Question on vinyl tops

[dan juhasz]

On a 67 coronet hardtop that I’m restoring, I’m adding a vinyl top. My question is how does the vinyl terminate at the roof gutter on both sides . Does it get buried in seam sealer or something similar in the rain gutter or does it get held in place by snapping the drip rail stainless steel over the vinyl?

 

[t.flatt]

I believe the adhesive for the top holds it in that gutter, trim the vinyl along the top edge of the gutter and the trim snaps over the vinyl. I'm hoping to get this done in the next couple weeks myself!

 

[droptop]

Drip rail stainless goes over the vinyl. Cut the vinyl at the middle of the flat part of the metal drip rail. That way only the top edge of the drip rail has the vinyl under it. It will be difficult to get the non vinyl top trim back on, but take your time and it will go.

 

[Mike67]

Before you do this I highly recommend that you get a widget the same size/width as the drip rail and figure out a way to clamp it.
When I did mine I thought I had a good plan, I was using wooden paint sticks doubling them up and just figured I would use sping clamps to hold it in there. It worked and the top is right but the clamps keep popping off and the sticks would lean.
I worked but I should have been better prepared. I also think afterwards I read that if putting a vinyl roof on that you are supposed to get rid of the dealer in the gutter. It may have been in the FSM, it's pretty detailed.

 

[dan juhasz]

Drip rail stainless goes over the vinyl. Cut the vinyl at the middle of the flat part of the metal drip rail. That way only the top edge of the drip rail has the vinyl under it. It will be difficult to get the non vinyl top trim back on, but take your time and it will go.

So there was drip rail used for vinyl tops and different drip rails for non vinyl roofs?

 

[dan juhasz]

I was hoping the vinyl terminated in the gutter with sealer applied on top.

 

[Mike67]

So there was drip rail used for vinyl tops and different drip rails for non vinyl roofs?

Not rails, the trim. The non vinyl trim can be made to work but it's tight!

 

[Mike67]

Also recommend pulling glass , , would make for a neater job especially around the trim clips.
I used a lot of paint stick to tuck and hold around window gaskets, you will benefit from different size bondo spreaders.
Mine turned out pretty good. Hardest spot was the b pillar, getting it tucked into the drip rail while wrapping around to the rear glass and the angle of the pillar made for some challenges.

 

[dan juhasz]

My glass is out, getting car ready to send out for body and paint. I have all new windshield molding clips in place so I imagine the vinyl installer will remove at place the vinyl under the clips. I’m not going to attempt install of vinyl myself but the drip rail moldings and all moldings are on me.

 

[dan juhasz]

Not rails, the trim. The non vinyl trim can be made to work but it's tight!

Yes that’s what meant. I had no idea the ss trim was different for vinyl top cars. Does that mean the windshield moldings are different also?

 

[Mike67]

Yes that’s what meant. I had no idea the ss trim was different for vinyl top cars. Does that mean the windshield moldings are different also?

Not that I know or ever heard. Mine just snapped back into place on the clips. The FSM shows The windshield portion of the top actually wrapping back into the car and around the flange that The gasket sits on. I just tucked mine in as far as I could.
The only difference was the size of the rail trim to allow it to snap over the extra thickness of the vinyl.

 

[t.flatt]

Drip rail stainless goes over the vinyl. Cut the vinyl at the middle of the flat part of the metal drip rail. That way only the top edge of the drip rail has the vinyl under it. It will be difficult to get the non vinyl top trim back on, but take your time and it will go.

Yep, I stand corrected here. I checked the FSM after I put my top on and it does state to wrap the vinyl over the top of the drip rail and trim it an 1/8" from the bottom, then apply sealer to the edges. That makes much more sense as far as keeping water from getting under the vinyl. I was worried about the trim not fitting since my car didn't originally have one.

 

[Kevin Bisgrove]

My car is original vinyl. It wrapped completely over the rail and was cut just under the bottom I almost think the trim was all put on first and the vinyl cut directly to the trim on the underside but not totally sure.