Vinyl Tops: Are you a fan?

[Road_Runner]

This combination has really grown on me and I think it will good, be original and a little different.

N96Cuda's comment above perfectly phrases my feelings about my Barracuda's somewhat unpopular Mist Green/White Top/White Interior color combination.  When I first bought it I was sure I was going to go triple black, and if I do anything other than stock, that's still what I'd do.  But the car is really growing on me and the idea that it's made it almost 40 years without any significant modifications and is 98% stock, I think it would be really different to restore it back to maximize what it is instead of making it something it's not. 

All this has me soul searching my plans for my Roadrunner too, because although it's 'only' a 383 car, it has the original engine, 727 trans & 8 3/4 rear and although I've always hotrodded it, I've kept all the original parts: intake, exhaust manifolds, etc.  I don't really want two 'stock' cars, so the question is modify which one & by how much?

Later, Jim

[Doomed]

Keep the awesome weird combo on the 'Cuda, mod the Roadrunner, and go all the way.

Kyle.

[Sean]

My Cuda was a VT car and it will be that way again when it's done.  Love the Vinyl Tops!!!

['Cuda Hunter]

V1c-Black alligator
V1g-Black Gator Grain
V1y-Tortoise grain

If I ever purchase a green car with a vinyl top, I would probably replace with a gator or Tortoise.
The tortoise grain is pretty cool on a green car.

I started driving in 1992.  I think vinyl tops look pretty cool on the right color of car.
Unfortunately, you don't see many of the rare colors like Burgandy, Walnut,Walnut patterned,paisley,Gunmetal.

All of those have their merit on the right color.
Go with the Top! 
My opinion is to keep the ebody original.

[426HEMI]

I started driving in 1971 or so,  My car had one and will have one again.  Going to protect the top more this time though.   

[willard]

Depends on point of view:

visual - with a right combination of body color and stripes - very nice and eye catching. When color do not match is weird...

technical - rust under the vinyl won't develop if we treat the roof with good paints, water leaking thru trim screw holes may be stopped with some clear silicone. Personally I dont like water penetrating down the rear window, under the vinyl.

maintenance - obviously VT needs more care and attention...


full vinyl tops are nice, especially gator grain ones. I hate partial vinyls found on later cars. Full VT on ebodys is a way to go.

BTW - my RT SE gives me no other choice than liking it

[djwhog]

I really like them too, hey maybe I lissed it, but what is the best stuff to put on them to keep them from drying out and in good shape?

On my harley leather there is like a type of a paste just want to know what is best to use?

[AMXguy]

My Challenger is an R/T SE so I didn't have a choice, but if I did I would have gone without the vinyl top. on my 70 Super Bee it will have one because that big of a car in Sublime is just too much without it. like everyone says with the right colors I think they're fine.

[cudaneil]

 
                I like the CLEAN lines of my cuda without a vinyl top, but some e-bodys look cool with them dependant on color.

      The only negative is the rust issue thing underneath, you may not even know its there until its bad !       

[whitesatinmopar]

My Challenger is an R/T SE so I didn't have a choice, but if I did I would have gone without the vinyl top. on my 70 Super Bee it will have one because that big of a car in Sublime is just too much without it. like everyone says with the right colors I think they're fine.

If you had ordered it you could have..........my 70 Charger 500 SE was ordered vinyl roof, stripe, and radio delete but was also a special order paint, FY1. Has the 999 code. You could just about order them any way you liked back then, go try that now. 

[js27]

Yes I am a big fan on certain color cars. Mostly light color car---red-yellow-lt. blues--lt greens. I know my 70 Chally was hemi orange and after it was painted I was not happy with it until I put the top and stripes on it. It completely changed the look of the car ---for the better. It made it rich looking..JMO
JS27

[kissalien]

V1c-Black alligator
V1g-Black Gator Grain
V1y-Tortoise grain

Gator tops were not black, they were dyed brown.

[Road_Runner]

Keep the awesome weird combo on the 'Cuda, mod the Roadrunner, and go all the way.

Kyle.

That's exactly the direction my thinking is heading!  Keep the Barracuda mostly stock, (may hide an upgrade to a 340 behind stock blue paint, no 340 aircleaner decals, etc.) then build the Roadrunner to be a modern day stroker/4speed/Dana version of the 70's Bad A$$ car it was back in the day.  I've been strangely attracted to your avatar since I first saw it  , we must have similar tastes in lots of things!

Later, Jim

[Road_Runner]

My Cuda was a VT car and it will be that way again when it's done.  Love the Vinyl Tops!!!

My 73 Roadrunner back in college was blue with white top & interior.  I agree, if that blue is the color you're going back to it will look great with a white top!  That was a great looking color combo back in the day.

Later, Jim

[kissalien]

If you had ordered it you could have..........

Not on a Challenger. A vinyl top was part of the SE model due to the plug for the small rear window,