The Ford Barn

John Dayhuff · 01-14-2020, 10:19 PM

My Phaeton top has some bad stains that are rather ugly and I was wondering what would be the best thing to use on it to help take some of the ugliness out? It's been on the car for over 50 years and I'm not sure what stained it but if I could clean it up a bit I'd rather do that then replace it. So I'm wondering what you experts would recommend?
Thanks,

Synchro909 · 01-15-2020, 05:35 AM

I'm not game to recommend anything for fer of ruining the fabric.

John Dayhuff · 01-15-2020, 06:39 AM

Yeah I get that but I wont hold anyone responsible. I'd test in a small area first. I just figured someone out there has tried it before with positive results. Maybe like some Mean Green or something? I don't think I'd want to use anything like bleach, that would probably be too aggressive I'm thinking. Surely someone has done this before?

ronn · 01-15-2020, 08:22 AM

simple green- sold at walmart

if it is a tan top- might want to dye darker- 50 yrs old and the results wont be spectacular. Ild leave it pretty much alone.

ronn · 01-15-2020, 08:22 AM

simple green sold at walmart

1928Mik · 01-15-2020, 09:21 AM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

I'm with Ronn.....Simple Green

rotorwrench · 01-15-2020, 09:39 AM

It helps sometimes if you know exactly what fabric the top is made from. Haartz has been a leading supplier to the industry for many years and they have there own instructions for cleaning with their own line of "Raggtopp" cleaning products. Now their stuff might be a lot like Simple Green but their instructions are a good way to go about the process.
https://www.haartz.com/cleaning-guid...h-top-cleaning

John Dayhuff · 01-15-2020, 02:32 PM

I've used Mean Green on other stuff for years, it's supposedly a little more aggressive then Simple Green. I've got plenty of it around the house, but no Simple Green.....hmmm....

CHuDWah · 01-15-2020, 06:24 PM

Never cleaned a phaeton top but I've used Tuff Stuff with good results on upholstery, etc - YMMV and of course test first. It's available at Wally-World and just about everywhere else.

No matter what you use, you may end up doing the whole top - the stained area(s) may come clean enough to contrast with 50 years worth of grime on the rest.

Big hammer · 01-15-2020, 07:51 PM

Contact a professional car cleaner and talk with them, they might give you better answers ,also ask them how much they would charge.

Synchro909 · 01-15-2020, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big hammer

Contact a professional car cleaner and talk with them, they might give you better answers ,also ask them how much they would charge.

That sounds like a good plan. Any decent cleaner would only take on the job if they are confident of a good result and if they screw it up, they put a new top on it! Either way, you should be pleased.

John Dayhuff · 01-15-2020, 08:30 PM

Yeah new tops are EXPENSIVE, something like five grand? Plus I couldn't even think about doing it myself from the video's I've seen so I'd have to pay someone to do it. I'd much rather keep this one...., but just wanted to see if it could be cleaned a little. I'll grab some Simple Green and try a little area with that first and hopefully report back with good results. Problem is that it wont be until the spring as the car is in it's cocoon until like April.

01-14-2020, 10:19 PM	#1
John Dayhuff Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Battle Creek, Michigan Posts: 164	Cleaning a Phaeton top ?? My Phaeton top has some bad stains that are rather ugly and I was wondering what would be the best thing to use on it to help take some of the ugliness out? It's been on the car for over 50 years and I'm not sure what stained it but if I could clean it up a bit I'd rather do that then replace it. So I'm wondering what you experts would recommend? Thanks, __________________ John

01-15-2020, 05:35 AM	#2
Synchro909 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 7,496	Re: Cleaning a Phaeton top ?? I'm not game to recommend anything for fer of ruining the fabric. __________________ I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood.

01-15-2020, 06:39 AM	#3
John Dayhuff Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Battle Creek, Michigan Posts: 164	Re: Cleaning a Phaeton top ?? Yeah I get that but I wont hold anyone responsible. I'd test in a small area first. I just figured someone out there has tried it before with positive results. Maybe like some Mean Green or something? I don't think I'd want to use anything like bleach, that would probably be too aggressive I'm thinking. Surely someone has done this before? __________________ John

01-15-2020, 08:22 AM	#4
ronn Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: NNNNNNNNJJJJJJJJJJ Posts: 6,782	Re: Cleaning a Phaeton top ?? simple green- sold at walmart if it is a tan top- might want to dye darker- 50 yrs old and the results wont be spectacular. Ild leave it pretty much alone.

01-15-2020, 08:22 AM	#5
ronn Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: NNNNNNNNJJJJJJJJJJ Posts: 6,782	Re: Cleaning a Phaeton top ?? simple green sold at walmart

01-15-2020, 09:21 AM	#6
1928Mik Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: Zanesville Ohio USA Posts: 267	Re: Cleaning a Phaeton top ?? Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) I'm with Ronn.....Simple Green __________________ 1928 Niagara Blue Phaeton 1972 Olds 442 Convertible 1979 MGB -Life's Too Short To Drive Boring Cars-

01-15-2020, 09:39 AM	#7
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,422	Re: Cleaning a Phaeton top ?? It helps sometimes if you know exactly what fabric the top is made from. Haartz has been a leading supplier to the industry for many years and they have there own instructions for cleaning with their own line of "Raggtopp" cleaning products. Now their stuff might be a lot like Simple Green but their instructions are a good way to go about the process. https://www.haartz.com/cleaning-guid...h-top-cleaning

01-15-2020, 02:32 PM	#8
John Dayhuff Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Battle Creek, Michigan Posts: 164	Re: Cleaning a Phaeton top ?? I've used Mean Green on other stuff for years, it's supposedly a little more aggressive then Simple Green. I've got plenty of it around the house, but no Simple Green.....hmmm.... __________________ John

01-15-2020, 06:24 PM	#9
CHuDWah Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Kritter Krick, Flaw-duh Posts: 1,158	Re: Cleaning a Phaeton top ?? Never cleaned a phaeton top but I've used Tuff Stuff with good results on upholstery, etc - YMMV and of course test first. It's available at Wally-World and just about everywhere else. No matter what you use, you may end up doing the whole top - the stained area(s) may come clean enough to contrast with 50 years worth of grime on the rest.

01-15-2020, 07:51 PM	#10
Big hammer Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Land of Lincoln Posts: 3,127	Re: Cleaning a Phaeton top ?? Contact a professional car cleaner and talk with them, they might give you better answers ,also ask them how much they would charge. __________________ Don't force it with a little hammer tap, tap, tap get a bigger hammer tap done

01-15-2020, 08:30 PM	#12
John Dayhuff Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Battle Creek, Michigan Posts: 164	Re: Cleaning a Phaeton top ?? Yeah new tops are EXPENSIVE, something like five grand? Plus I couldn't even think about doing it myself from the video's I've seen so I'd have to pay someone to do it. I'd much rather keep this one...., but just wanted to see if it could be cleaned a little. I'll grab some Simple Green and try a little area with that first and hopefully report back with good results. Problem is that it wont be until the spring as the car is in it's cocoon until like April. __________________ John