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My top looks completely fine, minus one little cut below the base line that can't be seen unless looked for. However, it leaks like crazy. When it rains, I get a pool in my back seat. Basically the canvas is no longer waterproof.
 
Have ya checked out my Plasti Dip convertible top video? Seems like it has sealed it up pretty good and it looks way better than it did before.

http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/video-ugly-convertible-top-plasti-dip-it.506303/


That is such a low quality cheap ghetto rig, I would never in my right mind recommend anything like that. Spray paint dye, if you must for the color, but peoples infatuation with plastidiping everything is ridiculous.

To the OP, if its just the waterproofing thats worn and thh top is not ripped, I would just use an outdoors silicone wateproofer. This is what I use ( https://www.walmart.com/ip/Atsko-Silicone-Water-Guard-10.5-oz/29873159 ). $5 a can and I do it once a year. Works extremely well. Once you start spraying crap like plastidip, you will ruin the top.
 
I have seen it, but that looks more like a way to bring the canvas back to one solid color, not deflect water. Does it repel water?

I got out today and let the hose run on it for about 15 minutes. It did start soaking through, but the water does bead up on the canvas and run off...much moreso than before where it would immediately soak into the canvas. Looking through the canvas from inside the car I can still see pin pricks of light, so now I'm thinking about spraying a heavier coat from inside.
 
That is such a low quality cheap ghetto rig, I would never in my right mind recommend anything like that. Spray paint dye, if you must for the color, but peoples infatuation with plastidiping everything is ridiculous.

To the OP, if its just the waterproofing thats worn and thh top is not ripped, I would just use an outdoors silicone wateproofer. This is what I use ( https://www.walmart.com/ip/Atsko-Silicone-Water-Guard-10.5-oz/29873159 ). $5 a can and I do it once a year. Works extremely well. Once you start spraying crap like plastidip, you will ruin the top.

Wow...somebody has got some Plasti Dip issues. What happened between You and Plasti Dip?!?!

It's just a tool. Take it easy. It's like freaking out 'cuz someone uses a power screw driver instead of your favorite Snap On or whatever.

How could Plasti Dip POSSIBLY ruin a top that was going to be discarded in favor of a new top?
 
I despise plastic dip had to take my car down to metal just to get that cancer off.

But it does an amazing job at beading water. So even though it's over used in many ways, this would have to qualify as a legitimate use.

Sure there are alternatives, as far as cost/ft^2/solution are concerned plastic disease is right there at the top after the Walmart thing some one who's a bit of an elitest mentioned.


Did I mention I hate it.??
 
Wow...somebody has got some Plasti Dip issues. What happened between You and Plasti Dip?!?!

It's just a tool. Take it easy. It's like freaking out 'cuz someone uses a power screw driver instead of your favorite Snap On or whatever.

How could Plasti Dip POSSIBLY ruin a top that was going to be discarded in favor of a new top?

There is a proper way to do things and if all you were after was even color, a respray with a vinyl/fabric dye would have been proper. This would still allow the canvas top to breath, properly dry, and/or allow it to take on a waterproof treatment. The use of plastidip not only seals the fabric but traps in moisture which promotes mold and mildew growth.

So yea, your plastidip'n did ruin your top. IF the top is leaking and not ripped, use a waterproofing spray. What do you think the marine guys with canvas tops do? I'll give you a tip. It isnt plastidip.

$5 plastidip to potentually ruin a top/$8 vinyl fabric dye to restore color/ $5 waterproofer to save it? You decide on what you want to do.
 
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There is a proper way to do things and if all you were after was even color, a respray with a vinyl/fabric dye would have been proper. This would still allow the canvas top to breath, properly dry, and/or allow it to take on a waterproof treatment. The use of plastidip not only seals the fabric but traps in moisture which promotes mold and mildew growth.

So yea, your plastidip'n did ruin your top. IF the top is leaking and not ripped, use a waterproofing spray. What do you think the marine guys with canvas tops do? I'll give you a tip. It isnt plastidip.

$5 plastidip to potentually ruin a top/$8 vinyl fabric dye to restore color/ $5 waterproofer to save it? You decide on what you want to do.

I hate to assume, but I feel like you might have the wrong idea of how Plasti Dip works on canvas. Here's a close-up:

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It doesn't "fill in" or lay an impermeable barrier down...so the canvas can still breathe...and I'm pretty sure it will still take a waterproofing solution, if that's the way one would want to go.

As far as the "Proper Way" to do anything is concerned...meh, there are millions of Proper Ways that have been replaced by different ways that just hadn't been tried before or just weren't available yet. Remember the "Proper Way" to upgrade a DSM before DSMlink? Minds are like Parachutes bud, they Only work when they are Open!

And OP, sorry about the hi-jack...but I still think you should try to save your top before dropping a grand on having a new one installed.
 
My top is definitely needing replaced. The back window is almost half way detached and the sides above windows are coming apart also
 

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My top is definitely needing replaced. The back window is almost half way detached and the sides above windows are coming apart also

Well, it will look great when you do get a new top. I just met a guy (who sold me some parts) who replaced his camel top on red, like yours, and it took YEARS off the look of his car. But a grand? Yikes.
 
I got out today and let the hose run on it for about 15 minutes. It did start soaking through, but the water does bead up on the canvas and run off...much moreso than before where it would immediately soak into the canvas. Looking through the canvas from inside the car I can still see pin pricks of light, so now I'm thinking about spraying a heavier coat from inside.


I too kind of despise plastidip, but if it actually works for beading water and is useful for something other than painting, maybe it's worth a shot. I hate throwing a tarp over my car every time it rains, so I may give it a try. How long have you had the plastidip on, and how much rain or water testing has it seen?
 
A quick video of spraying water out of the hose onto the top. I've only had the top done since Sunday evening and it hasn't rained yet, but I don't think I'll have as much seepage as I did before. Check out how the water beads up and runs off. It's not perfect as I did eventually get some water dripping through.

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Ha ha ha... such drama in that video ;) Did your eventual dripping come from the areas where the water was pooled up?

I hoped someone would get a kick outa that!

Yeah, the soak through was where the water was pooling. I just wonder how much better water repellent works since it doesn't seal all the pin holes in the canvas either. I've got some and I might try it out. I'm going to wait for a real rainshower before going any futher though.

BTW, I drive the Spyder every day and have put the top down and back up twice a day since "dipping" it. Still looking good.

My rear window glass is separating from the top too. At first I thought it was just a little pin hole leak and tried to seal it by laying a bead of liquid nails along the outside edge. Then I found that the fabric had come loose from the glass. I squirted some liquid nails in there and clamped it down. Hopefully that will stop the lake from forming in the boot!

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Like my "low quality cheap ghetto rig" clamp?!
 
There are only four companies that we're aware of that still make tops for the 2G Spyders: Robbins, EZOn, Xtreme, and California. California Convertible Tops, makes them right in California. Their canvas has three layers, where the middle one is rubber, to ensure waterproof-ness. We wanted vinyl for our Spyder, since it folds thinner when the top is down, and it is easier clean up around our tree-filled neighborhood. We got ours from TopsOnLine and are very happy with the fit and finish. Our back window had also started to separate. It turns out the sun had disintegrated the stitching and that's where the leaks were coming from. So I treated the stitching on the new top with a UV protectant to keep them from disintegrating as quickly as they did before. We installed the top ourselves, so for under $300, we had a new top and it looks great.
 
It's a little odd to me that you guys are having window separation on the top. Mine is separating at the two bottom corner areas and that's how I get my boot lake.

California Convertible Tops, makes them right in California. Their canvas has three layers, where the middle one is rubber, to ensure waterproof-ness. .

How much do these tops run? I like the idea of rubber in between the layers.

We installed the top ourselves, so for under $300, we had a new top and it looks great.

Do you have more info on the install? I've read several things and watched a few videos, and I'd rather do it myself than sacrifice a kidney to pay someone to install it for me...


Also, what would you guys do to fix this until the top is replaced?

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California Convertible tops run $494.

I did take a few pictures and described the process in our build thread: Sun-Burned '99 Spyder GS: Revived. The only change I would make to the replacement process, is to unscrew the 4th bow bracket, as they recommend in some YT videos, as opposed to trying to disconnect the fourth bow from the hinge, from outside the car. It would have saved at least 1/2 hour.

It truely is not hard at all. You just have to be patient and follow the sequence and stretch it!
 
Also, what would you guys do to fix this until the top is replaced?

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It's hard to tell but it looks like the tear is right where the canvas meets the body. If that is the case I would smear a generous amount of some sort of silicone caulk (or similar) on the cut from the underside (not the side you show in your pics) and then immediately cover that with the best Duct / Duck (whatever) tape I could find...maybe even the metal kind. Make a nice big patch, at least 2 inches out from the tear on each side.

As for the hole...I'd patch it from the inside with some black material (maybe even from the top clipped from an edge down there in the boot), carefully using as little clear liquid nails as possible.

Just some suggestions, what's the worst that could happen?
 
There are only four companies that we're aware of that still make tops for the 2G Spyders: Robbins, EZOn, Xtreme, and California. California Convertible Tops, makes them right in California. Their canvas has three layers, where the middle one is rubber, to ensure waterproof-ness. We wanted vinyl for our Spyder, since it folds thinner when the top is down, and it is easier clean up around our tree-filled neighborhood. We got ours from TopsOnLine and are very happy with the fit and finish. Our back window had also started to separate. It turns out the sun had disintegrated the stitching and that's where the leaks were coming from. So I treated the stitching on the new top with a UV protectant to keep them from disintegrating as quickly as they did before. We installed the top ourselves, so for under $300, we had a new top and it looks great.


Well I'm trying to stay with the tan and from a couple people I know that had vinyl tops they didn't last long. I'm just find of the canvas tops I guess. Thanks for the info
 
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