removing vinyl top

[rhb1999]

Hello, has anyone had any experience removing a vinyl top off a sheet metal roof. There's surface rust underneath in some places, on the car in question, that needs to be addressed. Thanks in advance.

[keiser31]

On the few cars that I removed the vinyl from I always put the vehicle in the warm/hot sun and take a very sharp putty knife and work under the edge of the material. As far as the glue, I imagine that there is a solvent that will loosen up that stuff. Grind down or cut out the rust. Patch it up...good to go. OH...BE CERTAIN THAT IF YOU ARE USING A TORCH TO HEAT UP OR BURN THE VINYL OFF OR PATCH THE ROOF WITH, YOU TAKE OUT THE HEADLINER FIRST! Some flame could get through and toast your car up pretty well.

Edited September 20, 2010 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Rusty_OToole]

Cut the vinyl around the edges and peel it off. The vinyl comes off easy, the glue harder, the rust hardest of all.

We used to grind off the glue paint and rust with a very fine disc in a disc grinder making light passes. Then gently and carefully sandblast the rust off, neutralize it and fill and paint in the usual way.

You have to take the chrome off to remove the vinyl under the edges and to cure the rust. Be very careful and follow the manufacturer's instructions. It is the easiest thing in the world to bend or kink the trim and then it is pretty well ruined.

Removing a vinyl top for keeps is one of the hardest things you can do in bodywork because of the rust and glue underneath. It is easier to replace the vinyl top, then you can kill the rust and paint the top with POR15 and cover the whole mess with new vinyl. This is much easier than trying to refinish the roof.

[rhb1999]

Thanks again for replys. I'm thinking the vinyl was originally put on with contact cement./? If this is so, I know lacquer thinner will loosen contact cement from working with formica, but what it would do to paint, I don't know.

[Rusty_OToole]

You could remove the glue with lacquer thinner. We tried soaking shop rags in thinner and laying them on the glue, and it did soften the glue. Eventually. Then you could scrape it off with a sharpened putty knife. Most of it. Then you could grind off the rest with a disc grinder.

We found it quicker to grind off the whole mess. Use a fine grit disc make light passes and the glue paint and rust come right off.

[Earl B.]

What the lacquer thinner can do to the paint is ruin it.... If you're not planning on rapainting the car, be VERY careful with that lacquet thinner!!!!..B

[Rusty_OToole]

If you install a padded vinyl top you don't have to remove the glue, just treat the rust spots and put on the new top.

[keiser31]

Mmmm...the original poster did not mention if new vinyl was going on the top. That will certainly make a difference in the removal/prep process.

[Rusty_OToole]

Mmmm...the original poster did not mention if new vinyl was going on the top. That will certainly make a difference in the removal/prep process.

You said it. And how. If you are putting on a new top, kill the rust and stick on the top. If you want to paint you have to take it down to bare metal, fix the rust and refinish from there.

It's quite a job to strip and refinish such a broad expanse of metal and get it perfect. Much quicker and cheaper to replace the vinyl.

No one has mentioned this but there are some expensive cars from the 70s and 80s that came with a vinyl top only. If you strip the roof you find some big ugly seams and in the case of a Chrysler Fifth Avenue rear drive model, the last foot of the roof is a plastic or fibreglass add on. They were never made with a painted roof and it would be practically impossible to make one.

Edited September 22, 2010 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history)

[keiser31]

Thanks again for replys. I'm thinking the vinyl was originally put on with contact cement./? If this is so, I know lacquer thinner will loosen contact cement from working with formica, but what it would do to paint, I don't know.

As Rusty said...some areas beneath the vinyl may not have originally been painted. I have seen that in quite a few instances. They also on occasion did not prep the top for paint very well.

[Rusty_OToole]

As Rusty said...some areas beneath the vinyl may not have originally been painted. I have seen that in quite a few instances. They also on occasion did not prep the top for paint very well.

Good point. If they knew the car was getting a vinyl top they did not bother to paint it very well at the factory. It just got a thin coat and they did not worry about dirt, scratches etc.

[Guest Philssistr]

This thread has been very helpful, thanks Rusty et al. My dad & I are restoring my brother's 69 mustang for my son. Dad was in charge of under the hood, now my turn. Originally, plan was to remove vinyl top and paint the whole thing. But, after your advice, thinking replace vinyl top better option. 1st things 1st, remove vinyl & see what we've got. We're in So. Cal. so maybe rust not too much of issue. Thanks again, Rusty. 

[Guest]

On my '73 Impala, I was planning on repainting the roof without replacing the vinyl top, so I used Jasco paint remover to remove remnants of the vinyl top and glue.  If you use any type of liquid/gel in the removal process, make sure you don't have any rusted-through areas that can allow the liquid to go into undesired areas, like your car interior.

 

If you're just doing the roof and not refinishing the rest of the car, make sure that everything is covered, to avoid damage. 

 

As mentioned by others, you will likely need to remove all of the moldings surrounding the roof area.  Consult the factory body manual for your car to determine how to remove the moldings without damaging them, it will save you time and effort in the long run.

[nickelroadster]

Usually removing a vinyl top and just repainting will involve a considerable amount of bodywork.  Usually at the factory they chose cars with rough looking roofs to install vinyl tops on and this takes a lot of work to finish off.  Usually easier just to replace the vinyl.

[Larry Schramm]

8 hours ago, nickelroadster said:

Usually at the factory they chose cars with rough looking roofs to install vinyl tops on and this takes a lot of work to finish off. 

 

Not true. 

 

The vinyl top was optioned on the car order long before the first piece of body sheet metal was welded together.   The only exception would be if a car without a vinyl top was purchased by a customer and they wanted a top and the dealer had one installed at the dealer.

 

Sometimes the final finishing was not perfect because it was known that a top was going to be put on the car.

[Biggz41]

I have a 91 Ltd Crown Victoria that i am in the process of removing the vinyl top. I was to put another top on it. Any suggestions? Please help...

[Rusty_OToole]

Best suggestion is to take it to a shop that does vinyl tops and let them do it. They have the tools and experience not to damage the trim and to get it back together looking factory. Tell them if there is rust under the old top you want them to fix it or you will take care of it and bring the car back for the new top.

[John Kelso]

On difficult tops where the glue was still holding we used a heart gun to loosen it then scrape off.

I would always clean the top of old glue mostly using thinner. There is a special vinyl top glue that

we used and sprayed it on. Some glues will become sticky when exposed to summer heat,( hot day direct

sun on black material) have seen this often on covered trunks. S

Start in the middle and move to the sides when reinstalling tricky part is when you come to the rear corners

as you lay the top down do it slowly and with help working out air bubbles.

Good luck