Vinyl or Not?

[lakeholme]

So, is the trick to the "air drying", low pressure, angle, or what?

I've always tired to use as little water as possible on the vinyl top and dry everything a little extra with a blower on low speed.  I have noticed that water does get under trim.

[black69]

I use that blue painters masking tape to keep the water getting in where it would logicall would go, no air needed later to blow out. takes me about 5 minutes before i start washing the car, living around oak trees and around chicago, the car gets dirty so I wash it a lot. Its so easy to put that on the rear window near the bottom and the sides here and there. I used black turtle wax to fill in all the pores of the top and then treated it good with Mother's products.

the tape comes right off, easy easy easy. but it keeps water from getting in bad places. works fine on the side trim too at the base of the roof.

take with a grain of salt.

[Pex68]

So, is the trick to the "air drying", low pressure, angle, or what?

I back the regulator down to 35 PSI and you have to blow in the direction from vinyl to metal not vise versa if that makes sense.  In another way-blow from the top side on vinyl to car trim and for around rear window blow through the gap between vinyl & rear window trim while holding a towel on the glass to suck up the water that's blown out.  Guess this is only my opinion on how to do it too!

I'm gonna try the tape next time too though, never thought tape would keep out water but even if it limits the amount that get's in there all the better!!!

[lakeholme]

Between the two of you sounds like a good plan to me!  Thanks! 

I'd love to get 100 votes on this poll!  That would (almost) make it a valid survey of the forum --sociologically speaking.
If you haven't, vote... 

[HokieZ28]

Here's My 2 Cents Worth . It's Your Car To Enjoy , View As Many Camaro's As You Can With Your Paint Color Both With and Without The Top . Then Go With what You Will Enjoy . I Have An Olympic Gold Z That Came With The Top And I Love The Way It Gives It A More Aggressive Stance . It Is In The Body Shop Now And I Am Having The Top Massaged And Painted As If The Vinyl Was Not Going Back On . The Front Clip Was Alligned Then Removed And Will Be Painted Apart From The Car . I Will Then Take It And Have The Top And Headliner Installed , I Will Install The Motor And Trans. Then Take It Back To The Body Shop And Have The Windshield And Back Window Installed Along With The Front Clip And Hood . The Reason for Saying This Is It May Save You Money To Have It Installed This Way .
My Vote Go Back With The Top.
Ben

[lakeholme]

I've got the car in the shop and the vinyl top stays...

Still like your opinion... please vote!

[plumL78]

My car came royal plum with a black top. When I finish the car I'm going to put it back too

[roadrunner68]

Good choice Phillip, the vinyl top and butternut yellow go great together and every show I have been to with mine, people love it. I have seen the odd butternut yellow camaro without the vinyl top and it just doesn't look right (at least in my opinion).

[lakeholme]

Roadrunner68, I've seen a picture of what may be the first butternut yellow 67 Camaro.  It is YY with a bubble bee strip.  But it still looks "plain" without the vinyl.  Yellow just begged for the top in first gen.

OK, God my 100 plus votes... Thanks CRG!

If you want to make a comment, please do so soon...

[lakeholme]

Finished the mechanical side of the restoration, so we've started on the body work/decloning/painting side.
And guess what I found first thing under the rear widow... You bet!  The famous (infamous) Chevy rear window rust!
There was already about a six inch, odd running crack, so I wasn't surprised.
My real point is: even though the previous owner did a frame off restoration about 12 years ago and (supposedly) dealt with that area... and yes ,garage kept the car since, the rust did come back --right up under the bottom edge of the vinyl top.
Put in new metal (for sure) this time....

[lakeholme]

Final result, yes with black vinyl top... gotta have it with butternut!

[Pex68]

Hey looks GREAT Phillip!!!!

[Big_Al]

I guess that is an important point.  First, yellow cars do look good with black vinyl.  Second, vinyl is a 60s and 70s look.

I agree completely. My '69 is butternut yellow with an original black vinyl top and it looks great. No problems with rust so far. I've seen several yellow Camaros w/o vinyl tops and don't care for the look. To me a black top on yellow really stands out and sets off the car.

Al

[69houdini]

I like the vinyl top look. My 68 had one but it was in bad shape. I took it off and made the usual repairs below the back window. That is when I was a 16 year old kid. Now my 69 convertible Butternut yellow is totally restored to stock and if I knew now...... well you all know the saying. Lakeholme, get that butternut color back on, it looks great with the black contrast.

[77thor]

I would have to say "YES" but only if it originally came that way.