers have never failed because of that either.

[Silver R/T]

Don't try and get my started on HP and aftermarket ink. I have less than pleasant experiences with HP printers.
Myself I use Meguiar's vinyl care product, they work great and not overly expensive. I can buy them at most auto parts stores around here, no need to order online and then wait a week for it to show up.

[68charger440]

Don't try and get my started on HP and aftermarket ink.

I think HP ink, airline baggage fees, and internet bundles are all in a race for the most slimy business practices!