[blip]

Today I was speaking with someone that had a "vinyl top" put on his car (never actually seen the car) and he told me that it wasn't actually vinyl. He said it was a spray on (box liner type of thing) and that the installer had a special nozzle that made the texture look like vinyl. He said that if the body was prepped with the right bodywork to look like it had the over lapping seams it would look like they are there when the material was sprayed on. Has anyone ever seen or heard of this?

[Txbobcat]

That sounds like spray on bed liner

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by blip

He said that if the body was prepped with the right bodywork to look like it had the over lapping seams it would look like they are there when the material was sprayed on.

What kind of 'bodywork' is that? I know that a spray on simulation of vinyl was around back in the '60s but that bodywork to make the seams appear sounds kind of cheesy.
If I were going to do it, I'd get the trim pieces and go with the real thing.

[lucky1]

If it's sprayed on it will not have seams. A plus or minus depending on your goals.

[Terry M. Hunt]

There were many of these spray on vinyl tops around in the 60's. They got pretty popular with the Tri Five Chevy guys. I seem to recall there were two strips(not sure what material) that were attached to the metal top before the vinyl was sprayed on to simulate the seams. No matter how skillfully it was done, I thought it looked pretty cheesy even way back then. I don't recall if it was upholstery or body shops(maybe both) who were doing this.

[blip]

From what the man said it lookes exactly like vinyl because of the special spray nozzle and the only way one would be able to tell the difference is by touching it. Also mentiond that he had an issue with the mouldings as the material filled some holes in the body that they attached to and had a hard time locating them when reinstalling them. He said it is a new product that compleatly seals out moisture and not what the used back in the day for simulated "carriage tops". If it looks as good as he says it does I may consiter it as my car will not be a concourse show car and I like the idea of not having to worry about what's happening under the vinyl over time.

[JG'SGTO]

I would have to see it to believe it would look as good as the real thing.