Vinyl or Not?

[Ron C.]

all my cars have the B code for the black top and I think its a nice option,if your trim tag doesnt have the option well then my opinion is no dont do it.

[lakeholme]

OK, once last stab at getting 50 votes on this before I close it down for the winter...

BTW, 69RSZ, nice cars!

[hotrod68]

Holy smokes, 69RSZ--that thing is GORGEOUS!

[Ron C.]

Thanks for the compliments,I like the vinyl tops, they give the car a nice look.My 68Z is pictured as the 68 car of the month on the homepage and it also has a black top.in order are my Z cars.67,68,69.

[tom]

Now that I know my 69 had a vinyl top I'm thinking about replacing it. Can someone point me to a good starting point? I presume I will need all trim, fasteners, material, some type of template or measurements to start drilling etc.

Thanks,

Tom

[Ron C.]

Tom you might check the camaro assembly manual.I think the specs might be in there but im not sure.you will need the roof trim.it comes in a kit from any camaro restoration dealer like ricks or firewheel classics.

[shift1313]

phil sorry i took so long to reply to this.  In my first post you asked me if I thought the rust around the window was due to the vinyl top.  Yes definately.  It held moisture right around the trim and it was so bad it bubbled.  The car only has 40k on it total and was restored in 95-96, which is when the vinyl top was put on.  The car had one from the factory as well.  I can only assume it sat outside, but due to the poor resto job I have no idea how they prepped the roof.  The rear 1/4s were both replaced, front windshield had some bondo/lead work done to it, and the roof had like 6 different colors of filler.  The lips on top of the rear 1/4s were all covered with bondo that was so much thicker then you are ever supposed to use it.  Even if the car sits inside.  If its not driven and not kept it a strict moisture controlled environment I dont think i would put a vinyl top back on.  If you plan on driving it often that might be different.  I dont think i can save the pillars on this car so i might end up putting a whole roof on it.  If i do the car will definatly not get a vinyl top.  A guy i work with has an early gto with a vinyl top that he drives monthly and it has no problems at all with rust or moisture.  I also have a friend with several old licolns that sit or sat for exteneded periods of time outside and you can push holes throught the body where the trim was its so thin from rust. 

Its hard to see because of the crappy pic, but you can definatly make out a color difference where the top used to be.  the bottome 6" was all flaky rust.  And the car sat inside a garage from about 98 or 99 until today without being driven.  I can also see in to the car in several places where the trim was.



if you look at the paint around the trim you can see it bubbling up.



I dont want to discourage you from putting one on.  Personally I loved the look of the car in hugger orange with the SS clone stuff and vinyl top.  I like the look of the cars with vinyl tops if they have all the orig trim with the car, emblems and everything.  It really dates them.  If you are trying to modernize it i would steer away from it.

good luck with your choice 

[lakeholme]

Shift 1313,

Sounds like you've had all those body resto. nightmares rolled into one.  We definitely know that design tended to encourage some of the rust.  The vinyl only complicates the problem --holding the water in.  And yes, inheriting a poor and improper restoration is perhaps the biggest nightmare.  A few years ago, I had a guy from a major restoration shop in SC tell me, "For every minute it takes to paint a car, you need to spend thirty prepping it."

Right now, my 68 is a mutt driver.  Eventually, when I do fully restore it, I will probably put the vinyl on it.  The original color is butternut yellow and a black vinyl top really sets yellow (and several other colors) off.  Having said that, I've literally talked with dozens of people at shows and meetings about vinyl tops.  There are lots of war stories about rust, bubbling and cracking, (Of course, that's true with or without vinyl.) about liking or not liking the look (So far, this poll proves that a vast majority like the look --at least on the right car), and about originality.  (I must confess my trim tag is YY, and that's the one point where I'm seriously considering not going original in the restoration.)

With or without the vinyl and even as a driver, I try not to drive when the road is wet, let alone when it is raining.  When I wash the car, about an hour after drying it, I go back with a blower (low speed) and dry out the underbody and all the seams.  If anyone wonders about rust, they ought to try that.  A lot of water does sit under the vinyl trim, etc.

Thanks to everybody for their input!

[tom]

With all the rust issues what can I do during restoration to minimize rust if I decide to go vinyl. I do not have the luxury of garage space, and I live next to wetlands less than a foot above sea level (constant humidity even in winter).

Thanks,
Tom

[lakeholme]

I'd start with Por-15 or a similar product.  I've seen Por-15 work very well on some marine applications.
Look at this: http://www.por15.com/

Seriously, after restoration you plan to keep your car outside in high humidity?

[lakeholme]

OK, we got fifty votes... so I'm closing down.

Thanks to everyone!

[hair]

i left the vinyl top off my 69 rs/ss . its a rally green with parment vinyl top code 79 E   also an x-22 car that hhas never had factory stripes

[cib12]

i think it looked great on the new 69 i used to have   blue with the black

[lakeholme]

Seeing a lot of new names on the site...
Thought I'd dust this one off and seek more opinions.
Would appreciate your input --both voting and posting.

[Flowjoe]

I don't really like the vinyl tops look but I agree with others..if the car had it from the factory  then replace it.  I also agree that it is a very 60-70's look so kinda goes with the cars.  The green SS below had a lot of rot from the vinyl but since the car is numbers matching we took it back to the original appearance (and took a lot of grief from friends for "ruining" a perfectly good fathom green paint job )...but not all vinyl roofs rot.  The '69 GTO has it's original vinyl roof in place and started in wet Seatttle (Olympia to be specific) and then moved to Alaska.

In case Sam is looking...the SS is an LA built car that spent its entire life in CA and had very rusty quarters and rear window channel.

Bottom line...we don't treat these cars as they were treated when new and daily drivers so vinyl roofs are not real weak spots any longer.  It comes down to originality and preference on appearance in my book.