1929 Canvas Roof Care

[seando]

I have a 1929 DeSoto, Barn fresh. The roof (and everything) is original and in excellent shape. I want to clean and "treat" the roof so it doesnt crack etc. Any recommendations?

[jpage]

Are you sure the top is canvas? Most closed cars of thet era used a long-short grain top material which is similar to vinyl. Many of the Model A Ford parts dealers sell a "top dressing" that will reseal and protect your top.

[seando]

Great question. How can I tell for sure?

Thank you for your response.

[Richard1]

I'd look for a convertible top protectant. I ordered and used something from Amazon, but don't remember the name and don't have the rest here. I did mine on my cloth top 88 BMW after re-dying it

Actually a good idea to put on all cloth tops. makes them shed the water instead of penetrating.

[Terry Bond]

Make sure your 29 Desoto top doesn't already have some kind of coating on it. It was common place to use a top dressing on them many years ago. It was like paint and over the years would cake up and eventually begin cracking. If you see some cracks starting to appear that might be a clue. You didn't indicate whether the car is a sedan or roadster/touring. The answer recommend you check with the Model A parts guys is a good one.

Terry