[rarest_spun_heaven_metal]

Hey y'all,

So, that panel that covers the top when it's down, but sits under the top when it's up (not sure if there's a technical term for it) - mine is super dusty and gross - and I'm having a hard time figuring out how to clean it without either 1) scratching it by wiping it without a thorough rinse & soap & rinse again or 2) getting my interior wet because the only way to really wash it is with the top down.

I try to keep the car really clean and shiny - so any tips on how to approach cleaning this difficult-to-get spot would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your help.

[Chutzpah]

Originally Posted by rarest_spun_heaven_metal

Hey y'all,

So, that panel that covers the top when it's down, but sits under the top when it's up (not sure if there's a technical term for it) - mine is super dusty and gross - and I'm having a hard time figuring out how to clean it without either 1) scratching it by wiping it without a thorough rinse & soap & rinse again or 2) getting my interior wet because the only way to really wash it is with the top down.

I try to keep the car really clean and shiny - so any tips on how to approach cleaning this difficult-to-get spot would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Good question, I’ve haven’t washed or waxed that area either. I was thinking a wet sponge to wash, towels around the edges and micro fiber towel to dry. Maybe someone will have a better process....

[joekd]

I was going to use waterless wash on mine when it needs it

I use this one

https://www.chemicalguys.com/exterio...aterless-wash/

[Ron2ss]

I use Griot's Garage Speed Shine spray detailer. If your hard tonneau is really dirty, use a spray detailer and make it very wet. Use a microfiber towel and lightly drag (not rub) to absorb the fluid. Then mist again and use another towel to finish the job. If you wipe it down with detailer whenever to drop the top at home, it is an easy 2 minute job to keep it clean.

[c4racer]

Exactly what I do - only end up doing that every couple of months, but I don't drive the car much.

[CamaroSS18]

I use Meguiar's Waterless Wash and Wax. Then I will apply either Meguiar's Ceramic spray detailer or Ultimate liquid wax.

[ember1205]

Originally Posted by rarest_spun_heaven_metal

Hey y'all,

So, that panel that covers the top when it's down, but sits under the top when it's up (not sure if there's a technical term for it) - mine is super dusty and gross - and I'm having a hard time figuring out how to clean it without either 1) scratching it by wiping it without a thorough rinse & soap & rinse again or 2) getting my interior wet because the only way to really wash it is with the top down.

I try to keep the car really clean and shiny - so any tips on how to approach cleaning this difficult-to-get spot would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your help.

The marketing brochure refers to it as a hard tonneau, but the jury may still be out on its actual name as parts catalogs don't list it, and the space it covers is called something like "stowage area" or similar...

Good tips above to -get- it clean. To -keep- it clean, apply a polish so that it will wipe clean more easily in the future. I don't drive mine unless the top is down (that's why I bought the convertible version!), so I feel your pain with this...

[Gunkk]

Originally Posted by rarest_spun_heaven_metal

So, that panel that covers the top when it's down, but sits under the top when it's up (not sure if there's a technical term for it) - mine is super dusty and gross - and I'm having a hard time figuring out how to clean it without either 1) scratching it by wiping it without a thorough rinse & soap & rinse again or 2) getting my interior wet because the only way to really wash it is with the top down.

I try to keep the car really clean and shiny - so any tips on how to approach cleaning this difficult-to-get spot would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Best solution is to have paint protection film and a durable hydrophobic coating on the paint. Then you never need to worry about swirls, and dirt doesn't stick to the paint. But this is not your situation.... yet.


For the hard tonneau cover:

If the dirt is really bad or gitty with sand, etc., you'll probably want to use some compressed air to blow it off first. Then careful a two bucket hand wash before going for a blow-dry and detailing. Park the car with the nose uphill if you're worried about top-down runoff. I use a Chemical Guys chenille wash mit. https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys.../dp/B003TTL0TE You can use plush microfiber towels for this as well. Easy enough to just be careful and rinse with a wet MF towel. I blow dry with a battery leaf blower. Very easy to control where the water goes.

For detailing I use a plush Eagle Edgeless 500 gram/sq-meter microfiber towel from the Rag Company https://www.theragcompany.com/eagle-...rofiber-towel/ and GlenE's quick detail "magic elixir":

1 part Carpro Ech20
4 parts Carpro Reload
20 parts distilled water.

Technique: Fold the towel into 4ths. Spray the towel and wipe the car. Roll the towel upward as you wipe to lift the dirt away from the paint. Never re-use the same 8th of the towel. And never, ever drag a dry towel across paint, clean or dirty.

Once you get it clean, put on some Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic Wax. This very modest $12 investment is almost as good as $70 durable hydrophobic coatings and can last nearly as long. It will help a) avoid the car getting dirty in the first place and b) make it VERY easy to clean when it does.

Turtle wax bug and tar remover for when just soap won't do.

[rarest_spun_heaven_metal]

Thank you all for the input. Parking on an incline so that the hood is facing uphill is truly brilliant advice. Finally got it clean and shiny.

If you'll all allow be to be a bit sentimental now: this is the first new car I've ever owned. The other two I had in my life had 70k+ miles on them when I got them - got a '98 Sable in 2007 and an '03 Impala in like 2015. I never really understood what it meant to be neurotic until this one was delivered - never was a person to keep my room/house very clean or worry about keeping my sneakers perfect or anything like that. And I've put 8k miles on this car in the 3.5 months I've had it - so I'm definitely not shy about enjoying it (including the move from Boston to Florida, which was driven in large part by the revelation that I needed a convertible and needed to be able to use it during all four seasons. Thank you, covid, for making my remote-work dream a reality). And what a joy to have such a beautiful machine in my care...

This community was my little respite from constant anguish in between when I initiated the buy on the car (beginning of August) and when it was finally delivered (first week of September). You've all been of tremendous help and entertainment.

I think maybe if everyone had a convertible for just a little while, we might finally achieve world peace and the end of hunger.

Vroom vroom, brothers and sisters.

[Chutzpah]

Originally Posted by rarest_spun_heaven_metal

Thank you all for the input. Parking on an incline so that the hood is facing uphill is truly brilliant advice. Finally got it clean and shiny.

If you'll all allow be to be a bit sentimental now: this is the first new car I've ever owned. The other two I had in my life had 70k+ miles on them when I got them - got a '98 Sable in 2007 and an '03 Impala in like 2015. I never really understood what it meant to be neurotic until this one was delivered - never was a person to keep my room/house very clean or worry about keeping my sneakers perfect or anything like that. And I've put 8k miles on this car in the 3.5 months I've had it - so I'm definitely not shy about enjoying it (including the move from Boston to Florida, which was driven in large part by the revelation that I needed a convertible and needed to be able to use it during all four seasons. Thank you, covid, for making my remote-work dream a reality). And what a joy to have such a beautiful machine in my care...

This community was my little respite from constant anguish in between when I initiated the buy on the car (beginning of August) and when it was finally delivered (first week of September). You've all been of tremendous help and entertainment.

I think maybe if everyone had a convertible for just a little while, we might finally achieve world peace and the end of hunger.

Vroom vroom, brothers and sisters.

That was beautiful brother. And I concur... especially on extricating yourself from Mass. We’re looking at snow later this week.

[Gunkk]

Camaro Vert therapy best therapy!

Glad you got it sorted.

Here's another vert cleaning tip. After you wash and while drying the car, hit the button to lower the top but stop just after the front part of the fabric top unlatches and raises up a few inches. Then you can dry off the rubber seals on the front and rear ends of the top as well as the underside of the tonneau and tops of the rear wheel arches, etc. underneath.

[ember1205]

Originally Posted by Gunkk

Camaro Vert therapy best therapy!

Glad you got it sorted.

Here's another vert cleaning tip. After you wash and while drying the car, hit the button to lower the top but stop just after the front part of the fabric top unlatches and raises up a few inches. Then you can dry off the rubber seals on the front and rear ends of the top as well as the underside of the tonneau and tops of the rear wheel arches, etc. underneath.

Taking it a step (or four) further...

Park 'uphill' and raise the tonneau to wipe down underneath it and allow water to drain toward the rear of the car. There's a lot of painted surface area under here that gets quite dirty and wiping it out when the car gets washed helps keep it under control.

Open the trunk to wipe underneath it and dry out the drain area at the rear. Allow it to remain open so that the water also drips out of the spoiler and antenna areas.

Open the hood and wipe down underneath.

Open the doors and wipe all around the door and the sills as well as in front of the hinges.

[MANNAXMAN]

I use Duragloss Rinseless Wash #932 and a plush MF.

[Ron2ss]

Originally Posted by ember1205

Taking it a step (or four) further...

Park 'uphill' and raise the tonneau to wipe down underneath it and allow water to drain toward the rear of the car. There's a lot of painted surface area under here that gets quite dirty and wiping it out when the car gets washed helps keep it under control.

Open the trunk to wipe underneath it and dry out the drain area at the rear. Allow it to remain open so that the water also drips out of the spoiler and antenna areas.

Open the hood and wipe down underneath.

Open the doors and wipe all around the door and the sills as well as in front of the hinges.

I do all of those areas but without water! My car has never seen rain, a hose or been through a car wash. I use Griots Speed Shine detailer after every other outing. The bugs get removed every time I return home also using the detailer spray with microfiber towels. I have a microfiber wand brush that I clean the brake dust from the inner wheel surfaces (which are coated with ceramic wax). Yup, I am pretty anal with keeping my car clean. In my younger years a had a show car and old habits die hard I guess!