esoteric

I just recently bought a 2001 Spa Yellow S2K and have been doing a bit of research.
My main concerns were:

What do I need to do to maintain the top and what is it made of?
Still haven't found exactly what it's made of??
Vinylex or Ragtopp seams to be the 2 most mentioned for care and maintenance on the top. Any other biggies?
Should I do anything else to care for the top, i.e. waterproof...?

What should I use on the back window?
Meguiars #10 and #17 seem to be 2 top choices, any input on the others would be appreciated.

What to use on the seals?
I have owned 2 Del Sols and I have always used DIELECTRIC GREASE, which was actually what Honda and the Sol Forums mentioned to use.
I came here and searched and I haven't found one person suggesting dielectric, all I see is Shin-etsu (sp)
Am I the only one using Dielectric grease? Anyone know of any cons or are you guys just not aware of this option?
Where do you get shin~etsu?

SilverKnight

303 should satisfy all your needs for the top and seals

wanabe

plexus for the rear window

shinitsu grease for the seals

vinylex or 303 for the vinyl top

did that get it?

SilverKnight

yes shinitsu is good but I hate the mess so I soak a towel in 303 and rub it on the seals and it works just as well if you don't want the mess. 303 has 3 functions, plastic window, softtop and seals! I luv 303!

esoteric

Well I contacted my local Honda Dealership and spoke w/ service and then parts, they both agreed that our tops are CLOTH, not vinyl.
Can anyone confirm this?

If so the 303 website says not to use regular 303 on cloth tops.

http://www.303products.com/main.php?...onvertcleaning

Gloffer

The convertible tops on S2000's are Vinyl made to look similar to cloth. 303 is one of the best products you can use to protect the S2000 convertible top. This has been confirmed numerous times over the years. This may come as a shock to you, but Honda dealers have been WRONG about a lot of the particulars on S2000's.

Check this out from a brief search I did on "convertible top"

Sorting out convertible tops.

Convertible tops are made with either a vinyl or fabric material. Using the wrong cleaner or protectant can harm the topping material. Most vinyl tops can be identified by their solid, crinkle-type finish. Most fabric tops are smoother and have a woven thread pattern. Some tops are deceiving. Both the Honda S2000 and Nissan 350Z have tops that look like fabric but are in fact vinyl.

Here is a list of popular convertibles and the topping material used:

Miata:

Mazda has announced a gradual change over from vinyl to fabric top material. This change started in 2002. One half of Miatas imported in 2002 had fabric tops. The other half were imported with vinyl tops. Mazda states that this split will continue during 2003 with approximately one half of Miatas coming with fabric tops. The change over to fabric tops is due to be complete in 2004.

Corvette:

General Motors uses both vinyl and cloth topping material on the 2001-on Corvette but these tops are easier to identify. Black Corvette tops are fabric. White Corvette tops are vinyl.

Honda S2000:

The new S2000 has one of the nicest looking topping materials in the industry. It looks like fabric but it isn't. All S2000 convertible tops are vinyl!

Ubetit

I'd find a new dealer.

esoteric

I think most dealers are clueless!

Thanks for the info Gloffer that is what I was looking for. I hate still being the new guy, but I just want to make sure I get the most accurate info and find the best products for my new S.

wortham

most dealerships would rather give you a wrong answer than look like they don't know. trust the boards. we don't take a hit to our ego when we don't know the answer to a question, and we'll tell you that we don't know. you hang around here long enough, and you'll see all the dealer horror stories to back up the premise that dealers think this is "just another honda."

GrimReaper

lol, so THAT'S what the shinitsu grease is for! Been wondering for some time. Gotta love all the info on this site hehe.