I wascoming close to changing the vinyl top on my '71, when I seemed to come up with the idea of removing it completely instead. I know I have read about this procedure before. Anyone with experience please respond!

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'71 402
Team Chevelle Member #1115

Joshua,If you want to remove the top it should peel right off.Just keep tearing at it until its off.Usually if its been on a long time the glue is dried out and it comes of easy.As far as removing the glue if its dried out it should sand off easily.If not then you have to use some solvent to disolve it.Once you take off the moldings you will have to remove the studs that hold the clips.I used a dremel tool with a small cut off wheel.Hope this helped

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Ricky-G 68 L78 Chevelle SS, 69 Z-28,95 Firebird,72 Chevy pickup,

Weld up the trim holes,dont just fill them or they will show up in the future.Also clean out the stuff in the quarter to roof seam.Its usually epoxy on vinyl cars.clean the metal spotless and fill it with all-metal.If it has lead in the seam,melt it out with a propane torch and then fill it.

It seems to me that the area underneath the vinyl isnt exactly metal...Do I have to sand down to the metal? This conversion doesn't seem very difficult, however I don't want to get in over my head!@

[This message has been edited by Joshua.Y (edited 10-21-2001).]

Joshua, what a coincidence, I was just about to post the same question!...

Does anyone know if the front and rear windshield need to be lifted to remove the top?...i seem to remember the vinyl being tucked into the windshield area... http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

On my 72 the top was tucked under the windshield trim. I took it off, but didn't have to remove the windshield. There were also a couple spiral nail-type things on the front pillars that helped hold it down, if I remember correctly. Good luck.

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Eric Taylor
72 Malibu 350

Yes you have to remove any trace of the vinyl top that includes the glue and the filler the factory used to fill the seam on the quarter and the roof. Many factories used a foam like substance on the vinyl top cars instead of lead to fill the seams. That substance must be removed. 3M makes a very good adhesive remover to aid in getting rid of the glue. And yes you do have to remove the front and rear trim around the windows but removing the windows you shouldnt have to do as the vinyl was just tucked under the trim

I too am glad this post was made. My 70 didn't come with vinyl, plus the job was done poorly, along with two different trim pieces!

Nice part about mine is it's going to look like a sleeper since it wasn't ordered with stripes (it's an SS L34, per the build sheet)!

Whaaa Hooo

Francis

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1967 El Camino
1970 El Camino SS/396

does anyone know exactly what this 3M glue remover is called??

i took the top of a bit ago., just threw some rust repellent on it until i could figure out what to do

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70 El Camino SS 396
3.73 with a 12 bolt

will post pics soon

Its called 3M adhesive remover

thanks

One think to remember about pulling vinyl and going to paint: When you think you've got the top clean enough to paint, you're actually about half way there. If you leave even the smallest amount of glue residue you'll get paint bubbles later. Voice of experience here.

We are almost 100% sure that our '69 Elke had a vinyl top at one time. Why? It looked like someone tried to scrape off the top, glue, whatever, and made slight "Flat Spots" on the top.

We had the entire body beadblasted, and it removed anything that might be left. Then we had the slight dents fixed, minor filling, "Perfecto".

Hope this helps.

Team Members Forever.

Richard, Judy, MAXX2


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