Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-31
CAR OWNERS URGED
IOLOOK AT TER TOP
Why Wood or Metal Are Not
!. Used as Material Is
Explained.
By n. CLIFFORD BROKAW,
Automobile Technical Adyiser.


The man who owns q house gives
primary attention to its roof. Let that
get out of repair and all kinds Of trou-
Bile follow. The automobile owner Is
likely to forget that his Car has Q roof.
He has so little trouble with 1t ordi-
narily that the adage "out Of sight out
of mind" Is likely to apply. just o
little attention to$the top Of an auto
mobile body win practically eliminate
al kinds OF top troubles. And Q good
deal viii be added to the beauty OF the
vehicle.
Cars are built SO low these days that
the top Is more conspicuous than 1t
used to be-. On the other hand, 1t IS
easy to get at. Furthermore, nowadays
most Of the tops are permanently To-
Gated, because most cars have closed
bodies, which Is an advantage as Tar
as the condition Of the top Is concerned.
The famous lone man top" OF other
days has practically vanished.
Perhaps some motorists have Won
dered why the top of their automobile
Is not made of metal or wood, like the
rest of the body. The reason tor TINS
is that o rigid top causes vibrations In
the cab which are decidedly objection
able. BY building framework at the
top Of the car and covering the inside
with upholstery and the outside with
. flexible coated fabric the objection
able noises are reduced to Q minimum.
Closely Woven Fabric Used.
the material used on the tops of
most closed cars Is q closely woven
fabric. covered with q hard coating,
that makes 1t look like leather. Several
different kinds Of fabric are used, but
the average motorist can hardly tell
the difference between one type ana
Whateyer the top material Is made
of It win naturally last longer II prop
erly taken care of. In this connection
it is well to point out that there Is
an advantage In keeping an automobile
In q garage when 1t Is not In use. be-
cause the strong sunlight Is not so good
for the top as o shaded garage.
Gasolie, naphtha and kerosene are
not ordinarily the best materials to use
in cleaning top. For one thing, the
use Of these preparations Is likely 70
dull the luster OF the top and. therefore,
lessen the beauty Of the car as whole.
Also, these are not the best cleaners
from the standpoint Of preserving the
fabric. Dust may be removed with
soft dry cloth. Grease spots, stains ana
dirt film should be removed by wash
ing with q mild neutral soap. When
ever SOAP is used, however, one should
be sure to rinse thoroughly with clear
water to take away all traces OF soap. :.
Even though cars are given the best
of tops, the heat Of the sun and the
vibrations caused by driving may even
tually develop microscopic checks IN the
fabric cloth. When this situation OBJ
coating Of finish. When 1t comes to
this stage and the question OF the best
kind of finish for this purpose 1t Is
probably well to consult the service sta
ton which specializes on serving the
particular kind of automobile In QueS-
ton. Such an authority would be able
to tell Of what material the top Is made
and consequently what kind OF top nm
ish is best suited to that particular kind
of fabric.
Two Coats Recommended.
II is well to get some kind Of ma
terial which will dry quickly. It Is also
we'll to put on two coats when the Jop
in the afternoon and the top allowed
to dry overnight, and be ready Tor the
second coat on the second day.
While gasoline Is not recommended
for general use on the top, 1t Is salts
factory to clean the top with gasoline
before painting, In order to remove the
thin hard film of dirt which has prob
ably accumulated. The use OF soap and
water at this time is not so good, be-
cause Of the possibility Of the soapy
water lodging In the cracks and thus
preventing q good binding between the
top dressing and the top material to
which 1t Is applied.
This Is Q good time Of year In which
to give some attention to the auto
mobile top. The longer days OF Summer,
with their large supply Of sunlight. VIII
soon be here. Consequently, . new mn
ish on the top OF the car ct TINS time
should put 1t In excellent condition ior
giving satisfaction during the coming
heated season.