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Hello,
When i repaint my 72 Cutlass Supreme, Ive been flip flopping on the idea of installing a new vinyl top to replace the original OR removing it and painting the roof.
I have had cars with painted roofs before but never a vinyl top.
i used to think they werent sporty and looked like an old mans car but now idk, plus im kinda an old man.
I'm not sure of the color of the repaint yet either.
It has saddle brown interior so my choices have to work with that interior.
Whats your opinion on the look of each roof?
Thanks for your feedback
Last edited by OldOldsLover; January 29th, 2022 at 02:15 PM.
I've got a 66 in need of a new top and was going back and forth for years on whether or not replace it or paint it. Finally I decided to keep it original, though I blew my budget on another car so it'll have to wait.
I am a believer in keeping it original as much as you can. If the existing vinyl is in good shape just keep it, if not then I would replace with new vinyl if economically practical. That is how these cars came back then.
From what I see in the picture your car is a beauty, so I am not sure I see the need to paint it but maybe there is something there that I can't see. If it truly is as nice as the photo I would keep it all original. Maybe it just needs a good detail job.
I am a believer in keeping it original as much as you can. If the existing vinyl is in good shape just keep it, if not then I would replace with new vinyl if economically practical. That is how these cars came back then.
From what I see in the picture your car is a beauty, so I am not sure I see the need to paint it but maybe there is something there that I can't see. If it truly is as nice as the photo I would keep it all original. Maybe it just needs a good detail job.
Thanks for the compliment
I searched for 10 years before I found it.
The car has been repainted once.
it's old time paint too.
If i do keep the vinyl i will remove it and prep the roof before i install a new vinyl top.
IDK if is really callled a Landau roof or if thats a different type of roof.
I appreciate everyone's reply.
Cheers
Pic shows original color inside the trunk and the tan color it was repainted on top part of quarter panel.
Last edited by OldOldsLover; January 29th, 2022 at 08:47 PM.
I have never been a fan of vinyl roofs. Yes it can look good as it does on your car. But for me it will always look better without.
I have never understood the automotive industrys seeming obsession with the fake convertible look.
The fact that it made it's way onto cars like 442 W30s, LS6 Chevelle's, Hemi Cudas, etc. Is mind boggling to me. It softens the appearance of a car. Softening the appearance of a street sweeper like the LS6 makes zero sense.
P.S. what I will add is the 70-72 Supreme is a beautiful body style. Less agressive looking and more refined. The vinyl roof works far better on it than on a fastback IMHO. And of course if you are a psychotic purest.... Well the question wouldn't have been asked. Depending on the model, I would probably leave the vinyl if the car was born that way.
I would leave it as is! Vinyl and paint combo. There is a guy on OCA facebook Jim Cordaro that has an SX with a painted roof with the same combo as pictured above.
Here is mine, but the interior would not match.
1970CS love your car. That is sweet too. I had a factory two tone gold 70 Cutlass with a gold painted top. I have always liked the look of a painted roof car.
Last edited by no1oldsfan; January 30th, 2022 at 05:53 PM.
Don't repaint and keep the vinyl top in place. If you want a vinyl top...then re do it....they hold moisture in, and there usually is rust issues underneath.
atleast check for rust
when i repainted my 66 i pulled the vinyl top and found the usual rust,after dealing with that i repainted the car the original silver with black top.i figured i know what it looked like with the vinyl so if i don't like the painted top i will just put the vinyl top back on.
when i repainted my 66 i pulled the vinyl top and found the usual rust,after dealing with that i repainted the car the original silver with black top.i figured i know what it looked like with the vinyl so if i don't like the painted top i will just put the vinyl top back on.
As a paint/body guy, people asking to remove the vinyl top and paint it is the stuff of nightmares. They ruin roofs by holding moisture. There's no convincing me that it was ever a good idea. Theres always rust and scale under there. The rust will often have started to pit, so just grinding or sanding surface rust away will not suffice. Blasting or something more aggressive will usually be necessary. The vinyl is all glued and rusted with crud under all the reveal moldings. Only after dealing with all that can the bodywork start. The factory never finished the seams when the car was getting a vinyl top, so you'll have to contend with that as well as removing the studs and welding any holes left from removing the studs. On a car that is otherwise solid, I could see removing the vinyl top for paint doubling the cost of the paint job.
That said, I hate fake convertible, er um, I mean vinyl tops. I know it's original and it's classy and how they were made back then and blah blah blah, but ugly is ugly. If my car was special and there was value in the originality of it, I'd leave it alone, but as soon as I have time for another project, the vinyl top is coming off my 66 Cutlass.
Last edited by ijasond; February 25th, 2022 at 06:36 PM.
ijasond, I hear what you're saying
While the car is really rust free i kno that even if there isn't rust under top , theres a decent amount of work to get it ready for paint, especially where the seams are leaded
I think if my top and interior where black I would be more apt to keep it, but being brown I'm torn.
I just don't get why the tops are less body labor but cost more than paint.
Also idk if they were really supposed to look like a convertible top, or just an appearance option.
cheers
I always disliked vinyl roofs . . . until??? Until I was shopping for my own car, and then there was just something that lit my heart on fire about the whole color combination and look of the '67 4-4-2 I ended up buying. I have to say having the original paint color with black vinyl roof played into my decision. Now, I couldn't imagine getting rid of the vinyl roof on my car. Good luck, get what YOU really want!
^^
Dream67Olds442
that is a beautiful oldsmobile man.
That dark roof color is what I'm saying looks good
Your top almost looks like very dark blue in the pic probably bc its next to the bright blue.
Well done .
^^
Dream67Olds442
that is a beautiful oldsmobile man.
That dark roof color is what I'm saying looks good
Your top almost looks like very dark blue in the pic probably bc its next to the bright blue.
Well done .
OldOldsLover - Thanks for the compliments on my car, much appreciated! My roof is black, which matches the totally black interior.
I really like your car too! It's hard for me to see the interior color of your upholstery, but maybe you could keep the current paint color, and go with a darker brown top to set it off a bit more? In the end, what really matters is you end up with a combo you're happy with. Please let us know what you decide on, and show us some pics of the finished product. I'm sure it will be beautiful when you're done, it's gotta be, it's an Olds!
January 29th, 2022, 02:08 PM
