[Bucksnort]

Originally Posted by 300deluxe

Did you see any Mod tops?

This was at a local car show this summer. Only one I have seen in person. Not a vinyl top guy myself but these do catch your attention.

Dan

[Verdoro 68]

Not usually a fan, but it depends on the car and color combo.

[north]

I always keep all my cars their original color schemes with one exception, my 69 GTO hardtop had a vinyl top and I couldn't bear to install it when the car was painted. I kept her the original Limelight Green and the dark green interior is original. Even though this car was a super clean rustfree car from Tucson Arizona the old top still gave me grief. Fremont built cars with Cordova tops like this one tended to not have much paint on the roof from the factory and this one had literally bare steel over much of the area. This caused tiny little rust pits that had to be cleaned by hand one at a time (didn't want to blast the roof obviously). Probably added $1 or 2 k to the cost of repainting the car. Worth it though to see those unbroken lines! and 9 years later no action under the paint so the extra work paid off.

btw the 400 emblem on the rocker molding is there because I damaged the original molding when the car was being stored and I found an original LeMans molding with the holes for the 350 emblem. I don't like repop stuff so I am waiting till I find a nice original 69 GTO molding, If you have a set drop me a note!

[68ragtop]

I also like them on some cars. Not sure why some look ok & some don't Not my favorite on the A bodies, but really like them on the 67-69 firebirds.

[north]

One car I'm neutral about is the 69-70 GP, looks nice with or without. The 69 in particular Cordova tops had a few nice touches like the rear glass moldings being simulated vinyl grain instead of bright metal. Also the halo effect was nice and on GP's about 3/4 of the width of the top to body moldings were painted to match the top color which really slimmed down their look

[Frank R]

I liked the black vinyl top on my burgundy 68. I had a different 68 a few years back same color without one that I sold to the original owner. It looks plain to me when I see the car. But I'm doing a black 69 now won't even think about putting one on that car. I think the lines on a black car are much cleaner without.

[David Jones]

I'm a big fan of vinyl tops.
In high school I had a friend with a 72 SS Chevelle. Marina blue with a black vinyl top.
Aluminum slots and Radial T/A's.
One of those cars in your life you never forget.

[Bob's GTO]

Found an NOS dark green top thru Legendary, installed it last Monday.

[69 RA GTO]

Absolutely LOVE Vinyl tops. I have added Vinyl tops to cars that did not come with them

That car looks great BOB, I had SMS in Oregon build me a vinyl top from NOS material for my Windward Blue car

[Bermuda Blue]

the only time a vinyl top looks OK on a 68-72 A body is if the top offers a nice contrast to the paint (e.g. black over white or see post #28).

[Bob's GTO]

Thanks for the compliments! To make a long story short, I owned this very car 43 years ago, and it got away from me. When I got it back ten years ago, it was painted a different color and had no vinyl top. Of course it had to be returned to the way it looked when I was 17. As you can see, I'm almost there.

[pontiacs4ever1971]

Love them

[Greg Reid]

That's a fine looking car Bob. Love the color combo.

[69 RA GTO]

Here is my Windward Blue, White Vinyl Top, Parchment Interior. 2nd car is dads Crystal Turquoise, Black Vinyl, Black Interior. Also notice the CORRECT color judge stripes on both cars which helps with all the contrast. Only thing missing on these cars are their redline tires which will be one of these days.

[Bob's GTO]

I'm glad GH started this thread. You guys have some cool color combos with vinyl tops.

[gtohunter]

Had a 69 Expresso brown w/white vinyl top, parchment interior back in 1970, and absolutely loved it. A little bit of a pain to keep the top clean living by the steel mills in Pgh. though!
Did this 68 and it happened to come with a black top (new in trunk) and I elected to put it on just 'cause I like the look.

[Ben M.]

My personal thoughts on vinyl tops:









No car I care about will ever have a vinyl top again.

[GOAT WHORE]

Originally Posted by Ben M.

No car I care about will ever have a vinyl top again.

Today our cars don't get driven in rain, are stored inside and they have epoxy primer, base and clear coat under the vinyl top.
So if you cared for a vinyl top car now a days what you have shown in the pictures will not happen.

[Ben M.]

Originally Posted by GOAT WHORE

Today our cars don't get driven in rain, are stored inside and they have epoxy primer, base and clear coat under the vinyl top.

My cars get driven in all weather but salt. And unless I've bought a high dollar restored car, chances are it's got rot under that top. And even if someone restored it they probably took shortcuts. Had GM finished these cars properly when new it likely wouldn't have been an issue either. I'm too poor to afford a restored car anyways!

I stand by my "no vinyl tops" stance ;-)

[cuz68]

Originally Posted by Jerry H.

1. If they came from the factory with a vinyl top, then they need a vinyl top. If not, then by all means don't add one!

2. I grew up in that era. Vinyl top cars were all the rage. I would go as far as to say that in a lot of models more cars with sold with vinyl tops that without. When I worked at the Plymouth store in 69-72 practically every car on the lot had a vinyl top. We even had a man that came by once a week that installed factory style vinyl tops on our used cars. $60 was what he charged the dealership; if someone from the public wanted one he charged them $75 and gave the dealership $15 for using their lot and supplies,etc. Great times to grow up around new cars!

X2- Mine has been on for over 20 years, And looks good.