I don’t have photos of it, but of course my 68 has bubbles near the rear window underneath the vinyl top.. ugh! Doesn’t seem much but i’ve learned through reading forums that the rust could very well have rusted through…
I can’t afford yet to have the whole car repainted as needed but I really don’t want the rust to spread. I was wondering if I couldn’t just cut out the vinyl around the trim and windows and deal with the rust as a temporary solution without repainting ?
I had that on one of my cars. The fix is to pull the rear window. Carefully peal the vinyl up cut out the rust and put in some new metal. Re glue vinyl back down. If it is not a lot of rust. Had a guy do it for me not that expensive if it is a small spot.
Remove the top, address the rust as needed. If you’re lucky it’s not through the metal completely. Paint the top area with an epoxy primer and install a new top. You’ll likely never have to deal with it again.
You don’t know what you don’t know. I would remove the vinyl top and see how bad it is. Could be anything from a single spot of rust to a package tray that needs to be replaced. That’s a huge job if it needs to be done. I hope it isn’t that bad!
Dont foget that the tu-tone cars
used the same trim pieces as the vinyl top cars did so you could possibly get away just painting the top after rust repair
I really hope I won’t have to patch some metal.. I was also thinking about leaving theroof as if until I can get the whole car repainted..
How’s the window removal process? It seems daunting.
I know someone replaced it at some point but did a terrible job so i’ll make sure I can get a quality job done.
I know damn well that I soon as I remove the vinyl top, I’m stranded the whole winter to repair it lol, so i guess i’ll enjoy the car while it lasts and tackle it this winter 
Right i was just thinking about that! Have the roof painted black and trim put back on. Could be pretty neat
Removing the rear window is not very difficult. You will need a special tool to remove the trim from around the window first. The tool is not very expensive but it does take a little getting onto how it works. Once the trim is off just take a sharp utility knife and sink the blade into the rubber gasket right beside the glass and run the knife all the way around the window. Pull the piece of rubber that you just cut off the glass and then go inside the car and gently push the glass outward. It will probably take a little effort to get the glass to break its seal to the old rubber. Having a second person with you will make it go a little easier. You will need to purchase a new rear window rubber gasket. They are reproduced.
Randy Goodling
CCOA #95
Good call, I was already thinking about using a screwdriver to pop the trim out.
Doesn’t seem so bad when I read you!
Do not try using a screwdriver to remove the trim. You will damage the trim beyond reuse and you run a real risk of breaking the glass.
Randy Goodling
CCOA #95
One thing is these tops from this era OEMs have such cool & different defined grain patterns plus the front to back folded seams and still just glued down to the metal as opposed to say the some of the late ‘70’ & ‘80s thick padded style. Maybe it’s subjective so to each his own, but I love them, let alone when in contrast to the right colors. My cat is gold and has the black top replaced with the correct material and no regrets.
Here’s a great read on the subject from a personal favorite car site, and also packed with wonderful photos too. Enjoy…
Vinyl Top Styles Of The 1970s: Landau Tops, Canopy Tops, Carriage Roofs, And More - Curbside Classic
The whole thing comes down to wether I should strip the vinyl top now and get it done as quickly as possible to stop the rust from spreading, and figure out what I do later when I have the $$$ to get the whole car painted.
I know that in the end I’d love to get a brand new vinyl top put on for the reasons you mentioned. But as of right now I wanna keep enjoying my car while not worrying about the roof.. so I’m not sure what to do.
Well the thing is at least interim while you’re still driving the car rn, whatever state it’s in afa any rust under there goes… unless the car is getting hit hard with exposure to extreme constant humidity levels and/or water (rain, etc) it’s not gonna be spreading all over the place and can still be addressed just the same once you are ready to do so. Are you forced to use this car, rain or shine, or is it at will? If it’s your call, keep it from getting wet for now as much as possible and you can even use various quality products to allow you to ‘wash’ the car in the garage without soaking down the roof with a gun or hose and having that water get up under the trim and such. Anyway, just some thoughts on it.
Nah I have two other cars for daily driving, this one is for weekends, cars and coffee etc.. and it’s stored in a garage. So I rarely get any water on it unless i’m cleaning it. (I try to avoid the vinyl top when cleaning as a piece of mind)
I’m gonna have a look at dry cleaning products, thanks for your thoughts !
This is a nice concentrate product for using in the garage. A little more than an ounce for couple gallons of water. Then i do the wheels/tires with a separate bucket, brush, rag and any of the safe wheel/tire cleaner products. Wash the vinyl top down also by rag & bucket and usually wipe it down after with some Mothers VLR.
For any black roof or interior and any other plastics, vinyl or rubber and nice for older weatherstrips too… here’s a treatment product that does an awesome job of bringing back the rich depth and sheen of black. Very easy to apply and remove with ++great results.
I don’t wash my cars, I use instant detailer. If your paint is good enough to wax, do that and just keep it up with detailer. Mothers, Griot’s Garage, Mequiars all make good detailers. You can spend a lot more if you prefer. I was using Turtle Wax instant detailer for years but don’t like the current offering.
Really the same here and have it down to a systematic routine for years now, and especially on the triple white Vette which also has factory white wheels with many openings and crevices, white leather interior and even a white leather steering wheel. So that car requires it’s own attention after any drive, especially if the targa roof has been off. but for times if needed with heavier dust/dirt or grime past a detailer spray, that concentrate is a great product to damp rag wipe it down and has a quality carnauba in it too. For detailer sprays I like Meguires Ultimate Waterless & their Quik Detailer, and also Lucas Oil Slick Mist.