Adhesive for car softop

[matthew.larkin]

The softtop in my aged Fiat Barchetta (1997) has got a tear in it, and in the recent downpours I've had to empty close to 5 litres from the hood storage area.

I've temporarily put some Duck Tape over the hole which (whilst aesthetically not perfect) does the job short term. But even in the few days that its been on it has started to peel away at the edges.

PVC seems to be one of those things that doesn't like being stuck to - what could I add under the edges of the gaffer tape to create a better seal and less likelihood of the tape peeling away?

btw, replacement hood is financially out of the question at the moment!

Matt

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember [e-mail] saying something like:

If you're sure it's PVC, you could use a PVC adhesive and another patch of PVC. Done carefully enough the repair wouldn't look pikey at all, oh no.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

If it is PVC you can buy PVC glue that actually dissolves the surface slightly. A PVC patch applied with that should hold.

I'd give these people a ring - they're a small company and very helpful.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Old fashioned solvent based Evostik is the best or possibly hit a camper supply place for an inflatable mattress repair kit.

However, once it starts to tear, generally its time for a new hood, many years of Spridgets tell me.

[fred]

In article , [e-mail] writes

There are specialist adhesives for this kind of work, the term you are looking for is 'vinyl repair'. It usually involves putting a reinforcing patch underneath, gluing that in place and waiting for it to set then applying the same 'glue' to top side to fill in the cut from the top side and seal it.

Amateur adhesives used to be available from motor factors and that is where I got some when I did such a repair many moons ago but googling for "vinyl repair" +uk should find what you want.

If you don't feel up to that, there are many upholsterers specialising in car work and if you find the right one they may do a repair for the right price.

The pro stuff comes in kits with pigments to match colour and can match grain from missing sections by taking moulds.

[Andy Dingley]

Woolies are good, but also phone Fiat and ask them what it's made of. If it's PVC, then one of the solvent weld compounds: "Vinylweld" or even plumber's wastepipe weld from Screwfix will sort it. If it's polyurethane, then your best choice is "Shoe goo" or one of the PU cements sold (Wilkos) for sticking soles to shoes. Evo-stik 528 is no use for either, but would be good if it's an old (or better quality) hood in duck canvas.

You'll need a patch, for strength. You may even need to scrap a cloth inner surface off the inside of the plastic, so that you can glue your patch of matching material onto the inside of the plastic, not through the headliner fabric.