Vinyl Top Replacement
Short answer: Accounts of the factory finish under a vinyl top vary — some report full primer/paint with the roof seam filled by a Bondo-like product, others found body solder at the quarters and pillars, and a body shop reports bare metal under the top. The practical advice for replacement: protect the metal with a good rust-inhibiting primer (e.g., Eastwood’s), but don’t build up too much material (it can make the top lift), and lightly scuff the primer before applying the new top.
- A former GM Fremont-plant worker: vinyl-top cars got the same tank-dip rust prevention, primer, and paint as the body; the quarter-to-roof seam was filled with a Bondo-like product (non-vinyl cars had that seam filled with lead solder, then ground smooth).
- Others note their vinyl-top cars had body solder in the roof joints, just poorly finished under the top.
- A body-shop owner advises it was bare metal at the factory and warns that too much buildup can lift the top — he recommends a corrosion-resistant primer, lightly scuffed.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
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