how to duplicate a vinyl top look?

put a new vinyl top on it and park it inside. that car deserves it. anything else and it would be labeled a "rat rod torino!"

 

Just put another back on, it's not that hard to begin with. You'll waste more time experimenting. Space shuttle to Houston the flight has been scrubbed due to rust repair and vinyl repair...

 

Lace that bad boy

 

Either re vinyl or repaint a slightly contrasting color on the top this car deserves it

 

Back in 1966 my Dad bought a brand new Impala. It was yellow with a black top. The top was painted with Crinkle paint. It looked exactly like a vinyl roof from a distance. I remember seeing it still available a few years ago in a spray bomb.

 

That's ^ what I was gonna say, or some other fabric with a pattern in it. Personally I don't think I'd like it, but it's your car. Then, if you don't like it, put vinyl over it.

 

Go to Wal-mart and grab a couple flowered shower curtains, stretch em out and glue em down, any color you want, trim em up and seal the edges with silicone, bam! done. Stay away from the ones with fish and seashells and **** on em though.

 

For a truly custom tu-tone look, perhaps you could redo the top with green velvet.....or maybe carpet??

Seriously, just do the body work and paint that thing.

 

A friend of mine here in Pasadena bought a 67 Camaro in 1970. It had a "fake " vinyl top on it using the tape and what is now called bedliner. He always liked the fake top because it didn't rust out underneath and didn't stain or water spot either. After driving the car for over 10 years he sold ti to a kid in the neighborhood. We saw the car every now and then and that fake top was still rust free but the rest of the car was NOT!

 

This actually isnt a crazy request. I have been playing with ideas and samples to do something similar. Not spray on, gotta have the right aplication.

And vinyl tops ARE FAKE TOPS to begin with! They were designed to mimic convertibles.

 

The paint company ALSA, they make a suede leather paint that looks and feels like leather. Ive seen it, and its not too bad looking.

 

OK, I didn't read all the replies, so it may have already been mentioned. But, when I was a LOT younger, I worked for Earl Schieb (1973?), and they had some spray out of a gun **** that looked the look. They even went as far as to apply a strip of thick tape like stuff, one line, front to back on either side to look like the factory seam of the real vinyl once sprayed over. Pretty tricky. I think it was a $20 service. Maybe that's something you can research?
BTW-I vote you do it right. The car in your pic looks to good for some mickey mouse ****

 

Its gonna look like ***. Put the vinyl back on that little cherry and leave it alone....IMHO.

 

Then "give" me the Torino and get something else without a Vinyl top....

 

I hate them too. Either way, paint or half *** vinyl look a like, the value is going to go down.

 

Not that I would even do this, but have you thought of spraying it w/a hammered paint & then spray the color you want over it if your color can't be found in a hammered paint...joe

 

You could always paint over wrinkle finish.


Man, just put the vinyl back on it.

 

I had the paint guy put on one of those new fake kits in 1967. It was on a 63 Catalina. It came with a vinyl tape that duplicated the seams. I think he thinned the material too much because it didn't come out as nice as I hoped. It looked fake. I would not do it again. 67 Corvette Lyndale blue with a fake black vinyl top. It looked cool from 20 feet. Up close...not so much.

 

Hi flake is not the thing for that car. i would put a top back on it after you do the body work or remove it and match the paint . it a nice stock looking car

 

In the late sixties, George Barris sold vinyl top kits called, "Mod Tops."
Floral prints, psychedelic colors, very go-go.
Maybe he still has a few kits stashed away somewhere? Real vinyl and Kustom!

Seriously though, that's a nice car you are working on. I'd keep the stock look vinyl green-on-green, it's attractive. Can't remember the last time I saw one of those at a car show.

 

Just put a vinyl top back on that car... BUT and this is a bit BUT>>>>> Watch and make sure that the installer doesn't use a razor to cut the top. (through the paint) when t******* it up and re installing the trimwork.... I dont care what you etch/prime and paint it with if they slice through it all and hit bare metal, and hide it with a piece of molding (where the water sits) you'll have rust bubbles back under it and 5 years...Do it right and it will last your lifetime.....

 

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not....But that bed liner thing has peeked my curiousity. If you had a daily driver that get's subjected to all kinds of moisture and salt air, like mine would out here on the East coast, doesn't sound like a bad idea really.

Maybe I wouldn't do that to my hot rod, but quite possibly a work truck!

Does it really look nice ok or are you just ****tin?

 

Repair the rust and paint it a darker shade of green (much darker), pinstripe to match were the old vinyl roof finished.

..
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Someone probably already pointed this out but they still make vinyl top paint. I'm sure you can buy it at JC Whittney and any number of automotive supermarkets.
It won't look exactly like a vinyl top but at a glance @ 55 it'll look pretty close.

 

that car looks to clean to put bedliner on the the roof. either leave it alone or **** it up and put another vinyl roof on it.

 

You cant hang out here ANYMORE!

 

I hated vinyl tops so much I turned down a decent 66 GTO with one for $800 when I was a stupid 15 year old... I was set on the myth of vinyl cars being seconds and such to cover up bad work and are rotted underneath etc. A few years later I was installing them for dealers, and coach companies ironically and started to like them... My favorite is the 55-57 Contential which had a rather rare option of a padded canvas top that really adds to the car. Fact is a top can perserve a car just as well as rust it out quicker, and defects show right through it unless it is padded or on a mock top shell. It all depends on how it is done and who does it...

Are you coming through Ohio any time soon? I wouldn't drive that thing in the winter... but if you don't have a local trim shop you trust, I'll cut you break if it would be worth your time to bring it by. Honestly if I have reason to be in your area and you do all the trim removal and clean up/prep BS I might be able stop by and lay the mother down. An experieced person does not need a fit and sewn top either...There is huge amount of colors, vinyls textures and cloth to pick from. Even smooth vinyl or flake if you really want it... You could get a single sheet wide enough for it, no seems would give you a much cleaner look.