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Why did they stop making cars with vinyl tops? I personally thought the vinyl tops gave them cars alot of style and they were cool looking.
Think you had to order them. Factory liked them because they covered the lead seam from q-panel to top. On top of that they saved money on paint. I liked them to, but, they tend to rust under the vinyl alot.
Think you had to order them. Factory liked them because they covered the lead seam from q-panel to top. On top of that they saved money on paint. I liked them to, but, they tend to rust under the vinyl alot.
i believe it's quite the opposite. i believe they cost more money. you would have to cut them to fit, not to mention the additional time of installation. time really is money in the auto industry.
I have seen them on models in higher numbers as late as the 1990 Caprice Classic Brougham and 1991 Ford LTD Crown Victoria.... also some of the 90s Cadillac Fleetwoods had them. After that, most of the cars that had other those "carriage" like tops. Like someone else said, styles change... with todays new car styling, vinyl tops would not really seem to fit the look well.
Vinyl tops hit their peak in popularity in the entire decade of the 1970s and part of the 1980s. Mostly the upscale cars had the vinyl tops, but it was optional on cars even like the Buick Electra, Mercury Marquis, etc. Even the 70s Cadillac Calais models (base Cadillacs, it was not available), but I think it was standard on the next step up DeVille.
Yeah, rust is more common under the tops of vinyl top cars... water/moisture tends to loom under there, causing rust concerns.
My 1973 Pontiac Grand Ville has the optional vinyl top (its been replaced with a newer top), but I am taking it off this year, because I have noticed some rust bubbling up under it! I will probably end up just painting the top to match the car after I repair the rust.
I dont know if this is true but I heard in the 70's when they were doing vinyl tops, the automakers decide to be cheap and not paint the area where the top would go to save on paint which is what led to rusty roofs. But then again I also heard they did paint the roof but had to rough it up for the glue to stick and the result was rust.
Vinyl tops hit their peak in popularity in the entire decade of the 1970s and part of the 1980s. Mostly the upscale cars had the vinyl tops, but it was optional on cars even like the Buick Electra, Mercury Marquis, etc. Even the 70s Cadillac Calais models (base Cadillacs, it was not available), but I think it was standard on the next step up DeVille.
It was standard on the Fleetwood Brougham, optional on the DeVilles.
Same thing with the "dual comfort" front seats.
bek we stopped buying a new one every 2 years when the vinyl cracked.
I'll bet. I bet out in southern Cal that the vinyl tops really baked out quickly!
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