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hard top detailing.

cosine

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what are you guys doing to detail / protect the black hard top. (non painted) i thinking just the usual car wash soap. also thinking applying wax is not a good idea due to the rough surface.
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SouthCo

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I only had the black non-painted hardtop for about a year but other than washing like the rest of the jeep, every so often I'd wipe it down with 303 UV Protectant.

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jhackathorne

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Why would a rough surface not make it ok to wax? It isn't plastic like the trim so there is no reason it would harm it to be waxed. I don't use wax though. I use CarPro Reload which is a silicon based and had no issues with it. I would also recommend Aerospace 303. It works great on all trim and would help prevent fading from UV.
 
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cosine

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i will be using the 303 for the fenders, handles, etc. havent thought of using it for the hardtop.
 

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cosine

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Why would a rough surface not make it ok to wax?
wax tends to be a pain to wipe off on any textured surface due to tiny little crevasses, etc.
 

AlamedaJeep

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I’ve been using Turtle Wax Ice on the whole Jeep - body, fenders, black top, bumpers - for almost 3 years now with great results. I’ve read a lot about the 303 protectant too but haven’t tried it.
 

AlexJeepVB

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Ive used 303 and a few different spray waxes both seem to work well. Lucas spray wax and meguiars ceramic stuff.
 

The Last Cowboy

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The black hardtop is painted. It’s a very thin coat of matte black on the white SMC. The paint is very easy to rub through. Keep products to a minimum. Turtle Wax Ice leaves no residue and has no cleaner abrasives in it. 303 is great on plastic, but not really meant for paint.

I just wipe mine down with a damp micro fiber and detail spray every once in awhile. The more product you put on it, the more the paint is stressed. This and drive through car washes are why you see 5 year old Jeeps with the paint worn off of the roof. Absolutely do not use Armor All on the roof, that will remove the paint quicker than anything other than a buffer.
 

Mtpockets

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I would think 303 on a roof would streak down on your windshield when it rains and make a big mess.
 

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omnitonic

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The black hardtop is painted. It’s a very thin coat of matte black on the white SMC. The paint is very easy to rub through. Keep products to a minimum. Turtle Wax Ice leaves no residue and has no cleaner abrasives in it. 303 is great on plastic, but not really meant for paint.
I hadn't thought of that. I slathered mine in 303 the first time I had it off, and that seemed to do well, but I never paused to consider that it's painted fiberglass or whatever, and not plastic. I used Turtle Wax Blue Ice on my truck from the time it was new, twice a year, and all the plastic trim looks factory. I used Blue Ice on the new Jeep's painted surfaces, but for some reason, I had it in my head that the top was plastic.

Hmmm. Not too late to change my game plan. I'm glad we had this conversation.
 

DanW

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what are you guys doing to detail / protect the black hard top. (non painted) i thinking just the usual car wash soap. also thinking applying wax is not a good idea due to the rough surface.
I use Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Black spray wax. It has black parrafin in it that fills in minor surface scratches from branches and such. Beads like crazy and lasts a long time. If I don't have the black on hand, the regular works perfectly well, too. Both have UV protection in it, too. I do the hard top once a year, when I first re-install it in the Fall.

Nearly 14 years of Turtle Wax Ice products on my JK hard top have left it in great shape, too.

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Friday2322

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I use a good Maguires wax twice a year and in between I use Turtlewax Ice on everything and it seems to work very well. It kept my JKUR paint and plastic looking great for years, hopefully it will do the same for the JL.
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