I just moved down to Florida with my 69 Malibu. I bought it as a weekend restoration project. Well restoration is probably not the right term. It is a plain jane 69 307 Malibu Red with a Black Vinyl top and I have no intention of doing a 100 point restoration.

so here's the question....Did all 69 Malibu's come with the Vinyl top? I like the look of the Vinyl but the sil plate is rusted out and I'm considering doing the body work and then painting the top instead of putting the Vinyl back on.

My general goal with the car has been to have it look stock outside and in. but make improvements to the drivetrain and suspension.

Am I just asking for another rusted out sil plate if I put the vinyl back on?

I like the look of vinyl tops too. I've never installed one, but I think if you did the repair correctly and epoxy primed and painted the roof to protect the metal, then there shouldn't be any reason holding you back from installing the vinyl.

Looks much better with the vinyl
http://www.454malibu.com/Red5.jpg
http://www.454malibu.com/Red34.jpg

WOW! I really like that, looks great. :thumbsup:

John, is your Vinyl top tight to the body in all places? Whoever did mine before I bought it, left it stretched tight, but not touching the front pillars on either side of the windsheild. So if I pressed down on it there it "gave" up to about a half inch before bottoming out on the body.

I know I'll get flamed for this but, IMO 68-72's look much better without vinyl tops. I have one '69 with and one without. When the one with VT gets redone, it will be without. Vinyl tops were also a cause of much premature rust in the window channels, package shelf structure, quarters, inner and outer wheel houses, trunk floor, and quarters. To answer the original question, not all Malibus came with vinyl tops. It was an option.

Flame > Von! ;) Really, I see so many red 70's it's really refreshing to something different. I really like that look. Rust is a different subject, I'm talking looks only.

I don't like the vinyl top myself... my cars roof was ruined due to the vinyl top and I have to install a donor roof. I am not going to put a vinyl top back on mine.

Thanks for the comments.
The top is tight everywhere including the pillars.
Mine had the typical rust under the vinyl around the rear windshield. That is why I had the top painted just like the rest of the car.
It's your choice as to whether you like them or not. I just think it sets the car off.

I agree, I think it looks great, and I would prefer to have it on mine, but I'm torn because of the stories I've heard people tell of loosing the roof to rust. I am already starting to see that on mine.

At least knowing that some came without Vinyl tops makes me feel a little better about going the route of leaving it off, if that's what I end up doing.

I agree with Von!

My '70 had a black vinyl top when I bought it. Removed it when the car was painted. Even on the all original sheetmetal, rust free GA car, there was some minor damage started under the vinyl around the lower portion of the back window. Pitting but not thru yet.

Both my 69's originally had vinyl tops. When I removed them they both had a lot of damage under them. One was quite extensive (see pic). Notice that with the top on, it just looked like a few bubbles under the trim. Vinyl had shrunk in that area and was raised from the sail panel but too tight to press down and feel the gaping hole under it. I think vinyl tops look great and will be putting one back on one car only because it is going back together as purchased. The red one you see in the pic will never see vinyl as long as I own it.
Just my .02,
Trooper

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/Trooper/nsmailGK.jpeg

WOW,
Sorry for the huge pic. I thought I resized it :)

Trooper

On mine the body man drilled a hole on each side of the channel and welded or brazed a piece of copper tube so that it now drains down into the fenerwell.

Wow, Trooper. Where did you get a pic of my car :)

ThaT's actually a little worse than mine, but that's exactly what I'm worried about.

Before I pulled the vinyl off, it had pulled away from the sail panel by about 1/4" and from the front pillars by almost 1/2".

I just don't want to have to go through this all again 10 years from now, because I put the top on.

just a thought here. Unless your driving your car every day (rain, snow, etc.) or having it sit outside in the elements, ie.(no garage to store it in). the point to this is, if your car is your weekend nice day cruiser, than what difference will it make; go ahead and put the top back on. Jason.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That pic scares the crap out of me. I have some bubble spots in the same areas where those rust holes are,now Im scared of what Ill find underneath:( I was going to remove mine,fix and leave off,unless damage was so bad it couldnt be fixed to look cherry. Then Id just put the top back on. NOT a big fan of vynil tops,but ya gotta deal with what ya got.

Trooper - have you repaired the rust yet? If so how did you do it? I have to do both sides of mine...

And do you have any repair pics you can post?

Just saw the pic with the gaping hole in the C- pillar, I will never want one again, On some cars i've liked it but my 67 will never get one now, however model cars don't have rust problems so i just put them on that branch of my car hobby (when i feel the urge to do something i might regret on a real car, i put it on a model car and the mood seems to pass), Anyway in all seriousness i saw something interesting on a 67 GTO. The owner liked the contrast it gave but didn't want the hassles so he had the roof painted the color of the top and then he put the trim on to braek up the line. Its not going to get you any points for authenticity but if contrast is what you want then modify the two tone look.
My guess is that it looks better with a black roof and a light body color.

I like the tops on pre 70 models, IMO the rear window redesign of 1970 makes them look weird with the tops. I love the look of a black vinyl top on a 69 though.

jump out to my site in the sig (look at the 70 project) to see how I fixed that area. Takes a little time but not really that hard of a job.

I dislike the tops. I didn't order one back in 72 when I bought my first chevelle. I will not replace the one on the 70. I've never seen a car that had one that didn't delvelop rust under it.