What is the purpose of vinyl tops

[ACUDANUT]

 Yes we like them, but in reality all they do is rot and flap away.  What were they thinking...Putting cloth on top of metal back in the day.

[Ghoste]

Appearance and charging a little more money.   

[Aero426]

They also were not expected to last 40 years.

[Ghoste]

 

[polywideblock]

thought  they insulated the roof, keeping car cooler in sunshine

[ACUDANUT]

They also were not expected to last 40 years.

Shoot, they did not last 5 years.

[Ghoste]

Probably not much insulating with a black top.

[ws23rt]

It was a showroom car not meant to last long. Style options that the salesman could work with

They would say stuff like your neighbor will want one.

[ACUDANUT]

You don't see cloth on metal these days.  To off set the color, why not use another color instead of cloth.

[Ghoste]

It was an offshoot of the fake convertible tops I suppose.

[Charger-Bodie]

They also were not expected to last 40 years.

Shoot, they did not last 5 years.

I have two  69 Chargers in my garage and they both have nice original tops on them. One is better than the other ,but they are both good. No rust under them either. Not the norm,but I thought worth mentioning.

[Ram07]

what was the meaning of button fly jeans, was it not a fad?

[polywideblock]

button fly jeans were put on this earth to make pissed people piss themselves while trying to get it out   

[Ghoste]

Well it worked.

[1974dodgecharger]

Adds class......

[Aero426]

You don't see cloth on metal these days.  To off set the color, why not use another color instead of cloth.

Sometimes they did, but a vinyl top would be considered a step up from that.

   

[Ghoste]

And on at least one occasion it helped Petty mess with some competitors heads.

[Aero426]

Vinyl tops are like many of the other marketing things to sell cars that have come and gone.   Wide whitewalls,   whitewalls of ANY kind,  1990's gold anodized trim, fake convertible tops,  landau bars,  plush velour interiors,  80's body cladding.    I'm sure you could go on for quite a bit.  

[Aero426]

And on at least one occasion it helped Petty mess with some competitors heads.

Yes, and it still messes with peoples heads today, because the vinyl wasn't really vinyl.   It was a textured paint. 

[Ghoste]

Oh I never knew that, I'd always heard the story as vinyl.

[polywideblock]

nothing to do with chargers but who remembers the model A "special " or sport coupes ? cloth roof  with the fake landau bars on the sides to look like a carriage roof  from a horse and sulky    bet this was the "first "  and where all the rest to follow came from

[Ghoste]

I'd have to look but I think it predated the Model A by quite a bit.

[Nacho-RT74]

something fashion back in the days ( and if you ask me, still now )

[flyinlow]

In the words of Petula Clark, " It's a sign of the times".

[Ram07]

button fly jeans were put on this earth to make pissed people piss themselves while trying to get it out  

...yes...


I thought Vinyl tops looked cool...little touch of class...


Kinda miss those days...even the two tone paint jobs, and colour matching interiors...but...


Thats got nothing to do with your question, so i'll just go back in my corner...