removing vinyl top on '80 Cutlass...

[silent_orchestra]

Hey there, I was thinking the other day about sometime in the near future peeling the vinyl top off my '80 Cutlass... There's nothing wrong with it other than the fact that I'm not the biggest fan of it...

My question is though, what is all involved in taking off the top? and after the top is off are there holes that need to be filled where trim went? and are there any non vinyl top parts I'll need to find to replace the stuff that went with the top?

Thanks for the help!

Bobby

 

[shotgun]

Never did a Cutlass, my race still has it's vinyl.

My 79 Grand Prix project got the roof removed and it is more of a job then filling a few holes and adding trim.

On the GP the roof line above the window is different on a top car.

I found a wreck and had to cut 2 10" sections out that will need to be welded it.

Also the chrome above the door is different (longer) since now the gutter goes full length (over the rear window).

I can't imagine a Cutlass would be much different looking at both , which are parked next to each othert in my shop.

It took a long time to find a parts car so I would not start stripping until you have parts in hand.

 

[pontiacgp]

shotgun, I think the 79 GP must be different than my 86. I took the vinyl off and the roof above the window was the same as a non vinyl roof. I'm not going put the trim around the window, I'm using a rubber surround on the front and back and got the idea from a 70 chevell drag car that has the rubber around the windows and sat nice and flush with the window and roof

 

[Oldsmoletick]

I removed the vinyl top from the 79 cutlass I had, pain in the *ss to do on that car. I did it because it was shot, and I felt rust bubbles under it. Peeling it off, was the biggest problem, it came off in little strips about 2 inches wide, the glue.....I still don't know the best way, I got sick of scubbing with adhesive remover, and resorted to paint stripper :lol: . The top also was put on before the windows were put in, so in order to get all of it, the quarter windows and rear window need to come out. Quarter window will not require anything different to reinstall, just put moldings back on and glue em in (urethane).. The rear window molding is another story, it's just a one piece black plastic molding riveted on the car, completely different from a non-vinyl top car. so you will need the molding from a donor car, also you will have to figure out where and how to put the studs on for the retaining clips, or get screw on clips. After that, you now have all the molding studs to take care of, knock em off with a grinder or just put the moldings back on the car your choice. Remember, that top covers up Unfinished, and half assed bodywork, on mine they used almost like a seam sealer rather than lead, or filler. Be prepared to possibly have to weld in patches for the gap left in the roof and quarter panel seam, some are worse than others. For the record my 85 cutlass was nowhere near this much of a nightmare, it was nicely finshed under the top. So if your top is good, and the roof is good under it, I wouldn't mess with it unless you really hate how it looks. Be ready for all that and probably more, I may have forgotten a few things as it has been almost ten years since I had to do it, lol.

 

[shotgun]

78-79-80 have different rooflines then the later cars.

Would like to see the "chevelle" idea.

Are you talking about using late model seals?

 

[silent_orchestra]

Wow... It actually sounds like a pain in the *ss.. My top is actually VERY nice (hell my cutlass only has 69,000 on the clock)... The thing that I don't like about it is it's white... and it's VERY hard to keep looking nice and white even though the car is garaged... I was thinking of ditching the top because one of these days I woul like to give the car a nice healthy coating of super glossy black, but actually thinking about it and seeing the picture above of the 79? I dig the black w/ black top... Looks pretty cool..

Any ideas on how to refinish the mouldings with the fake vinyl texture that go around the top? I'm guessing they're just painted right?

If I do ditch the top I was going to replace it with a stainless band which there was a deal on here a while back about, looked pretty cool...

 

[85Supreme]

when i took my vinyl top of i needed to plug up the wholes for the trim, needed the trim for the back window, needed landau windows for a non rag top i also need to make two patch panels for behind the landau windows right at the top because there was just a gap there. also when i pulled of my top i had a roam panel underneath of it that i needed to sand down.

 

[Blake442]

If it's in good shape, leave it on there. You'd just be opening a big can of worms taking it off, and it's a lot of work to get it taken care of the right way...

You can always dye it another color if you don't like the white.

 

[pimplogic]

lol whin i got my cutlass the top ( green with a blue interior? ) was already gone, left two huge holes in its wake! bondo anyone? well after it was hit with rust eleminator we began the bondo nightmare, its been almost a year and i still havent got to sandin that crap, also the freakin holes from the trim had to be filled,(no easy task using bondo) now im gonna buy a four in angle grinder and grind away then finish sand it, not really neccesarry at the moment but has to be done before a pro paintjob is attempted @ 44.50 an hour for body work hell naw, also i put the rear trim for vynil top back on and i sealed the 1/4 windows with black rtv, (waterproof) not really a biggie because the car is black and im speeding past everyone so they cant catch a glimpse of my fallen compatriat. anyway vynil top is a pain in the *ss but if its done right it looks smooth as hell!! good luck cuz your gonna need it

 

[pimplogic]

lol whin i got my cutlass the top ( green with a blue interior? ) was already gone, left two huge holes in its wake! bondo anyone? well after it was hit with rust eleminator we began the bondo nightmare, its been almost a year and i still havent got to sandin that crap, also the freakin holes from the trim had to be filled,(no easy task using bondo) now im gonna buy a four in angle grinder and grind away then finish sand it, not really neccesarry at the moment but has to be done before a pro paintjob is attempted @ 44.50 an hour for body work hell naw, also i put the rear trim for vynil top back on and i sealed the 1/4 windows with black rtv, (waterproof) not really a biggie because the car is black and im speeding past everyone so they cant catch a glimpse of my fallen compatriat. anyway vynil top is a pain in the *ss but if its done right it looks smooth as hell!! good luck cuz your gonna need it