Vinyl Roof - when and why?

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Discussion

swisstoni

Original Poster:

16,844 posts

278 months

Monday 2nd November 2015
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SPT28 said:
Hmmmmmm still undecided whether to keep my 70's throwback as it is... certainly looks 'different'

I think you should keep the vinyl myself.

pacoryan

671 posts

230 months

Monday 2nd November 2015
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RicksAlfas said:
Most Range Rover Classics have black vinyl C-pillars. The very early ones didn't seem to, so no idea what made them do it.
I believe this was purely cosmetic to give the "Floating roof" effect to the side profile an RR which has endured ever since - it basically continues the window line so that there is paint below and paint above, anything in between is glass or Matt Black.

RicksAlfas

13,354 posts

243 months

Monday 2nd November 2015
quotequote all
pacoryan said:
RicksAlfas said:
Most Range Rover Classics have black vinyl C-pillars. The very early ones didn't seem to, so no idea what made them do it.
I believe this was purely cosmetic to give the "Floating roof" effect to the side profile an RR which has endured ever since - it basically continues the window line so that there is paint below and paint above, anything in between is glass or Matt Black.
Thanks. Makes sense. Jag do a similar thing with their current XJ, but it's not quite as successful I don't think.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Monday 2nd November 2015
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RicksAlfas said:
Jag do a similar thing with their current XJ, but it's not quite as successful I don't think.
I thought they were just criminally hideous and clumsy little quarter windows...

wildcat45

8,056 posts

188 months

Monday 2nd November 2015
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pacoryan said:
I believe this was purely cosmetic to give the "Floating roof" effect to the side profile an RR which has endured ever since - it basically continues the window line so that there is paint below and paint above, anything in between is glass or Matt Black.
I recall reading that the vinyl "C" pillars were to do with the aluminium and problems getting the pressings right. Vinyl covered this up and tidied that part of the car up.

The addition of black "A" pillars to create the floating roof didn't come in until sometime round 1979 or 1980 when the cars got the black bumpers.

It became a styling cue. My 2013 Freelander 2 had vinyl "D" pillars along with "Castelations" on the bonnet in I guess homage to the original Range Rover.

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2015
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I think that vinyl roofs look good on some cars, including some Rovers, coke bottle Cortinas, Granada Coupes, late Interceptors, and Dolly Sprints.


droopsnoot

11,809 posts

241 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2015
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I had a vinyl roof on my car when I bought it, along with the Webasto sunroof. The only reason I didn't put it back on was because I was concerned about what might be happening underneath - are those bumps where the glue has dried out unevenly, or something a bit more sinister? But (going on from the 'floating roof' thing earlier) it does help to lower the side profile of the car - the window frames are painted black on mine, done to make the glass area look larger apparently.

Mr Teddy Bear

186 posts

190 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2015
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Pistom! It's nice to observe that good old fashioned male sexism is alive and well laugh You should consider a evangelical visit to Georgian Bath, where lots of the rather imposing town houses can be heard groaning under the weight of their lady owners collection's of sensible shoes.

Back in the twenties coach builders used some sort of stretched leather/leatherette material, tightly fitted over ash framed wooded bodies, to hide the gaps in the wood as it expanded and contracted according to the season. I saw a very nicely and expensively built Bentley Le Mans replica, bodied like this at Prescott back in May.

My Humber Sceptre MK 111 had a very nice vinyl roof; I believe that the Rootes Arrow range of Singers, Hunters and Humbers came out about 1968/9 and thus were at the forefront of the vinyl roof seventies revival. I always thought it was a luxurious and practical modification to the standard saloon spec, it certainly deadened the sound of rain rattling on the roof in bad weather.

swisstoni

Original Poster:

16,844 posts

278 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2015
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I think the XJ Coupe was given a vinyl roof because it was thought to look a bit disproportionate without one.
Interestingly Wikipedia says that it was because the roof flexed so much that the paint cracked. I'm not buying that.

Hooli

32,278 posts

199 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2015
quotequote all
swisstoni said:
SPT28 said:
Hmmmmmm still undecided whether to keep my 70's throwback as it is... certainly looks 'different'

I think you should keep the vinyl myself.
Keep the roof. I'm not really a fan of old Jap stuff, but that looks great. Celica?

spaximus

4,230 posts

252 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2015
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v46m4n said:
back in the early 70's a friend of mine who's dad had a 2nd hand car front used to 'bodyschutz' car roofs to give them a vinyl roof.
I once did the same to a shadow 2 at the owners request
But did you run a two rows of masking tape down first so you got a seam as well?

At the time I worked for an FSO dealer and every car was so basic they were just awful. But after a vinyl roof with a glass sunroof whacked in, a set of chrome wheel trims and a stick on stripe and bingo an extra £2k. We sold shed loads like this especially to the motability crowd who loved them.

RobinSherwood

336 posts

214 months

Wednesday 4th November 2015
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v46m4n said:
back in the early 70's a friend of mine who's dad had a 2nd hand car front used to 'bodyschutz' car roofs to give them a vinyl roof.
I once did the same to a shadow 2 at the owners request
Of course when fitted to a Rolls-Royce a vinyl roof is referred to as an Everflex Roof!

I remember my dad ordered for my mum a Ford Fiesta 1300S in Roman Bronze with a matching brown vinyl roof and webasto sunroof it was registered XME 11T so was late 70's.

We also had a red RR Silver Shadow II with a black Everflex roof (complete with quarter badges) to match the black leather interior piped in red. Dad didn't order it new he bought it second hand and it didn't stay long as it was fairly quickly changed for another Shadow in a more gentlemanly colour scheme!

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

125 months

Wednesday 4th November 2015
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RobinSherwood said:
Of course when fitted to a Rolls-Royce a vinyl roof is referred to as an Everflex Roof!
Everflex being the brand name of a particularly high-quality vinyl roof material...

sun.and.rain

1,649 posts

138 months

Wednesday 4th November 2015
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SPT28 said:
Hmmmmmm still undecided whether to keep my 70's throwback as it is... certainly looks 'different'

Keep the vinyl roof and get lots of black boot polish onto it. Polish off well with a shoe- brush. Job done.

Cool Toyota, look forward to seeing work done on it. Well worth saving.

Stickyfinger

8,429 posts

104 months

Wednesday 4th November 2015
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ummmmm....

Cledus Snow

2,088 posts

187 months

Wednesday 4th November 2015
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I'd put the vinyl roof back on my car if I could get a set of trims for it. They seem to be made of unobtainium.


Stickyfinger

8,429 posts

104 months

Wednesday 4th November 2015
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V-nice Sir

grumpy52

5,565 posts

165 months

Thursday 5th November 2015
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oliverb205 said:
My Dad had a Hillman Avenger (BDB696L) new which was blue with a white vinyl roof, sure we thought it looked very Starsky and Hutch, well I would have been 6. Sure if I saw it today it would look awful, from memory the vinyl didn't cover all the roof, stopped maybe 6-8 inches short of the back windows.

Oliver.
Avenger Top Hat
Wasn't it more purple /mauve than blue ?
Didn't they do an orange one as well

grumpy52

5,565 posts

165 months

Thursday 5th November 2015
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Didn't the XJC have a vinyl roof to hide the welding of the modified roof ?

mph

2,316 posts

281 months

Thursday 5th November 2015
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grumpy52 said:
Didn't the XJC have a vinyl roof to hide the welding of the modified roof ?
I've heard that repeated many times and never believed it. I think it's simply a styling exercise as used on many other "sporting" models of the day.

Given that many coupes have had the vinyl roofs removed and are now painted I think that legend should be put to bed.

The coupe doors are made up of a saloon door with an extra bit welded on to give the width. As Eric would say "you can't see the join". As far as I know none of the coupes had vinyl doors wink