Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-06-10

"chalk." Tiny check marks even
the bright luster gradually disar
velops, it is time to reflniSh the tc
If the owner continues to neglect
the top the checks are likely to
widen into cracks, and may eventually
penetrate right through the rubber
coating and reach the fabric When
this happens, rain will soak down
the cracks and leak through to the
car interior.
A leaky top can be repaired by the
installation Of new piece of top
material The installation of a new
top does not, however, repair all the
damage, for leak in an automobile
top usually causes the rotting of the
wooden framework This frame is
generally made of kiln-dried lumber,
which will quickly rot when kept
moist Many car owner has found
that, before a new piece of top ma
terial can be installed, the wooded
frame work must be rebuilt, and this
is usually a rather costly job. 1t is
important therefore, not to neglect
the automobile top You should give
1t immediate attention when you find
~ SIUWlIlS uull anu CllCSh-Hldl hCO'
Wax Dressing Beneficial
The best method is to start caring
for the top when the car is new, rub
bling wax dressing all over the top
material and polishing it to bright
luster. This wax filters out the ultra
violet rays of the sun and prevents
weathering If used every two or
three months it will keep the top
material soft and pliable, and prolong
its life indefinitely,
Do not apply liquid (varnish) top
dressing to a new top A top-dressing
of that type should be used only
after the top has become weathered
and dull. If one refiniSheS a top
when the material is new, the varnish
one applies combats the varnish ap-
piled at the factory, for they are
different types. The factory varnish
was baked dry. while the dressing
you apply is made for air drying.
These two types expand and contract
at different ratios when exposed to
changes of temperature. When one
covers the other they pull against
each other and are likely to cause
cracking BY waiting until the orig
inal finish has lost its film strength.
due to the formation of tiny checks
all over its surface, you can refiniSh
the top without this danger Most
automobile tops should be reflnished
at least once every year, unless wax
is being used, in which case fresh
application should be made about
once every three months.
Before an automobile top is refin-
ished, it should be cleaned with cloth
moiStened with gasoline to remove all
grease, dirt film and chalked pigment
Do not use soap and water. as soap
may become lodged in the cracks and
prevent a good bond between the top
finish and the surface. If the top
material is very old and has become
badly weathered. it should be brushed
to remove loose particles then cleaned
with gasoline and allowed to dry thor
oughly before top dressing is applied.
More holdings Used.
The top material on old model closed
cars covered the entire top and reached
down over the edges. There was. little
or no danger of cracks forming at
the holdings. However, the top ma
terial on the newer closed models is
set in a panel on the top, and fastened
at the edges with q molding. AS the
cars become old, cracks sometime de-
velop at this molding, permitting rain
and melting snow to leak in and rot
the wooden framework underneath.
Even tops on fairly new cars occa-
sionally develop these molding leaks.
1t is important, therefore, to inspect
the molding regularly and, If a crack
seems to be developing, it should be
sealed promptly with waterproofing
compound. The compound may also
be used for stopping leaks at the rear
window.
A sealer of this type can also be
used for patching holes in the top
material which sometimes occur when
a smoker throws lighted cigarette
out of a window and it drops on an
automobile parked below. In such
cases it is only necessary to apply a
little of the Sealer around the hole
in the top fabric, laying small cloth
patch over it. then apply more sealer.
Most sport model automobiles have
tops made of gray, tan or khaki col
ored fabric called teal, or Burbank
cloth. This material is usually made
of two layers of tightly-woven CLOTH
fastened together with rubber ce-
ment. When new, the material is
water repellent. due to the tightness
o. the weave and the rubber cement
in between.
Proper Dressing Needed.
After the car has been in Sfice
for a year or more, the top material
sometimes loses its waterproof quantles'
permitting rain to leak through. When
this occurs, do not attempt to water
proof the material by painting the
surface with clear varnish, lacquer
or any kind of surface finish. They
are not suited for use on uncoated
fabrics and are likely to quicker, stiff
en- and discolor the material The
proper dressing to use on uncoated
fabrics is one which will sink into the
pores of the cloth and waterproof the
fibers without changing the color or
appearance of the material in any
way.
When tenders become scratched or
scraped, they should be retouched
promptly to prevent rusting. If neg
lected. the rust will not only mar the
cars appearance. but will eventually
eat holes right through the metal. If
the fender is black, it should be re-
touched with an enamel which dries
with a color and luster closely resem-
bling newly baked enamel.
Before retouching a worn spot, all
grease, dirt and rust should be re-
moved and the rough edges smoothed
down by rubbing with fine sandpaper
or steel WOOL
One also should retouch worn spots