I have a 72 cutlass supreme with a vinyl top. I can tell that there is rust under the the vinyl, I have not taken off the vinyl. I have heard that if the roof is to bad that i should just give up the car, is this true? The car is in what I like to call daily driver/fixer up condition. The trunk is gone and some of the floorpans have rust and holes, but the rest of the car is in real good conditon minus some surface rust. I would like to take off the vinyl but cant afford new vinyl right now. Can someone please tell me what my options are?

 

What is your goal?
If you eventually want to fix the trunk and the floor pans, and pretty it up, you are already talking serious money. If there is rust under the vinyl and it has gone through, that will be significantly more coin to fix or replace (it can be done, just isn't very often due to the trouble/expense.
Getting a better one to drive/fix up and parting this one out might be your best bet if you don't want to spend the money.

 

I know that the car sounds bad, but its not. I know I will need some new floor pans and trunk, but from what i have seen a new set olny cost about $300 for both sides, and the trunk cost $200(this info came from a 2006 OPG catalog so I guess it will cost a little more now). Every thing else on the car is good, execpt for what is going on under the roof. The car was given to me as a gift, so I realy what to keep it. I want it to be my daily driver that I can fix as I go. I just want to make sure that the roof will not destroy my dreams.

 

take the handle end of a screwdriver and push on the roof where you think it's weak under the vinyl,especially around the back window.

if you have a hole in the roof,youll know it quick.

 

I'll have to try that, I can just tell that its rusted because it bubbles up.

 

If that is the case then keep the car and fix it. Start by removing the vinyl top and seeing the extent of the rust damage. You can always scrape the excess rust away and stop it in its tracks by coating it with Rustoleum or some other type of rust converter. After all, you won't get the roof fixed unless you take the vinyl top off. Go ahead and do it!

 

I guess I will have to but its a daily driver so its gonna look like **** without the vinyl tho.

 

You can fix this quickly by ripping off the vinyl, chipping the heavy rust off and grind as much loose flakey material off to try and clean the surface. Now go to your local automotive paint supply depot and ask for some Fiberglass repair material and some Metal Prep to neutralize the left over Rust. After applying the Metal Prep and washing it off, apply your Fiberglass repair material and apply it liberally. Grind it down to look uniform but don't get too picky, shoot some primer sealer surfacer on it for protection as it's just a driver and throw another Vinyl roof on it and Bob's your Uncle !!! Hey, don't weld any patch panels in as you'll find your roof in a cloud of smoke and resembling a soft top from the inside out.

 

If there are no actual holes you can do what I did. I took it down to metal, painted it with POR 15, primed over that and when I had the car painted they put a coat of paint over it, then I had the vinyl top reinstalled. Of course if you are not getting the car painted then just use some rattle can paint over the primer to give it an extra coat of protection.