im new to the forum but already have questions.

such as , my 69 ss has a really odd vinyl top for its year and i was hoping someone would know more about it. i don't care if its rare or anything , i just hate not knowing about it. =]



http://i38.tinypic.com/dqhlvs.jpg

sweet elky I like that blue, and am I seeign it wrong or does that vinyl go all the way back? if it is, thats cool!

thanks and that used to be le mans blue , but the sun has changed it a bit over the years lol and yes the vinyl does go all the way to the back, ive never seen another one as old where it did that.

It is a nice looking elky Jarred, Welcome to the forum.

Couldn't tell you about the vinyl top though. I just got finished yanking the one off of my '72.

Very different though, if it does go all the way to the back of the bed.


Matt

thank you, i'm glad to be here.

Hmmm it seems rather hard to find any evidence when it comes to that top.
However i like the look of it, makes it stand out a bit.

I don't blame you for taking it off your 72 though, the normal vinyl looks out of place to me.

That trim option is pretty unusual (rare) in the Elky world. Yours is the first I remember that has the vinyl going all the way to the back. Others I've seen have the trim in place & the upper body is painted a contrasting color. Search this Forum for 2 tone or 3 tone & you should find several discussions. Its unusual enough that I'd leave it in place.

I did a quick search & found these; http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=197521&highlight=2+tone http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=153905&highlight=2+tone http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=153086&highlight=2+tone http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174352&highlight=2+tone http://www.chevelles.com/elcamino/weeks_ec.htm

I was thinking it was some odd dealer option. I have owned it for 3 years now and do a lot of reading and looking at el camino/chevelle related materials. but just recently i saw a picture of a 72 that was two tone as you describe. It does make some sense though as it seems the two tone ones were later it was a easy way to use up any trim pieces that were left over. just a thought. I do agree about leaving it in place, i think it looks better than the standard vinyl top.

Thank you rick! lots of great info

Nice Elky Jarred,I think that a former owner just added it for a custom touch.I do not think that it is factory if that is what you are asking.Again,it look good.

Looks great!!!

Jarred,

my 69 elky has a vinyl top to it although I cannot say if it is original or not.
That said, I was originally the same colour as your is now assuming the paint is or close to original.

Nice Ride

cheers

Keith

you have a factory (not comon tho) full vinyl top. most got the more common 3/4 vinyl top.

In my search for the correct chrome trim for my 71 GMC Sprint, I have been asked the same question about the vinyl top option. If the vehicle had 3/4 or completely around bed vinyl. A gm parts man I know that has over 50 years of chevrolet experience has seen both type's of vinyl top's. He stated it was factory installed. My sprint had two tone paint scheme with no vinyl top because of the style of chrome trim. The peace for vinyl trim stayed the same level around the bed and on a two tone it curved down to meet the top of the tail light at the corners. I hope this helps out. I AM STILL LOOKING FOR THE CORRECT TRIM FOR MY SPRINT!! Is there anyone out there that can help.. Thank's Glen

There is a 69 Monaco Orange El Camino with that same roof on the road leading up to the Holiday Inn, where the Niagara Falls show is held each year. This Elky is a wreck. It looks like it's been sitting there for 20 yrs. It has a small orange utility trailer, that was being pulled by the Elky. I have a picture of it somewhere. Jim Fairchild sent it to me, because I didn't have my camera with me, when we saw it, this past July, when we were at the Niagara show.
Edit: Ok, Jim sent me the pic again. It's a long distance pic, but it looks like that roof has been there a long time.
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/data/500/medium/G:I_Elky.jpg

welcome!

There is a 69 Monaco Orange El Camino with that same roof on the road leading up to the Holiday Inn, where the Niagara Falls show is held each year. This Elky is a wreck. It looks like it's been sitting there for 20 yrs. It has a small orange utility trailer, that was being pulled by the Elky. I have a picture of it somewhere. Jim Fairchild sent it to me, because I didn't have my camera with me, when we saw it, this past July, when we were at the Niagara show.
Edit: Ok, Jim sent me the pic again. It's a long distance pic, but it looks like that roof has been there a long time.
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/data/500/medium/G:I_Elky.jpg




I've seen one like that before...:thumbsup:

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/1664/hpim2759j.jpg















http://img145.imageshack.us/i/hpim2759j.jpg/%22%20target=%22_blank%22%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/1664/hpim2759j.th.jpg%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22Free %20Image%20Hosting%20at%20www.ImageShack.us%22

So it appears that it is indeed factory, just really bizzare and uncommon. Even with all the recent feedback I'd still love to see some literature from GM, even if its just a blurry pic and a sentence.
As for the orange 6 in the picture from what i can see it appears to have the same trim on the side as the later two tone cars. As it curves down to meet the corner of the tail light. Seeing that picture did give me some ideas though. I really like the look of the monaco with my style top. so maybe when i get it repainted one of these days new le mans blue might have to go on something else. lol

I remember seeing one sitting at our local Chev dealer, brand-new, with the same vinyl treatment. This would have been early 1969, when I would walk over there and stare at all the very cool cars you could buy then. And dream.

The El Camino was in the showroom next to the Z/28 that the salesmen would let me start up now and then.
It was Orange, just like the picture above. The Camaro was also Orange (Hugger) with black vinyl, and the pair looked great sitting beside one another.

Whether it was dealer-installed or production line, I cannot say.
Back in the days of common-place vinyl roofs on cars, it didn't look all that bad.

Eric

There is a 69 Monaco Orange El Camino with that same roof on the road leading up to the Holiday Inn, where the Niagara Falls show is held each year. This Elky is a wreck. It looks like it's been sitting there for 20 yrs. It has a small orange utility trailer, that was being pulled by the Elky. I have a picture of it somewhere. Jim Fairchild sent it to me, because I didn't have my camera with me, when we saw it, this past July, when we were at the Niagara show.
Edit: Ok, Jim sent me the pic again. It's a long distance pic, but it looks like that roof has been there a long time.
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/data/500/medium/G:I_Elky.jpg

I've never noticed it before, got to keep my eye out for it next year:thumbsup:

That's a good story Eric. It would have been quite a sight seeing an orange and black camino and a matching camaro. I'd take both :]


I did notice your location as southern california. My car is also a so cal car, so perhaps it came from the same dealer , perhaps they're the root of this.

I had a friend in high school his dad had a 72 with the full vinyl top and i know it was stone stock.

hmmmm they seem more prevalent the newer they get.

Welcome Jarred, beautiful El Camino! Your vinyl roof looks different to me than the other full length ones I've seen. On the other ones the trim drops down to the tail lights at an angle. On yours it looks like it goes straight to the rear. Its really evident on the orange one in the photo posted by Bill Rose. I wonder if there's 2 different factory styles or is one an aftermarket version. Either way, you have a cool, different El Camino.