Roof Oddity

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TinyValiant74

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Okay I'll be the first to admit that i'm kinda un-initiated when it comes to certain things in restoration.

for example, on my 'new' 74 Valiant Brougham the roof has what can only be described as a 'luxury option' the roof is not actually metal on top, it is this odd feeling material that crumbles at the touch. I'm assuming that when the material was factory it must have felt something like a 'spray on bedrug' that some one would get in the bed of their pickup. I've seen simmlar things on the roofs of cadillacs from the mid 90's. but now i've got it on the top of my Valiant and I need to know how to do one of two things

1. scrape it off and put a real metal roof on
or
2. make it not so crumbly and restore it to something like a factory feel.

I'm sorry if this seems like a stupid question, but i'd appreciate help.
 
if you are talking about the outside of the car on the roof, it must be some type of vynal top. if that is what we are talking about then the sun might have baked it to the conditon it is now. you would have to have it scraped off clean the adheadsive off and reprimed and painted then a new one reapplied.
 
the sun, cracking up things out here in New Mexico is nothing new. but if I do scrape off the old vynal (if that is what it turns out to be). would I just be able to just re-paint the roof black or would i need to put some sheet metal in place?
 
under the vynal top is the standard roof of a car without the top. if you did not choose to repace the top then all you would need to do is scrape it off down to the metal. then prime it and repaint it what ever color you wish.
 
The 74-76 Broughams had a "luxurious padded vinyl top". What you are left with is the baked foam padding. Sand it down to bare metal and repaint as desired. You will probably have to do some filling and sanding where the factory seams are because the factory didn't do it to vinyl top cars. It was quicker and easier to slap on a vinyl top than to work the seams for paint. Hope this helps. Great signature line by the way, real words to live by.
 
The problem with the roof i've seen is that there is a gap between the window trim and the actual roof is quite large. should I just fill it in with Bondo?

oh thanks about the quote, I got it from a film called C.S.A. (Confederate States of America) about what would have happened if the south had won the civil war. it's pretty funny.
 
Is the gap you are referring to about half an inch wide, kinda U shaped and runs the length of the roof on both sides? If it is, no worries, that's the rain gutter. If it's not, could you post a pic so we would know what we're dealing with? The gaps I am familiar with are in the rear pillar about halfway down the rear window and run horizontal. There is another one in the front windshield pillar about 3" down from the top.
 
ok here's the update on the roof. It's not actually vynal anymore. the previous owners glued a big sheet of velvet to the top after they (poorly) scraped off the old vynal. and it's become quite nasty. They didn't do a very good job of it because I can pull the sheet off with my bare hands where it is already peeling off the roof. But now the question is no longer 'what should I do?' but it is now 'where can I get a new vynal roof?' the b-columb braces between the front and rear doors still have the original vynal and I like the way it looks. So now I ask you.

'what the hell kind of shop puts vynal on a car?'
 
I would assume any auto upholstery shop could do it for you.
 
We put vinyl tops on in body shops, too. Padded tops are more of a pain, but still the same process. Get the metal surface fairly clean and definitely rust free first. The vinyl(especially with pad) will hide a lot of wrongs. Rust however will find its way back to haunt you.
Vinyl material is available from a bunch of sources, Legendary, Year One...local guys.....the shop that puts it on...
 
thanks man, I ended up pulling off that narsty old piece of velvet and found that the roof, while rust free, is now totally covered in glue residue and it looks like somewhere in the past that someone attempted to bondo a few sections of the roof and did a s**t-tacular job of it. I'm going to try and find someone in my area who has experience repairing crappy old repair jobs.
 
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