Installing Vinyl Top On Cars

It s a must see for every auto upholstery pro.

Installing vinyl top on cars.

Hot rod magazine recently published a fantastic pictorial showing how glenn kramer of hot rod interiors by glenn in phoenix arizona installs a custom top on a 1929 ford model a. Clean remove old glue from the vehicle top pillar post and valance using ditzler wax grease remover or equivalent product. Simply remove the old top and clean the roof of the car before installing the new vinyl top. Landau tops are vinyl material applied to the outside of a car s roof to enhance its styling and appearance.

Vinyl top installation guide installation. Oddly enough it was used to make the driver appear to be driving a convertible with the top up. The wax grease remover will need to soak into old glue for a minimum of 5 minutes to soften it. Landau tops became popular in the 1920s and 1930s but fell out of favor in the automotive industry until the concept was revived during the 1960s where many auto manufacturers added a vinyl top as a luxury trim option.

Installing a vinyl top could be considered an all the way or nothing kind of job especially when it s going on an a12 six pack superbee. Vinyl tops are a feature traditionally used to add elegance and luxury to a vehicle. Go step by step with them as they scuff the roof clean it off mask it measure it spray glue and attach the vinyl. Remove all window moldings and car top moldings holding the original vinyl top in place.

Detach window moldings and vinyl top side moldings. Traditionally the model a s wood top bows are covered with a long grain leather like material. Use a chisel pry bar or your hands to remove the trim pieces. We first learned of this car at muscle car restorations.

From start to finish watch brent ackley and george vondriska install a vinyl roof on the 1977 el camino. By the mid 70s and into the 80s however the attractive vinyl top had degenerated into a bloated. Here we see roy of team drew installing a new haartz tuxedo vinyl top on a 1930 buick classic car as well as custom building the interior which includes seat. The vinyl top dates back to the very early years of automobiles but it made its resurgence throughout the 1960 s 70s and 80s.