Dealer Installed "Vinyl" Top

[68PK21 440.6bbl]

Very interesting. I know of an older gent, Jerry, from my neighborhood who worked at one of the busier trim shops back in the day. They did lots of vinyl top installs for dealerships back then. The vinyl was cheap when bought in bulk and the trim guys could knock out quite a few in a day. There was enough room for dealer mark up of course. Jerry installed my Legendary top & interior about 16 years ago. He had me remove the chrome moulding from around the windshield and backlight so he could correctly get the vinyl down into the channel. He said that was the right way to do it. Less chance of it lifting out. It still looks great today.

Guy I worked with in the early 70's, his son did this for dealerships and he was busy, pretty common for dealerships to install vinyl tops on the lot. His son come by work and installed a black vinyl top on his 60 something Buick LeSabre, he was done quick as I was busy and when I looked out he was done and gone. I checked it out when I was leaving work and it was nice vinyl and looked just as good as factory to me.


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[300rag]

Guy I worked with in the early 70's, his son did this for dealerships and he was busy, pretty common for dealerships to install vinyl tops on the lot. His son come by work and installed a black vinyl top on his 60 something Buick LeSabre, he was done quick as I was busy and when I looked out he was done and gone. I checked it out when I was leaving work and it was nice vinyl and looked just as good as factory to me.


.

When I worked at a GM dealer in '78/'79, they never brought in any vehicle with an optional vinyl roof or BSM. He said that if someone wanted the car without a top, he might lose a sale, but the other way he can add a roof for anyone. I called on that. He only did it because he made more money on the aftermarket roof than the factory one.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

How about this for an oldie but goodie phrase - very British by the way...

" I say, that vinyl top looks simply wizard"!!

 

[CBODY67]

When I worked at a GM dealer in '78/'79, they never brought in any vehicle with an optional vinyl roof or BSM. He said that if someone wanted the car without a top, he might lose a sale, but the other way he can add a roof for anyone. I called on that. He only did it because he made more money on the aftermarket roof than the factory one.

Many deslers had just that orientation of things. Much easier to add it on than to take it off, or lose a sale over something like that. Just as ordering a car with the basic AM/FM radio and then upgrading it to a stereo tape unit back then (either Delco or whatever, at the customer's pref). GM also had a "Radio Accomodation Option", which was a windshield with the antenna in it and a short piece of lead-in cable attached to it, just so dealers could do the look-alike aftermarket radio installation, as the customer desired.

There were also some years that the factory vinyl roofs on Grand Prix looked thread-bare as the vinyl was so thin, it wore away a few years later. A customer in '78 might remember that and not have wanted a factory vinyl roof, but one added-on later.

The other, longer-term deal we know about now, is that the added-on vinyl roof had solid paint under it, for better roof durability.

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67

 

[Mike66Chryslers]

Here is his car

How about this for an oldie but goodie phrase - very British by the way...

" I say, that vinyl top looks simply wizard"!!

If they had used that bit of British slang in the Harry Potter movies, everyone would have been thoroughly confused!

 

[69PHOENIX]

Alright All You Old Geriatrics!
Who Remembers when you could Buy Wrinkle Finish Paint in a Spray Can.
Know a Few Fellas who used this to do their own Vinyl Roofs.
Being the Under Privileged Lot we were here in the Mystical Land of OZ back in the Early 60s I can remember a Fella that used about 300 Cans of AMT Model Car Paint to Paint his Mini Minor because we didn't have Metallic finishes. Must have cost he more than it costs to Paint a Lamborghini Now a Days. LOL
As I remember it didn't turn out all that good either. A Little Patchy.
Tony.M

 

[CBODY67]

Wrinkle-finish paint? I bought some in the later 1980s to re-do a factory wrinkle finish dual snorkle air cleaner. Seems like VHT still sells it, IF you are old enough to buy it.

CBODY67

 

[commando1]

Now they call it bedliner.

 

[3C's & a D?]

Alright All You Old Geriatrics!
Who Remembers when you could Buy Wrinkle Finish Paint in a Spray Can.
Know a Few Fellas who used this to do their own Vinyl Roofs.
Being the Under Privileged Lot we were here in the Mystical Land of OZ back in the Early 60s I can remember a Fella that used about 300 Cans of AMT Model Car Paint to Paint his Mini Minor because we didn't have Metallic finishes. Must have cost he more than it costs to Paint a Lamborghini Now a Days. LOL
As I remember it didn't turn out all that good either. A Little Patchy.
Tony.M

My old '69 Cadillac hearse had the "factory" - Miller Meteor, black landau roof, dark grey body. That paint was easily over 1/16 of an inch thick! Essentially an overkill version of todays fake antique "crinkle" paint, thinned down tar?

Now they call it bedliner.

It's different! Not gritty, just wrinkly.

 

[rapidtrans]

I painted my 68 Charger valve covers with red Wrinkle Finish paint back around 74. The paint had to be heated pretty good to get it to wrinkle. Came out nicely. The kitchen oven smelled of motor oil for a day. Mom wasn’t too happy.

 

[commando1]

My old '69 Cadillac hearse had the "factory" - Miller Meteor, black landau roof, dark grey body. That paint was easily over 1/16 of an inch thick! Essentially an overkill version of todays fake antique "crinkle" paint, thinned down tar?

Not Really, it's all spray-on rubberized goop.

 

[bluefury361]

You still can buy wrinkle finish spray paint. Most automotive stores carry it. It's best to warm the part before applying it. Great for air filter housings.

 

[bluefury361]

I remember the spray on vinal "look" tops with the fake seems. Not as nice as a real vinal top, but a easy way to get the look of one. Top probably didn't rust underneath as much as a real vinal covering.

 

[WorkerBee]

I saw this Road Runner at Moparfest many years ago and it was causing quite the stir that weekend.

http://davidsclassiccars.com/plymouth/452913-383-v8-4-speed-rare-and-unique-unrestored-survivor.html

https://vmp.ebay.com/ebay/viewAllPhotos.aspx?smid=25400722