Renovo offers a proven range of tailored, long-lasting protection and restorative hood-care products specifically formulated for vinyl and fabric hoods, built around the realities of classic-car hood materials. The principal products applicable to classic MGs are the soft-top revivers in their colour-matched specifications, the long-lasting waterproofing proofers, and the supporting cleaning products that prepare a hood for renovation work, and for best results the products are used in sequence, clean first, then revive the colour if needed, then reproof. The Renovo system addresses the two issues that age a soft top, the loss of colour as UV exposure and weathering fade the pigment, and the loss of water-shedding ability as the original waterproof finish breaks down, both of which can be reversed without the cost of a complete new hood.
Soft Top Reviver & Renovators
Renovo Soft Top Reviver is the headline product, a colour-restoring liquid applied to a clean dry hood to renew its surface appearance and refresh the pigment that years of UV exposure and weathering have faded, formulated as a flexible-binder pigment system that penetrates the surface fibres of the hood material, depositing fresh pigment without forming a paint-like surface film that would crack or peel over time. The reviver is applied with a soft sponge or fine brush, worked into the hood surface in straight lines, and allowed to cure fully before the hood is exposed to rain or sunshine, the cure typically taking 24 to 48 hours at workshop temperature, after which the cured reviver is stable, weather-resistant, and durable across the working life of the hood. The reviver rejuvenates faded fabric, returning it to a near-original depth of colour, and is the product that transforms a tired grey-looking hood back to its original deep black or colour without the expense of a replacement.
Colour Range
Renovo soft-top revivers are stocked in the colours used on classic MGs during production, black, navy blue, beech as a light tan colour used on certain specifications, mid blue, burgundy, green, grey, brown, and the smaller range of less-common specifications, black being the standard colour for most chrome-bumper and rubber-bumper roadsters, Midgets, MGAs, and the wider range. Navy blue and other specific colours are stocked for cars where the original hood was specified in those alternative colours, and each product is colour-matched to the original factory specifications, so applying the reviver to a faded original hood restores it to the colour the car left the factory with rather than producing a near-match that does not quite suit the rest of the car's visual scheme. The range covers both mohair and vinyl soft tops, the reviver suiting the surface character of either material.
Cleaning, Proofing & Application
Renovo Soft Top Cleaner removes ingrained dirt, grease, algae, traffic film, and organic growth without damaging the fabric or its waterproof coating, the essential first step before any reviving or proofing as treatment applied over a dirty hood will not adhere or penetrate properly. Renovo Ultra Proofer is the recommended follow-up product, a long-lasting waterproofing treatment applied over the restored hood to give a flexible weatherproof skin that allows water to bead and run off the hood surface rather than soaking in, restoring the water-shedding capability after cleaning has stripped the old finish. Application is straightforward but methodical, the hood cleaned with the dedicated cleaner or mild detergent and a soft brush, rinsed thoroughly, and allowed to dry completely, typically 24 hours of dry weather to achieve full surface dryness, the reviver then applied across the entire hood in even straight strokes working from one side to the other, and the treated hood left undisturbed for the cure time before the Ultra Proofer is sprayed or brushed on as a final coat. The entire process is best done in dry weather with the hood erected on the car, as attempting to apply hood-care products in damp conditions will prevent proper adhesion and may leave streaks.
With Ultra Proofer applied, the renewed colour is stable across the working life of the next renovation cycle, typically two to three years before the hood benefits from another treatment, and the hood-frame hinges and pivot points should be oiled at the same time using a light machine oil to keep the mechanism operating smoothly. The technical team is available to advise on the right Renovo specification for a specific hood material and colour.