Removing vynil top -- Permanently!

[defiance]

Ok, after talking to a few body guys about the condition of my roof under the vynil top, I keep getting told that vynil tops are just plain and simply going to rust underneath them after 5-10 years, regardless of what I do (short of pulling it off and having it redone every few years).
I just don't like that idea.  There are already some minor holes starting in mine, so I do NOT want it to get worse.  In order to prevent this, I've decided to do away with the vynil.

The only thing is, I really like the look of the car with the vynil.  I've seen similar model ('72 rallye) chargers with plain tops, and I just didn't think they looked as good. 

On the other hand, I've been trying to figure out exactly why, and I think maybe it's not the vynil, maybe it's just the 'separation'...  So..  I'm thinking maybe I'll just put the trim back on...?

Has anyone ever permanently removed their vynil top, but then put the trim back on their car?  I'm just trying to envision what it would all look like...

[Nacho-RT74]

Is very tipical down here keep trim and paint the top surface where suposelly goes the vinyl with texturized paint, similar to used on off road trucks and Jeeps.

anyway I would stuck with vinyl. with a good body job you can get it fixed. Use fiber glas like filler instead regular bondo

[JimShine]

I did it on my '69. But, now that I have seen the underside of a few tops I think I understand why they rot. First, there is very little paint underneath. On my 69 Charger and 70 Coronet, it looks like the roof mainly was hit with a sealer, then only received overspray after that. Then, I believe the vinyl shrinks over time, putting stress on the vinyl seams causing it to seperate (even if not visually, it happens underneath) allowing water in. On my '69 there were pin holes all along the seams, and that was it. On my Coronet, the top shrunk around the edges only, that car under the top it was as clean as the day it left the factory, except where the top shrunk around the edges, in the moisture trapping filler, and on the seams on the A pillars. This is a New England car with plenty of rust elsewhere.

So, I wonder how well a top would hold up if there was a complete finish applied under the top. This way even if the top shrinks, the moisture sits on finish rather than barely sealed metal. Just something I have been thinking about.

[defiance]

Well, this car top was redone 7 years ago, and supposedly "done right".  Obviously, it wasn't, but the bottom line is that I don't know body work, so there's not really any way I'm going to be able to confirm that it was 'done right' when I get it done this time, and it might be 5 years before issues started showing up  - so I'm pretty firmly decided at this point; it's going.  I really do like the look, but it's not worth it to me.
Anybody have any pics of any with the trim still on there?  I think that's probably where I'll end up going at this point.

[bull]

I've been saying that same thing for years but no one wants to listen. Vinyl tops are just a wreck waiting to happen because they let the moisture in and trap it. And then the rust starts and they trap that too.

If you like the look maybe you should just shoot the top with textured paint and leave the trim on.

[terrible one]

I'm more partial to the hardtops for the rot reason and the looks! However, I really like the hardtops with vinyl trim the best.

[derailed]

IMO if your having a car completely redone and prep the roof properly I dont think youll have anything to worry about with a vinyl top if the car is being garaged and not out in the rain and weather all the time like they were when they were new.

[NHCharger]

This is one of those subjects where everyone will have to agree on disagreeing. I dragged a 72 Charger parts car home a few weeks ago. It's been sitting outside in a parking lot exposed to the elements for the last 15 years. The car has only 72k original miles I believe and the original top. I peeled part of the top off last week and there is no rust under the vinyl. My other72 Charger has 150k miles and the original top. I have one very small bubble under the vinyl that I'm keeping a eye on.
I had to put a new vinyl top on my 71 Charger 10 years ago. When we peeled the old top off we found the remains of the first vinyl top on the A pillars. The body guy said the tops rust because of improper prep work. He ground the rust spots out, used fiberglass, primed and 3 coats of paint, then I waited two months for the paint to cure before the top went on. All of mine are the canopy tops. I think the Charger's with the full vinyl tops are more likely to rust because water can get more easily trapped by the bottom of the rear window.

[bull]

I guess it depends if the car was built on a Monday of Friday. I'd say you got pretty lucky if there's no rust under a vinyl top car because I'd be willing to bet 99% of them have it if they've been outside for very long. Vinyl tops are permeable, they allow water in and then it sits there, usually on top of untreated metal unable to dry faster than it needs to to prevent corrosion. It's going to happen eventually to any car if it gets wet. You can seriously slow the effects by treating the metal and keeping the car as dry as possible but rust is inevitable under a vinyl top IMO unless the top happens to wear out and is replaced before rust can get started.

Check this out: http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,17988.0.html