Hood refurb

sidtheranger · Post by **sidtheranger** » Sat 04 Jun, 2011 23:38

I took the advantage of the decent weather and the advice & info from some good people here to clean, dye and proof my hood.

I used this

My hood was starting to look a little tired and furry

Not having the obvious benefit of a garage, I had to get this done in between the brisk winds and burning sun.
With excellent advice from Snoops, preperation is the key to a successful end result.
First I had to scare the cat away and vacuum the hood to remove dust, dirt and cat hair

After, give the hood a good clean with AG hood cleaner, don't get this stuff on the rear screen or glass. Thus, mask them off.

Next part of the operation was to let it dry, apply the hood cover

and leave over night

According to the product info and the testimony of people here, it's paramount to avoid any spillage of the dye onto the paintwork.
Apply the dye; with a good 2" brush but watch out as it's very runny. It's easy to apply with good coverage. I had to do this early morning while the car was in the shade, to avoid the dye drying out to fast and causing streaking.

I needed to apply two coats as my hood was fairly faded.
Now, despite being really careful, I still found black blobs on the paintwork

I didn't notice until the wrapping was removed and the dye had dryed. Panic set in at first and then I found that it came off real easy with a finger nail

So, top tip: grow a finger nail for this purpose or get your wife out there to do it for you

Finally, the next day I applied AG roof sealant.
Now all is well and I'm pleased with the result.

This pic doesn't do the end result justice

Saved me replacing the hood and it's very easy to apply.
So, don't worry about doing it.

Badman gee · Post by **Badman gee** » Sun 05 Jun, 2011 06:09

Looks good, did the same thing myself.

Only applied one coat, will need to do another.

Mark

John1950 · Post by **John1950** » Sun 05 Jun, 2011 10:06

That looks very good indeed.
I've been seriously thinking of doing the same to my 2.8. There are quite a few videos on YouTube. Renovo also do a special polish for the rear window so at the end the car can look like it's got a brand new hood.
My slight concern is that whilst my car is Topaz Blue, the hood is a darker shade of faded blue. I want to change it to black - which would also then match the stone guards I got very recently.
But, yes, very good job you've done there.

TitanTim · Post by **TitanTim** » Sun 05 Jun, 2011 10:33

Good job

Its amazing how a little TLC can bring a hood up looking nearly new. I would be interested to know how long the dye lasts as I have heard the hood will soon fade again

I wasn't particularly impressed with the Renevo proofer as did mine last year and the water just soaks in

Previously used Autoglym's proofer and the water beaded and rolled off the canvas for 2 years.

Tim.

John1950 · Post by **John1950** » Sun 05 Jun, 2011 10:53

I looked at getting the full Renovo kit to do the hood but it's expensive.
So, how about this for an idea:
* Use the just spray at home and a soft brush to clean it
* Renovo dye to set the colour
* Autoglym proofer to keep the water off

Someone earlier said that they found the Autoglym proofer to perform better than Renovo's.

Thoughts or ideas anyone?

Titan · Post by **Titan** » Sun 05 Jun, 2011 12:46

John1950 wrote:Thoughts or ideas anyone?

No problem with mixing and matching John but I would be tempted to add cleaner to you list rather than just hose pipe and soft brush.
Getting it as clean as you can will yield a better result with the dye.
After that, I found Fabsil (tent proofer) just as good as any of the other bespoke products out there.

Oh and I wouldn't bother trying to get you hood to match the stoneguards - the bet hood colour is invisible ie folded

sidtheranger · Post by **sidtheranger** » Sun 05 Jun, 2011 14:37

TitanTim wrote:Good job Its amazing how a little TLC can bring a hood up looking nearly new. I would be interested to know how long the dye lasts as I have heard the hood will soon fade again I wasn't particularly impressed with the Renevo proofer as did mine last year and the water just soaks in Previously used Autoglym's proofer and the water beaded and rolled off the canvas for 2 years.
Tim.

Thanks all, for the kind comments.
I'll let you know about the fading Tim. As she's kept outside, albeit with the hood cover on at night, she's exposed to the elements regularly.
I've used Autoglym's proofer twice now and am impressed with its repellent properties.

John - I was advised by Snoops to vacuum the hood and I believe it's mentioned in the Renovo directions too. This is an important part of the prep, as this gets rid of anything that will get in the way of the dye.

Next, I will get some Meguiars PlastRX to clean up the rear screen

aceman · Post by **aceman** » Sun 05 Jun, 2011 15:11

Can I suggest using a lint roller on a regular basis, I used to use one on my Z3 and found it excellent for cleaning all the little bits of dust and pollen etc. that gets cought inbetween the weave.

I will also second the AG cleaner/protection as being excellent.

Badman gee · Post by **Badman gee** » Sun 05 Jun, 2011 17:49

hello,

the key is to remove any proofer that may be present.

if not the dye cannot soak in and penetrate the material.

i had this issue, the dye just ran off the surface.

mark

ps john 1950 i mixed the products and the results were very good.

John1950 · Post by **John1950** » Sun 05 Jun, 2011 19:04

Badman gee wrote:hello,

the key is to remove any proofer that may be present.

if not the dye cannot soak in and penetrate the material.

i had this issue, the dye just ran off the surface.

mark

ps john 1950 i mixed the products and the results were very good.

I've since found the set of three Renovo products - cleaner, dye and proofer on EBay for £32 so must get organised. I want my car looking it's best bofore the August holiday. I suspect that for the first few days we'll have to keep the roof up - well, until we have some suntan.

rgf · Post by **rgf** » Sun 05 Jun, 2011 19:27

Nice job Sid. That flipping cat of Titan's gets everywhere!

snoops · Post by **snoops** » Sun 05 Jun, 2011 19:35

That looks an excellent job and exactly what your roof needed.

Nice to see the "draping plastic" even though a couple of spots got on it could have been far far worse

The roof is like any other part of the car, just needs some tlc now and then.

I have to say though both you and Terry must really love your cats (even with the roof cover)

sidtheranger · Post by **sidtheranger** » Sun 05 Jun, 2011 22:59

snoops wrote:That looks an excellent job and exactly what your roof needed.

Nice to see the "draping plastic" even though a couple of spots got on it could have been far far worse

The roof is like any other part of the car, just needs some tlc now and then.

I have to say though both you and Terry must really love your cats (even with the roof cover)

Thanks for your help snoops

The plastic was not as good as your sheets though, as the drips that made to the lower edge just fell off onto the car. Still, it all came off ok.

Got quite attached to the furry blighters - but that doesn't stop me cussing like a trooper when I see the white fur all over the hood.
Note to self: get a black cat next time

Warrior · Post by **Warrior** » Mon 06 Jun, 2011 00:06

It's not possible to see from your final photo so can I ask if the end result of the dyeing is uniform across the hood?

I've distant memories of whitening old plimsoles or dyeing bleached jeans another colour and the end product wasn't great.

sidtheranger · Post by **sidtheranger** » Mon 06 Jun, 2011 11:11

Warrior wrote:It's not possible to see from your final photo so can I ask if the end result of the dyeing is uniform across the hood?

I've distant memories of whitening old plimsoles or dyeing bleached jeans another colour and the end product wasn't great.

Hi Warrior - Yes it is uniform. I too was concerned about this and it is important not to do the dying in the sun. The rapid drying effect can occur at different rates over the hood, causing streaking. I also suspect that a poorly prepared hood could also cause streaking.

The 5th pic down (under my cat) is the dyed hood, completed with two coats - sorry about the last pic as it doesn't show too well.

DC · Post by DC » Mon 06 Jun, 2011 12:17

sidtheranger wrote: Got quite attached to the furry blighters - but that doesn't stop me cussing like a trooper when I see the white fur all over the hood.
Note to self: get a black cat next time

Or order some more dye!!!
Only joking.....
Beautiful cat, Rag Doll or Birman?
Dave.

BimBeema · Post by **BimBeema** » Mon 06 Jun, 2011 12:21

Good job and write up!

I have used the Autoglym cleaner and proofer before, use them once a year usually and it works a treat, though haven't had the chnace to do it this year yet.

sidtheranger · Post by **sidtheranger** » Mon 06 Jun, 2011 16:13

DC wrote:
sidtheranger wrote: Got quite attached to the furry blighters - but that doesn't stop me cussing like a trooper when I see the white fur all over the hood.
Note to self: get a black cat next time
Or order some more dye!!!
Only joking.....
Beautiful cat, Rag Doll or Birman?
Dave.

Hi Dave, he's half Birman, half Silver Tabby. He has all the best attributes of the Birman; great temperament and real lazy.