diamondback Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 Wondering if anyone else has white marks on their vert top from the vert latches after putting the top down 20+ uses??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrfarmdog Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 I have used mine quite a bit but have not noticed any white marks. Can you post some pics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cali_KR Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 Wondering if anyone else has white marks on their vert top from the vert latches after putting the top down 20+ uses??? YES!!!! two marks on both sides !!! NOT pleased.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobjshelbys Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 YES!!!! two marks on both sides !!! NOT pleased.... None on mine yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamondback Posted July 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 YES!!!! two marks on both sides !!! NOT pleased.... This is obviously from the latches rubbing on the cloth top while the top is down. What do you plan on doing? Warranty replacement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gassman Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 YES!!!! two marks on both sides !!! NOT pleased.... Yes, I have some marks on the drivers side. Looks like it is "balding" or pressing the fabric too thin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamondback Posted July 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 This is obviously from the latches rubbing on the cloth top while the top is down. What do you plan on doing? Warranty replacement? Heres a pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamondback Posted July 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 Another pic up close of one of the two white marks. I believe the white marks are actualy the black die rubbed off.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamondback Posted July 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 I would assume that after a couple of years of this wear, we should be seeing holes/tears in our tops. What can we do to resolve this problem for the LONG term??? Short term is a new top under warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cammerunderpressure Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 Chalk up another b.s. "feature" of this car... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COBRA SCOTTY Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 I AM WONDER IF WHEN YOU GUYS ARE PUTTING YOUR TOPS DOWN ARE YOU FOLDING YOUR LATCHES BACK INTO THE FOLDED IN POSITION BEFORE YOU CONTINUE TO PUT YOUR TOPS ALL THE WAY DOWN. LEAVING THEM EXTENTED OUT AND PUTTING DOWN THE TOP COULD POSSIBLE BE CAUSING THIS ABNORMAL WARE. SCOTTY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son of GT Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 I do not believe that those marks are caused by the latch handles, I believe that they are crease/rubbing/scuff marks where the fabric folds into itself when the top is in the down (stowed) position. Yes, I have those types of marks on my vert too, my 87' vert had black marks (tan top) on it, and my neighbor's 2005 Mustang GT vert (with a vinyl fabric top) has the same marks on it too. It's possible that you can get a new top through a warranty claim, but it will be a long shot, and the replacement top will eventually get the same marks on it too. Scotty, to answer your question, I always return the latches to the closed position whenever I drop the top. I believe that the best way to avoid those marks would be to use the top cover that came with the car. Using the top cover will put downward pressure on the stowed top and that will prevent the top from bouncing up and down within the stowage well. If the top can't bounce, that in turn should stop the fabric crease points from rubbing/scuffing on themselves. Do I use the top cover? No, because it's a pain in the butt to install and remove, and I generally will drop my top whenever the mood strikes me to do so, weather permitting of course. Convertible tops will generally last 10 to 15 years before they need to be replaced, even those that are garaged and cleaned regularly. It's just the nature of the beast. I had to replace the top on my 87 in 1997, and that top was about due for replacement around the same time I sold it back in 2007. No holes in it or anything like that, but the stitching starts to fray along the sides and where the rear glass panel is sewen onto the main top panel. To conclude, although I have not done it with this top yet, I have used a proper top cleaner and waterproofing treatment with a soft brush that removed 99% of these marks on my other vert. I recommend using RAGGTOPP brand cleaner and top conditioner (make sure it's the kit for fabric tops, not vinyl). RAGGTOPP is endorsed by the HAARTZ comapny which is the primary company that supplies the top materal for most/all of the car companies throughout the world, and has done so since manufacturers starting installing fabric tops on their cars going back to the 1900's. If you can't find RAGGTOPP locally, you can buy it at California Car Cover Company which has a website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COBRA SCOTTY Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 GREAT INFO. S.O.GT. I HAVE 3 SVT VERT COBRAS '99 , 'O3 , '08. NEVER HAD ANY TOP WEAR PROBLEMS. THEY HAVE 21,000 ; 7,400 ; 2,500 MILES RESPECTIVELY. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE INFO. SCOTTY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tispco Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 IMO any Mustang cloth top that is put down will start showing these marks. Mine has them, the GT-H vert I rented has them, and a co-worker's vert has them as well. I complained to Ford and even had a field rep look at it after the initial claim denial. Ford would not replace the top. I drive with the top down a lot. Pretty much if it is 50 or above outside, the top is down and I leave it down in the garage as well. After the first year, the top was looking pretty bad. It will clean up a little bit, but the still marks are visible. I really think this is an issue Ford needs to fix. Very disappointing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamondback Posted July 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 IMO any Mustang cloth top that is put down will start showing these marks. Mine has them, the GT-H vert I rented has them, and a co-worker's vert has them as well. I complained to Ford and even had a field rep look at it after the initial claim denial. Ford would not replace the top. I drive with the top down a lot. Pretty much if it is 50 or above outside, the top is down and I leave it down in the garage as well. After the first year, the top was looking pretty bad. It will clean up a little bit, but the still marks are visible. I really think this is an issue Ford needs to fix. Very disappointing. This is a factory design defect and by law, needs to be addressed. I wonder if there would be anyone (with time) on this forum willing to lead the fight to make Ford redesign the top latches to fix the flawed design. And rather going to battle arguing asthetics, I would argue potential saftey hazard that this flaw could wear a hole in the top causing the top to fly off during use causing serious bodily harm or accidents leading to death. Comming at them from this angle should perk some ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son of GT Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 This is a factory design defect and by law, needs to be addressed. I wonder if there would be anyone (with time) on this forum willing to lead the fight to make Ford redesign the top latches to fix the flawed design. And rather going to battle arguing asthetics, I would argue potential saftey hazard that this flaw could wear a hole in the top causing the top to fly off during use causing serious bodily harm or accidents leading to death. Comming at them from this angle should perk some ears. DB, I say this with the utmost respect so please don't think that I'm pushing back on your ideas here, but: 1. I do not think that the latches are causing the marks. If anything, considering the positioning of the marks, they are caused by one or more of the lateral top (trapese) frame bars where the fabric attaches to it. Why do you believe that they are caused by the latches themselves? 2. Claiming to FoMoCo that the fabric wear is potental safety hazard and could cause the top to fly off while it's up is a major stretch and I just don't think that FoMoCo will buy it. I understand your stratgy, but I just don't think that it will work in this case. At best, FoMoCo would only generate a TSB telling their dealers about the marks, why they happen, and then tell them that it's normal. 3. Looking at the problem from an engineering perspective, how would you redesign the top in order to prevent this problem from happening? Next time you have an opportunity, take a look at a convertible Mercedes Benz, BMW, Porsche, Corvette, Jaguar, or any other convertible topped car. I have, and they all have fold/crease marks in them, especally those that use the expensive fabric materal. I did that because I wanted to see if I/we had a leg to stand on to go after FoMoCo for a warranty claim. When I saw that all of those cars had the same issue, I just wrote the problem off as something that vert owners have to live with. I agree with you and the others that the white marks suck (they really bug me too), but in the long run it's something that us vert owners will just probably have to live with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamondback Posted July 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 GREAT INFO. S.O.GT. I HAVE 3 SVT VERT COBRAS '99 , 'O3 , '08. NEVER HAD ANY TOP WEAR PROBLEMS. THEY HAVE 21,000 ; 7,400 ; 2,500 MILES RESPECTIVELY. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE INFO. SCOTTY What's the key here why don't u have wear? Never put the top down? Always use the boot? ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherri Leicht Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 My top is down alot and I have no white marks in the last 14 months. I just went out to check it. I do put it up at night when I garage it just to keep the dust out. Mine is an 07 if this makes any difference. The cover is still in the plastic bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobeydick Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 My top has been up and down at least 100 times and I have no "white" marks. It does have polished marks, all over it. I've got over 20,000 miles on it. 10,000 with the top down. One of my Clients has a Mercedes vert and it has rub holes in a few places. Everyone who buys a vert knows there will be a time when the top will have to be replaced. I'm hoping for 10 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son of GT Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 My top has been up and down at least 100 times and I have no "white" marks. It does have polished marks, all over it. I've got over 20,000 miles on it. 10,000 with the top down. One of my Clients has a Mercedes vert and it has rub holes in a few places. Everyone who buys a vert knows there will be a time when the top will have to be replaced. I'm hoping for 10 years. Yes Mobey, polished fabric is a better discription of the marks over calling them white. The marks that I am describing are indeed buff or polish marks where the fabric has been rubbing on itself, but they are not actually white. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tispco Posted July 29, 2008 Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 Yes Mobey, polished fabric is a better discription of the marks over calling them white. The marks that I am describing are indeed buff or polish marks where the fabric has been rubbing on itself, but they are not actually white. +1. Polished fabric is a better description, but it still looks like Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cali_KR Posted July 29, 2008 Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 I AM WONDER IF WHEN YOU GUYS ARE PUTTING YOUR TOPS DOWN ARE YOU FOLDING YOUR LATCHESBACK INTO THE FOLDED IN POSITION BEFORE YOU CONTINUE TO PUT YOUR TOPS ALL THE WAY DOWN. LEAVING THEM EXTENTED OUT AND PUTTING DOWN THE TOP COULD POSSIBLE BE CAUSING THIS ABNORMAL WARE. SCOTTY As soon as my top 'releases' from the header, it stow the latches. In fact my spots are thinner than the rest of the top, and the texture is also differant. Will try to take pics. It also isn't from where it folds (this are too small for that), I've been in the automatic pool cover business for the past 24 years, so I know very well the characteristics of folding vinyl etc. And this isn't it as it would manifest itself over a larger cress/fold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasShelby Posted July 29, 2008 Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 I've got an early 07...top down a great deal...have had marks on it, but with mine, a good wash with and using a soft brush just on the marks removed them completely. I've had cloth tops since my 88 McLaren, although, I can't see 15 years of life out of one, at least 10 for a driver if you take care of it. I think Adam's Polish has a cloth top cleaner that works very well. The top on my Shelby doesn't get washed much at all since it's not driven in the rain or weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamondback Posted July 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 I've got an early 07...top down a great deal...have had marks on it, but with mine, a good wash with and using a soft brush just on the marks removed them completely. I've had cloth tops since my 88 McLaren, although, I can't see 15 years of life out of one, at least 10 for a driver if you take care of it. I think Adam's Polish has a cloth top cleaner that works very well. The top on my Shelby doesn't get washed much at all since it's not driven in the rain or weather. I will try cleaning but to me it looks as though the black die has been rubbed\polished off. Why else would it turn white??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rednels Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 I have a little over 3000 miles on mine now and a vast majority of them with the top down (this is my toy, not my daily driver). I do not have these marks and I have never returned the latches to the closed postion. Im not sure if that is making a difference but I unlatch the top and send it back. I wonder if they were designed for the latches to be stored in the open position when the top is down??? Just a thought.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m81mclaren Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 I'm not sure which top cover you are referring to? Did it come with the floor mats? Was not with mine when I picked it up. I'll check with the Steve's on this! DH I believe that the best way to avoid those marks would be to use the top cover that came with the car. Using the top cover will put downward pressure on the stowed top and that will prevent the top from bouncing up and down within the stowage well. If the top can't bounce, that in turn should stop the fabric crease points from rubbing/scuffing on themselves. Do I use the top cover? No, because it's a pain in the butt to install and remove, and I generally will drop my top whenever the mood strikes me to do so, weather permitting of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cammerunderpressure Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 I'm not sure which top cover you are referring to? Did it come with the floor mats? Was not with mine when I picked it up. I'll check with the Steve's on this! DH My Gt500 came with a "boot". I think all the GT500's are supposed to come with them, but nothing is listed on the window sticker, etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rednels Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 I would like to amend my post and state that I am starting to get these white marks. they are very faint at this point, but they are coming. sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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