Treating Boxtster Roof

As the winter approaches and theres a chance, a slim one, but a chance the car might get caught in the rain I thought I'd treat the roof with some waterproofing. The roof sucked up water, I don't know if it leaked as its not been in the rain since we bought it but better safe than sorry. I guess it all helps.

I pretty much got the instructions from www.boxta.net and then did some follow up reading in the TVR and Lotus forums.

Theres a couple of options which all start with a good clean and then apply a product, spray, bottles, tins .. theres a few to choose from. I went with Fabisil liquid. All the other treatments required you (for a good job) to mask off the windows etc. I wasn't comfortable doing this, worried about sticky glue left around and using a liquid meant you could apply with a paintbrush which I was more confident with.

1. Give the roof a really good clean. I heavily diluted some baby shampoo in a bucket and used a stiff brush in circles to work the shampoo in.
2. Soak the roof with water and using the same brush scrub until you get no more soap suds.
3. Sit back and wait for the roof to dry.
4. Grab a clean 2" brush and poor some of the Fabisil in a clean container. This was the part the heart starts. Its an expensive car and worried this could wreck the roof. I started my first coat front to back. Keep a cloth handy to mop up any spills on the paintwork or windows. It goes on really easy, keep overlapping the previous part so you keep a 'wet edge' and you should get good coverage.
5. Sit back and wait for the roof to dry. The tin says 6 hours, but mine was dry enough, outside on a sunny autumn day about 12 degrees, in a couple of hours.
   
6. I applied a second coat, which is optional, some apply up to 4. My second coat was side to side. Others then go on the diagonal both ways for coats 3 & 4.