So I've heard that WD-40 is great for bringing the life back to our fenders and for keeping the mud from sticking to the undercarriage (not to mention the million other uses), so does anyone know if this magical liquid from the heavens would work on our factory soft tops to keep them from fading and drying out?

 

WD-40 is acidic, so I would see it causing more harm than good to a fabric soft top.

There are plenty of mesh UV/water protection sprays out there that would do the same thing.

 

Although WD-40 is a great degreaser, cleaner, light lubricant, and decent penetrant, I wouldn’t recommend using as a detailer or protectant. I use WD for a ton of stuff but have found that on rubber, plastic, and vinyl it’s not so great. When applied it does make these surfaces appear darker and shiny initially, but it doesn't last long at all and the solvents, although extremely mild, probably do more harm than good, particularly on rubber, where it leaches the preservatives out of it leaving it dry after it evaporates.

I'd suggest using a dedicated plastic protectant like 303 Aerospace (my favorite), which is specifically designed for this purpose. Rubber actually sucks this product in and it sort of moisturizes it but not like oily fake silicone based tire shines. BTW, WD is really good for cleaning engine bays and detailing powder coated surfaces. As for use as a mud resistant coating, IDK.

 

I know when i worked on PLCs the in house technicians would put wd-40 on everything and the plastic electrical connectors would fail from the wd-40. The plastic degraded so i dont put it on anything plastic. It did take it a few years. But that was the cause!