a curious vinyl top (Not mine)

I agree it appears to be an aftermarket kit and not the St. Regis roof as on my car.

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Back then, there was no "Kit" as such. The vinyl fabric was in a roll or pre-cut to a particular size and the moldings could be in sticks of a particular length, PLUS the creativity and abilities of the installer, combined with the imagination of the buyer.

In this case, I suspect the moldings were OEM moldings from the dealership parts dept. Then a local vinyl top shop installed them and glued-on the vinyl fabric to mimic the factory padded roof, but without the pad. For which the dealership made a nice profit on the sale.

To me, the rust bubbles near the C-pillar moldings indicate the moldings were added "after the fact" of the car leaving the assy plant. Holes drilled through the paint and factory primer result in bare metal edges without protection on them. Then "rust happens".

That was back in the "Aw, it'll be OK" days, when added precautions against such rust were only looked at in the short term, usually. As long as it got past the factory warranty, in general, no cares. The customer got "added value" as the car mimicked the look of a more expensive model at a lower price for the customer, the installer made money, the dealership made money. All was good (for at least several years).

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67
 
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