hoods

Hi Guys, When I bought my car there was no tool kit in the boot. Always meant to get around to getting something sorted out, but out of sight out of mind, nearly a year later, I've still not got around to it. The car is a 2000 CLK320 convertible, the main thing I'm worried about is...

As i'm new to cabriolets(had a 320clk for a couple of weeks)can anyone advise me on do's/dont's when washing the hood & also how often do you re-proof & what product works best?