While i'm in 70's retro mode: When and on which car was the last vinyl roof seen?
Were they factory supplied or a DIY thing ? If the latter what happened if you got a wrinkle?
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"DIY thing ? If the latter what happened if you got a wrinkle?"
It was never *if* it was always *when*
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Dad had a T Reg (NLS 610T) Cortina 2.3 Ghia Estate with a vinyl roof.
What was the purpose of these? Was it purely fashionable or was there a practical reason? Were they applied after the car was painted ie was there a painted roof under the vinyl?
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>>Dad had a T Reg (NLS 610T) Cortina 2.3 Ghia Estate with a vinyl roof.
Fashionable in days of cortina..They do still look good if you can find one?
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Steve
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I wont mention company..But after storm of 87 certain motors had roof damage.Due to collapsed trees and the like.In order to sell they where viynl covered.You could at the time DIY or ask for it at dealers.Though it was expensive.Wrinkle was a bad fitment but rarely seen.If it had you could ask for refit.
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Steve
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PU, you bidding for it? Sure it would look good on a 5 series...
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I mourne the passing of the vinyl roof. On my Mk 1 Face lift it looked the business, setting off the Le Mans green perfectly. I reckon it would go well on the Mondeo too, pity the roll on ebay wasn't black.
I think stretch limo's are the only things to come off the line with them now to hide the wrinkles in the roof caused by the car sggging in the middle, I believe.
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The Jaguar coupé XJC sixes and twelves all (bar one) had vinyl roofs? rooves? which was to hide the fact that the light lines on the painted roof were not attractive. With some expert panelbeating the roof could be made to look right with shiny paint, but I think the effort to do this (especially around 1978) was considered not worth it.
They also featured on the Daimler Vanden Plas Series II XJ6/12, but only as a styling exercise, not to hide bodywork sins.
Fortunately, by the time the Series III XJ came along, the vinyl roof had been consigned to the dustbin of the styling department.
The Americans had some very creative vinyl roofs, with some just covering the back half of the roof, like a sedanca de ville. Oh, I've got to stop now, the thought of those styles is making me feel a little ill...
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My mates got one of the last Escort MkII, built in 1980 I think. Its a 1.3 ghia model in white with a black vinyl roof and in mint condition. Only done 27000 miles and only used when its sunny
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I remember Hillman made out a special edition of the Avenger (around 1969). It was a standard model but in metallic blue with a white vinyl roof. Ghastly .....they called it the Top Hat special!
PS: Think it was the Cortina 1600E that boosted the image of the vinyl roof.
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Think it was the Cortina 1600E that boosted the image of the vinyl roof.
I bought a 18 month old white 1600E that came already fitted with a black vinyl roof.
The centre section had some form of padding under it and two lines of stiching completed the overall effect.
It certainly made the 1600E much quieter.
13 years later & over 100k it was still in perfect condition.
It was certainly admired in those days.
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Ford vinyl and sun - not a good combination IIRC. An Avenger with a grubby white roof another enduring memory of motoring mediocrity.
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I had a Dolomite Sprint, '77 model, had it re-vinyled in approx '83, it was brown with beige vinyl, I replaced the beige with black.
My dad have a Cortina 2000E beige with a brown vinyl roof.
The guy is the e-bay ad, a few posts up, clearly means 70's and early 80's, not 80's and early 90's.
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My dad have a Cortina 2000E beige with a brown vinyl roof.
Typo, I meant "had", nice car, '75 N plate.
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They were popular on London Taxis too, before the new one came out 6 years ago. Don't know if they were factory fit though?
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Many years ago my late father-in-law bought a Skoda Estelle prior to retiring to his home land of East Germany. Whenever he crossed the border, the border guards were very suspicious as the DDR-registered car had a vinyl roof, alloys and a radio cassette (all practically non existant in the land of the Trabant) yet he wasn't a Communist Party big-wig...
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And do people still have leather nose protecters,if thats what they're called?
They seem to still have them in the States.
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And do people still have leather nose protecters,if thats what they're called? They seem to still have them in the States.
I thin Car Bra is one name for them.
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Car Bras have been a rarity in the states since the early 90s, yes I had one too.
Fabric roofs were an aftermarket fitment much later than that though, latest model I have seen would be a MY2000 Lincoln Town Car. Cars were fitted with a canvas cover and often had bars fitted under them to replicate the profile of a convertible top. Looked alot less silly on a two door coupe than on a big Cadillac Fleetwood, but it was usually the latter that had them fitted. The fabric was often embossed with the logos of various fashion designers such as Gucci etc. A few main dealers would tart up cars this way, complete with gold plated badges, and sell them at a premium.
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My neighbour had a lovely home made vinyl roof. A piece of vinyl and a can of evo stick. Thank god he didn't also go for stone caldding.
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My father had one of the first 1967 Humber Sceptres. They came with a vinyl roof- probably to keep the rain off the roof and stop it rusting.
Every other bit did.
IIRC monkeys in safari parks allegedly took a delight in peeling vinyl roofs off.Or did I imagine that?
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I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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In the South-Western corner of the South Island of New Zealand, there are glaciers. Tourists love to come and look at them. Native mountain parrots, called Kea, with beaks like a tin-opener crossed with secateurs and a mischievous and inquisitive nature, love to frolic in the car-park. They have no fear of human contact. They are particularly partial to windscreen wiper blades, rubber window seals, car phone aerials, and.... vinyl roofs. Rental car companies used to have a clause making the hirer liable for such damage, perhaps not now. When I was there, I made sure to keep an eye on the car.
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"monkeys in safari parks allegedly took a delight in peeling vinyl roofs off.Or did I imagine that?"
- quite true. I watched them do that just that to a car at Longleat - I tried to convey to the driver that his car was being ruined, but my 'Give Us a Clue' skills couldn't have been up to much, he just grinned and thought it funny that the monkeys were on his roof...
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never mind parrots and monkeys, my mauling children would probably do a great job if our wallpaper is anything to go by.
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MkII Range Rover, which ran until 02 plate I believe, has black vinyl covered rear pillars
Turtle Wax did a specific wax and sponge applicator for vinyl roofs in the 70s.
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