Vinyl Tops Thousand Oaks
Vinyl tops usually refers to the vinyl covering the top of a car. Cars with vinyl tops were extremely popular with American car buyers and were considered as a distinguishing characteristic of American cars in the 1970s. Vinyl tops were originally developed to give cars with a fixed roof a resemblance of convertibles. As the cars become popular among the public, it grew into a category of its own.
In the late 70s, cars with vinyl tops were also popular on European and Japanese markets, though this design element was most featured in their sports or luxury editions of their standard sedan models. The use of vinyl in car roofs and tops or broadly speaking in the upholstery in cars is nothing new and dates back to the 1920s. Those days the auto upholsterers used leather, canvas, and vinyl in combination with landau bars to reproduce the movable top as seen in the horse-drawn carriages. In the 1930s and 1940s, the techniques were developed further and replaced with uniform, “envelope” bodies. However, the cars were fitted with modern metal roofs.
Automakers continued installing vinyl tops on their cars throughout the 1980s, but the appeal of vinyl top cars began to fade in the 1990s. The Lincoln Continental was among the last mass-produced vinyl top cars made by Detroit with production ending in 2002.
Today, vinyl tops are mostly seen in limousines and hearses primarily for practical reasons rather than as a design feature. The vinyl tops help to conceal the welded body seams in these type of vehicles which results when standard-sized sedans are extended. In addition, car enthusiasts are also putting vinyl tops on their customized cars.
Four Styles of Vinyl Tops
Typically, there are four types of vinyl tops that were seen in cars produced during the 1960s and 1970s.
- Full Vinyl Tops – Full vinyl tops are among the most common. Here the vinyl covers the entire top of the car, including the C pillars. The pillars supporting the windshields may or may not be covered. The full vinyl top is largely seen on four-door models. Full vinyl tops cars include 1970 Lincoln Continental Mark III, 1970 Opel Commodore A, and 1972 Opel Diplomat B.
- Halo Vinyl Tops – Halo vinyl tops resemble the full vinyl tops, but in this vinyl top design the vinyl covers only the tops of the windshield and the side windows. This results in the impression of a “halo” painted metal sheet between the vinyl and the glass area, hence the name “halo vinyl top.” Halo vinyl tops include Ford LTD.
- Canopy Vinyl Tops – In this category of vinyl tops, the vinyl covers only the front half of the car’s roof or the two-thirds of the roof. The vinyl covering ends at the edge of the rear side windows. Canopy vinyl tops cars include 1973 Plymouth Duster and 1964 Chrysler 300K.
- Landau Vinyl Tops – Landau vinyl tops is the opposite of canopy vinyl tops. In this category of vinyl tops, the vinyl covers a quarter or third of the roof from the rear. The vinyl covering also includes the C pillars. The vinyl top also extends to edge of the front or rear side windows. Landau vinyl tops cars include Lincoln Continental Town Coupé, Chrysler New Yorker, and Chrysler Fifth Avenue.
Vinyl Tops Thousand Oaks
I own a car with any kind of vinyl top and thinking about restoring it to its original stage, we at Vinyl Tops Auto Upholstery have you covered. Since our inception, we are specialists when it comes to all kinds of vinyl tops installation, repair, and replacement in all types of classic and modern cars. Our auto upholsterers and technicians are professional vinyl tops upholsterers with years of experience. We are proud to say that have the most skilled and experienced craftsman in our team. At Vinyl Tops Auto Upholstery, you can be 100% assured that the vinyl top of your car, convertible, limousine or class car will be restored and crafted to the highest standards.
If you are looking for expert vinyl to upholsterer with the guarantee of the best price for all of your vinyl upholstery repairs and replacements, Vinyl Tops Thousand Oaks is the one to contact. Whether you are repairing or upgrading the upholstery of your car, truck, RV, motorhome, motorcycle, boat, yacht, or airplane, Vinyl Tops Thousand Oaks have you covered. We also provide the best quality craftsmanship at the best rates. If you thinking about your next upholstery project for your car, truck, RV, motorhome, boat, or yacht, make Vinyl Tops Thousand Oaks, your number one choice
We are your premier #1 auto upholsterer in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Camarillo, Ventura, Oxnard, Calabasas, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Woodland Hills, Calabasas, Oak Park, Newbury Park, Port Hueneme, and Chatsworth.