Vinyl Top Material supplier?

Scoopy G

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Hello gents,

I'm researching suppliers for a new vinyl top for my '67 Newport Custom. I found Legendary Auto Interiors, they sell it, $414. I also found Topsonline.com, who also has a pre-made top $282. SMS is not on my list of vendors, but if anyone knows of another supplier let me know.

ALSO, am I correct in assuming that the style (pattern) is Black Boar? I really wanted to go with the paisley pattern, but my upholstery guy talked me out of it.
 
Listen to your upholstery guy. A top is not like swapping out some wheels if you decide to change later. At least your correct top grain is available.
The closest grain I’ve found for my Monaco is a Cadillac fine weave grain that will have to be custom made.
 
Hello gents,

I'm researching suppliers for a new vinyl top for my '67 Newport Custom. I found Legendary Auto Interiors, they sell it, $414. I also found Topsonline.com, who also has a pre-made top $282. SMS is not on my list of vendors, but if anyone knows of another supplier let me know.

ALSO, am I correct in assuming that the style (pattern) is Black Boar? I really wanted to go with the paisley pattern, but my upholstery guy talked me out of it.
The paisley is cool, but it takes the right cat a cool combination.
 
Grain = Boar Color = Black, or one of the other colors that model year.

Be sure to fix any rust issues under the existing vinyl top. Then put some real paint on the roof, letting it cure a few months, before putting the new top material on.

Enjoy!
CBODY67
 
IMHO, call and ask for a sample to match grain before buying. I will be willing to bet that Legendary will not have an issue with doing so and the material will probably come directly from them.

I'm also willing to bet the other place is a supplier and not actually making the top, but still should be able to get a sample to you. I'd do that with a few suppliers, and don't be surprised if those samples come from the same address.
 
The Paisley Top is 70's cool. On a 67 Newport it would certainly be different.....
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Boy I can't imagine that Chrysler let the roof paint cure for a few months before they applied the vinyl top.....did you mean a few days?
 
Boy I can't imagine that Chrysler let the roof paint cure for a few months before they applied the vinyl top.....did you mean a few days?

Factory paint was baked at the factory. What was under the vinyl tops was not fully painted, just primered, typically. The time I was referencing was for painting (primer + body color) the exposed metal, which used to be under the vinyl top material, BEFORE putting the vinyl top fabric on top of it.

CBODY67
 
Boy I can't imagine that Chrysler let the roof paint cure for a few months before they applied the vinyl top.....did you mean a few days?
The factory actually didn't even paint the roof on a vinyl top car. Of course that's why the roof rust is so bad on them. As far as how long to wait before putting the vinyl on fresh paint it depends on what type of paint you use. A good quality catylised paint only needs enough time for the solvents to evaporate. Only a day or two under warmer conditions. It will take up to a month or two to completely harden but since that happens chemically putting the top on won't affect that.
 
Interesting....I can tell you that my roof under the vinyl is painted body color, and that the vinyl is factory original. But back to my original question......where can I buy the vinyl top?

I have samples coming from TopsOnline in the Boar pattern, color black. Legendary is $132 higher, so I didn't request samples from those guys. Are there any other suppliers you guys have used or know of?

Thanks, Rich in sunny Tampa where no snow fell today!
 
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I would stay away from low cost Newstalgia and other online tops. Compared to SMS they are about half the weight, and lower material and manufacture quality. You will pay more $$$ for an SMS top, around $575.00 and have to wait a few months for delivery, but you will have a superior product and your restoration will be accurate. BTW your in box is full.
 
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Interesting....I can tell you that my roof under the vinyl is painted body color, and that the vinyl is factory original. But back to my original question......where can I buy the vinyl top?

I have samples coming from TopsOnline in the Boar pattern, color black. Legendary is $132 higher, so I didn't request samples from those guys. Are there any other suppliers you guys have used or know of?

Thanks, Rich in sunny Tampa where no snow fell today!

FWIW, Legendary has a good reputation in the field. Not always the cheapest, but usually a very good product.

I'd get samples. What could it hurt? $132 is small change if you get the samples and say "wow, this is much better material". Once you've done that, try getting a price from Dante's or one of Legendary's dealers. Often they are cheaper. Might not be $132 cheaper, but if the quality is better... It might make sense.
 
I would stay away from low cost Newstalgia and other online tops. Compared to SMS they are about half the weight, and lower material and manufacture quality. You will pay more $$$ for an SMS top, around $575.00 and have to wait a few months for delivery, but you will have a superior product and your restoration will be accurate. BTW your in box is full.

I think about ordering from Newstalgia. Did you have a bad experience with them and how did you compare tops from each supplier?

The sample grain images Newstalgia has on their website look like the ones on Haartz' website. So if Newstalgia uses Haartz vinyl stock, I would assume that it is top quality material. I have a hard time believing this would be about half the weight of the original material (as you write), if original material really is what SMS actually uses (let alone the thought of using 50 year old vinyl material to be exposed to UV sunlight now).
 
Most cars were not e-coated above the beltline in those days. And just a prime coat is not a sealant. Vinyl top material breaks down and allows moisture underneath. The lack of e-coat results in all the surface rust often seen underside of roof .
 
I think about ordering from Newstalgia. Did you have a bad experience with them and how did you compare tops from each supplier?

The sample grain images Newstalgia has on their website look like the ones on Haartz' website. So if Newstalgia uses Haartz vinyl stock, I would assume that it is top quality material. I have a hard time believing this would be about half the weight of the original material (as you write), if original material really is what SMS actually uses (let alone the thought of using 50 year old vinyl material to be exposed to UV sunlight now).

One word... "Samples"

It will speak volumes about how good it matches what was on the car to begin with and the quality or thickness of the material. Not saying either is better, just saying let their material speak for itself.
 
I think about ordering from Newstalgia. Did you have a bad experience with them and how did you compare tops from each supplier?

The sample grain images Newstalgia has on their website look like the ones on Haartz' website. So if Newstalgia uses Haartz vinyl stock, I would assume that it is top quality material. I have a hard time believing this would be about half the weight of the original material (as you write), if original material really is what SMS actually uses (let alone the thought of using 50 year old vinyl material to be exposed to UV sunlight now).

I purchased a top from Newstalgia, and although the price was reasonable and the delivery was quick, I was not impressed with the quality. The first thing I noticed was the way the seams were manufactured. They appeared to be over heated where the pattern was just barely visible in spots and they appeared to be bunched in spots indicating a possible problem for the installer. I purchased a SMS top and was able to compare the two side by side.
The SMS top was noticeably heavier with thicker backing and overall superior feel and quality which is what you would expect from a SMS product. I'm sure the Newstalgia top would be more than suitable for some. After seeing the difference between the two , I no longer felt confident with the Newstalgia product. Just sayin.
 
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The comments about "thickness" are correct, when compared to what the cars originally came with. From about 1980 and later, the supplied vinyls had all of the correct outer looks, colors, and grains of the original tops, but that's where things got different.

I was at a trim shop in the later '70s where a customer was getting the top on their '74 Charger replaced. I asked the worker there about the car, as the top didn't look that "bad" to me. He then stated that they were lucky enough to find some of the original yardage for the job (no mention of where). THEN he showed me the difference in what they got and what was generally available. What was generally available (at that time) was termed "gauze back". When he put the two vinyls side by side, the differences were graphic. The vinyl "build" on top of the backing (thick-back) was much thicker, by approximately 40%. The backing actually looked like "gauze" when compared to the thick and more substantial "twill-style" back of the OEM vinyl. Once on the car, the gauze-back top would look like it should, so all of the differences in build thickness would not be known.

Several years later, at Mopar Nats, some "in the box factory original vinyl tops" were selling for about $500.00. When I saw the edge of one, it was the thick-back vinyl. Only thing that concerned me was that the vinyl was neatly folder and slid into a box. Obviously having been that way for many years, which might make getting them flattened out for instalation more of an issue than with a new-production item. Most of what they had was B-body tops.

I believe that everything past about 1973 model year (after which Chrysler seemed to use "GM grain" vinyls on the newer platforms, which was readily-available, but maintained the boar grain for the B-body cars for '74), everythng was the gauze-back product. Probably as all of the correct-grain Chrysler products tops are now, I suspect.

Considering that Newstalgia's vinyl top materials look to be GM-oriented, that migth be one reason their prices are less than places like YearONE and similar. A wider market for more sales using products that were widely-available, then and now. Whereas YearONE and similar will have a more focused market for those who expect what they purchase to be correct for their vehicle, by observation.

One thing about YearONE, in the middle '80s or so, was that the more you bought from them, the more volume discounts you could get, from their stated pricing. Sometimes, even better than their "designated dealers" could get the same things for. As happened to a couple of our Mopar club members discovered (one a designated dealer/broker and the other one who was doing a Superbird and had other friends who needed things for their non-Mopar vehicles).

I realize that price is important, but getting correct items can be variable in importance, generally.

Enjoy!
CBODY67
 
I now have samples coming from Legendary, Newstalgia, and TopsOnline. I'll report back on the differences.
 
I now have samples coming from Legendary, Newstalgia, and TopsOnline. I'll report back on the differences.
Watch the return addresses on the envelopes. Might have different names, but same address. I found this with headliners. All sorts of names, but the address was still Acme Headliner in Long Beach.
 
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