What lies beneath

[restoman]

Looks great!

Cutting the installed vinyl is tricky: the cut has to be deep enough to get through the cloth backing on the vinyl, but not deep enough to score or break through the very thin paint underneath.
The bigger problem is not knowing whether or not the paint has been broken until rust begins to show...

Cars like A-bods are not much different for vinyl, full or canopy style. Same procedures, just from different start and end points. Anything with a drip rail, though, can be a PIA.

 

[69.5CUDA]

Looks great!

Cutting the installed vinyl is tricky: the cut has to be deep enough to get through the cloth backing on the vinyl, but not deep enough to score or break through the very thin paint underneath.
The bigger problem is not knowing whether or not the paint has been broken until rust begins to show...

Cars like A-bods are not much different for vinyl, full or canopy style. Same procedures, just from different start and end points. Anything with a drip rail, though, can be a PIA.

youve got me curious...how much do tops "shrink" and over how much time?....it has me wondering..do you trim at the centerline of the trim or do you trim at the furthest outward extent you can to make up for any shrinkage

 

[restoman]

youve got me curious...how much do tops "shrink" and over how much time?....it has me wondering..do you trim at the centerline of the trim or do you trim at the furthest outward extent you can to make up for any shrinkage

The glue controls any shrinkage, for the most part. Where it's not glued down, it pulls back fairly quickly when exposed to UV rays and weather.
A customer years ago brought his '69 Chevelle in for some work, and I noticed when the car was in the sun, the roof didn't look quite right. Inside the shop, it looked fine. Apparently, the novice guy at the upholstery shop didn't fully glue the center of the vinyl before pulling it down, and the sun would heat up the void and a low full-length air bubble would appear. The upholstery guys fixed it for him, no problem, once they saw it.
The few I've done, I trimmed before the final few inches were glued down, and always toward the outer trim edge, mainly to ensure that the trim laid flat. I used a LOT of masking tape to pull and hold the vinyl in place, and marked the cut lines with a grease pencil.
It's nerve wracking!

 

[69.5CUDA]

ive done enough motorcycle seat skins to understand the mental effects, some shrink some dont which is why i wondered, sure your working smaller, but the posibility of screwing it up is just as big, especialy on the older steel frames where you have to punch it over fold out spikes, break a spike you need a new pan, dont stretch enough and you dont have enough material to re-punch

at one time when i had my 71 caddy i had intended on putting a new top on it....and...if i ever find myself in a spot to grab another one..it will undoubtably need a top.....its the ONLY car on any list i have ever made that would ever get a top

 

[Dr.Jass]

There are only three cars that I'd own on which I'd want a vinyl top:

• A 1971 Charger SE, canopy vinyl only.
• Any muscle-era with a factory sunroof, canopy if a factory option.
• A Superbird, since it was mandatory.

The only reason the sunroof car would get vinyl is because the sunroof itself was grained to match the vinyl. Glass or smooth-steel sunroofs didn't start until '75, but I don't think the A-body ever got one.

 

[71dusterman]

I had a 74 Dart Sport with a sunroof. Nicest memory I had in it was I picked my dog up from getting neutered and he was sitting in the front passenger bucket. A plane flew overhead and being he was still partially out of it, he followed the jet in a slow motion "wow" moment.

 

[69.5CUDA]

im actualy with you there doc on a sunroof and a skin, but to be honest, my list of cars id ever consider owning..even dream cars, only 1 has a top skin ..and thats the 71 caddy coupe and to this day its the only one i let go of that i want back...tho ive eyeballed a bunch of late 60s early 70s c bodys over the years, none have hit me as hard as that caddy..as angry and cool as the 71 300 is.......it just doesnt have that luxury feel that the caddy does tho the imperial does come close

 

[restoman]

Vinyl vs: no vinyl... it's never been a deal breaker for me, even in the lust department.
I've owned a few that I've removed the vinyl on, but only because it didn't suit the look I was going for.

 

[71ChargerRT]

Looks great Stretch!

 

[Stretch]

Uh, weren't the clips for the halo trim still in the trim itself? They were still in the piece I handled yesterday.

Those are the original clips. Most are broken. All are brittle. I bought a box years ago. I bought another this week.

This is probably the only car I would want the vinyl on. I love the halo and the pale green needs all the black it can get. I actually love the vinyl here.

 

[b-body-bob]

I bought a box years ago. I bought another this week.

You should be able to find the old box now that you have a new one.

 

[Stretch]

You should be able to find the old box now that you have a new one.

I had the old box in my grubby mitts when I started this project. I figured I would find that box when I walked in with the new box and set it down right next to the old box. Still haven't found it.

 

[69.5CUDA]

no no no..see youll find it as soon as your done using the contents of the new box..or at the very least use a few and call it a day.......putting an object somewhere safe means its too safe for you to find intentionaly

cant agree with you more on the color NEEDS the top, it doesnt look bad without it, but it doesnt look "right" without it either

alot of the "whales" are another example of bodys that imo need tops

 

[Stretch]

Yesterday I painted the A-pillers black, installed the dash and column. Then I installed the roof installation. I broke one of the two wire clips that hold the rear bow in place so I had to make one. After that I made new sail panel backer board and installed those. I was in the middle of installing the headliner when a few buddies stopped by so worked stopped and a few drinks were enjoyed over some great conversation. It was a great day.

 

[Stretch]

I see I neglected to post pictures of the rear bow support wire I had to make. You can see the good original and the shiny new one I fabracobbled out of the long straight end of a universal throttle return spring. I cut the coil off and used that straight section.

 

[69.5CUDA]

ive had to make a few of those before in various shapes, i keep a stock of stainless wire around for just such a need

good job on those cardboard int panels, which is something ive had on my mind a while...and im wondering if there is any good reason to not use say...abs sheet, maybe a lil more noise but it wouldnt warp or soak up moisture

 

[Jester]

Vinyl top looks amazing! You guys did a great job. Now I'm afraid to take the white top off of Goldmember, looks like a real PITA.

 

[68R/T]

Not all vinyl top replacements are the extent that Stretch went to. He combined multiple issues into one project. I.E. rust repair, repaint, headliner repair & replace. A simple top replacement can be done, most times, without glass removal. If possible, find a pro, and ask if you can watch it done. Most pro's can get one done in about 3-4 hours with no other repairs. Once you watch it done, You'll go, "That doesn't look so hard"

 

[Dr.Jass]

Spoken like a man who hasn't done one...

The only thing I was involved with was the vinyl itself, and we did watch videos of pros. We did, in fact, say, "That doesn't look so hard" too. The reality of it is that the reason they're pros is because they're good enough to make it look easy. It was a bunch of work. You're battling time, with glue that's hell-bent on adhering to itself permanently at the slightest pressure. Keeping wrinkles out of a few square yards of adhesive vinyl is a lot tougher than you think. I'm here to tell you, it ain't anywhere near as easy as someone who does it every day for a living makes it look.

As far as "most times" not needing to remove the glass, any gasketed window--i.e. every single Mopar through '68, plus A-body until the end and Bs through '70--requires both the front and rear glass to be out of the car. On other models, it may not be required but you'll be thankful you pulled 'em. It makes the job a whole bunch easier.

 

[restoman]

"As far as "most times" not needing to remove the glass, any gasketed window--i.e. every single Mopar through '68, plus A-body until the end and Bs through '70--requires both the front and rear glass to be out of the car. On other models, it may not be required but you'll be thankful you pulled 'em. It makes the job a whole bunch easier."

Yup.
My reasoning for removing glass is just basic "Do it now, do it right" thinking... while the car is laid up and being worked on, it's the perfect opportunity to make sure any and all rust is taken care of at once.
Bonus: Newly re-sealed windows guarantee they won't leak due to old, shitty gaskets or settled and pulled away butyl.

Vinyl tops are a lot of work, trust me. I've only done two in thirty some-odd years, and that was enough to teach me that while anyone can do one with lots of care and consideration, my time and talents were better utilized elsewhere.
I didn't know enough little tricks to get me out of any trouble that not knowing enough could get me into... and when the heat is on - like when dealing with exposed contact cement - one little screw up can go sideways pretty quick.