Vinyl Tops Suck

[565bbchevy]

I find the full vinyl top cars don't seem to have the "sponge" padding underneath.

Years ago I went to look at an early 80's Cutlass and what I didn't notice in the crappy pictures was that it had a full vinyl top with little to no padding underneath but you could see the rust pushing it up in many spots, I am guessing someone took that somewhere to have it installed since that was the only full vinyl I have ever seen on an 80's Gbody, at least some of the half vinyl's look good on the right car but this did not.

 

[will.s]

Anyone heard of or used some sort of product to seal up a vinyl top as a temporary way to keep water out? As much as I despise the top I'm not ready to paint the car so probably looking at another driving season with it on. It definitely has a few good cracks. Or maybe sealing it up is worse because what ever is under there already is truly trapped then. And I guess uv may be a bit of an issue too.

 

[WanaBa442]

Years ago I went to look at an early 80's Cutlass and what I didn't notice in the crappy pictures was that it had a full vinyl top with little to no padding underneath but you could see the rust pushing it up in many spots, I am guessing someone took that somewhere to have it installed since that was the only full vinyl I have ever seen on an 80's Gbody, at least some of the half vinyl's look good on the right car but this did not.

They do exist.....

 

[565bbchevy]

They do exist.....

Maybe they are more common on 78'-80" but this was probably an 83' I looked at.
This was the one and only time I have ever seen an 81' and up Gbody with a full vinyl on a bone stock car.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

Any g body with a factory top, is probably rusty. The factory didn’t paint under them.

My formally vinyl top Regal was painted under it. However, most vinyl top cars did not have lead used to fill in the rear quarter roof seams. Instead they used bondo type filler that was crudely applied as the vinyl would hide it. Unlike lead, the bondo filler commonly cracks from G body flex and allows thd welded seam to rust out. Weld metal rusts faster than the base metal.

 

[565bbchevy]

My formally vinyl top Regal was painted under it. However, most vinyl top cars did not have lead used to fill in the rear quarter roof seams. Instead they used bondo type filler that was crudely applied as the vinyl would hide it. Unlike lead, the bondo filler commonly cracks from G body flex and allows thd welded seam to rust out. Weld metal rusts faster than the base metal.

My Monte also came with a half vinyl that I removed decades ago but it was installed when the car was new after having the ASC power sunroof installed so it was completely finished underneath, I just had to fill the rivet holes.

 

[PBGBodyFan]

I've always avoided vinyl top cars. Even in the southwest, the vinyl traps additional water, and fine sand in the lower rear window channel. Am speaking of 69-72 Chevelle bodies here. Add the fact the rear window lower channel doesn't drain, like a similar year Nova, and it is a recipe for rust and then rot. Back in the day, when living in New England, used to pop off the rear window trim periodically, and vacuum out the channel. A bit OCD might say.

My LS is from New Mexico and a vinyl top car, top was removed in 2002 and no rust underneath just poor finish work but better than most I’ve seen.

The Cutlass looks well optioned, what color interior?

 

[565bbchevy]

The Cutlass looks well optioned, what color interior?

If you are referring to the one in my first post this is it.
It's really a shame that vinyl is on there, a lot of potential for this car.

 

[08Malibu]

My formally vinyl top Regal was painted under it. However, most vinyl top cars did not have lead used to fill in the rear quarter roof seams. Instead they used bondo type filler that was crudely applied as the vinyl would hide it. Unlike lead, the bondo filler commonly cracks from G body flex and allows thd welded seam to rust out. Weld metal rusts faster than the base metal.

My vinyl top car was the same way. The paint that was under the back was very thin compared to the rest of the roof though.

 

[Clone TIE Pilot]

Also vinyl top cars have different quarter windows from the hardtops. The rubber trim around vinyl top windows is trimed thiner.