vinyl roof

What do you think about fake convertible tops? It looks cool – American taste, right? – or is it a little over the top?

I came across this Cadillac Seville on display outside a car dealership in Drøbak. The car is a 1995 model Seville of the 4th generation with a transversely mounted 4.6 liter Northstar V8 engine. The latest models of Seville are stylish cars with a design that has held up well. What caught my interest was the vinyl roof. This is a special type that is retrofitted to new and used cars in the USA. There the solution is called carriage vinyl tops , with an allusion to earlier horse-drawn carriages. Anyway, the tops look like real, foldable canopies. That is why they are also referred to as fake convertible tops.

Vinyl roofs come in many forms

The purpose of vinyl roofs is to give the cars more character as convertibles with retractable roofs. You can find cars with vinyl roofs all the way back to the 1920s, but it didn't become common until the 1960s – especially the latter half when vinyl roofs became an optional extra on very common car models. They were often expensive equipment variants.

The vinyl fabric was glued to the roof with the ends hidden within the front and rear window moldings, as well as chrome moldings along the sides. Vinyl roofs could also be retrofitted. A solution that became quite popular in the 1970s was vinyl roof on box. A substance was simply sprayed onto the roof that gave the same surface as a vinyl roof. This solution was often used after body damage to repair car roofs.

Landau roof

In the 1980s, vinyl roofs disappeared as an option on European and Japanese cars. In the United States, however, new vinyl roofs began to take shape. Landau roofs cover about a quarter of the roof at the rear and are reminiscent of old horse-drawn carriages of the “Landauer” type where you could fold down the rear part of the roof. Some car models with landau roofs even had fake hood handles on the sides – for decoration. You can still buy these as accessories on Ebay.

Only in the US

Let's go back to the Cadillac in the main image. It has a lavish solution that looks like a real convertible. You can tell that there are roof bars underneath and that the side rails cover the side windows like a real convertible. Also notice that the texture is the same type used on real convertibles. It all looks good, even though the roof is not foldable in reality.

Retrofit styling

In the US, vinyl roof conversions are an option for owners of newer sedan models, such as the Cadillac CTS and Toyota Camry (US). Carriage Tops are not glued directly onto the original roof. They are first built onto a fiberglass shell that is customized to the car model. The shell is then placed on the car's original roof with rivets and silicone. Finally, the moldings are screwed into place.

Disadvantages of vinyl roofing

Vinyl roofs do not stand the test of time very well. They can crack and moisture can get inside. It is not uncommon to find rust damage under old vinyl roofs. When vintage cars undergo full restoration, the vinyl roofs therefore disappear. However, many have experienced that the underside of factory-installed vinyl and landau roofs is poorly finished by the factory. Removing a carriage top with a fiberglass shell, will leave damage from fasteners. This type of roof also has another disadvantage. If you are unfortunate enough to have the rear window broken, you may risk having to remove the entire fiberglass shell first.

But why remove the vinyl roof? Doesn't it give the car more character?

A Cadillac will never be a common sight in Norway. With fake convertible top becomes even more interesting, – but not necessarily more beautiful. One might add that it represents American taste more than European. The car in the main picture can therefore be described as a small piece of America in Norway. Here, all “closet Americans” can put on plaid pants, Hawaiian shirts, baseball caps and let the tones of Merle Haggard roll out of the player.

What do you think about vinyl ceilings?

Lincoln Town Car Presidential – Vinyl-coated rear side window for more privacy like a president would enjoy.

See

Example of American companies that supply vinyl tops:
Carlen Automotive Restyling
Merrillville Auto Glass & Trim

Sales ad for the Cadillac Seville in the main image:
Finn.no – item 401082625

Tønsberg MC, Tønsberg Automobilklubb and Corvette Club Norway department Vestfold, Telemark and Buskerud exhibited their historic donations inside the Fix Arena at Eik outside Tønsberg.

In Tønsberg, visitors could get to know the Troll car brand. Not just one, but two. I have always thought that the project ran aground because the founders got in over their heads, but Troll was made for low-series production and an emerging Norwegian car market. It was the Norwegian authorities that halted the project, apparently due to trade policy reasons.

For the first time I saw the Volkswagen Type 81, a rare van version, apparently based on the Beetle. From what I have been able to find out, the car was built just after the war. Volkswagen used the chassis of the Kübelwagen and the front end of the Beetle. The taillights come from the T1 Transporter. A bit like the principle of “you take what you have” . I am sure that the engineers who later developed the first Variant must have had the Type 81 in mind. This is a very rare model – and it is found in Tønsberg!

Bad photo conditions

Cars on display in sports halls never look good when photographed. At least not with automatic cameras. The lighting means that the cameras struggle to find the correct focus. That's why I'm going to show cars that were parked outside. There was a lot to see there too. You know you've arrived at a motor show when you park next to two stroked Ford V8s from the 30s.

Corvettes

On the way to the hall I passed some great Harley motorcycles. Many of the visitors had taken the trip on two wheels. I think some of the most polished bikes probably belonged to members of the organizing club Tønsberg MC. Likewise the beautiful Corvettes that were strategically parked in the area.

The R8 is an eye-catcher

Cars with a visible mid-mounted engine are difficult to pass without taking a closer look. One could say that the Audi R8 is Lamborghini with Audi rings. The mid-mounted engine on this car, however, is Audi's own 4,2 liter FSI V8. Later models have Lamborghini's V10 engine. Although, what is Audi and what is Lamborghini can be difficult to determine when the companies are under the same umbrella.

Audi R8 42

Amcars, of course

Outside stood shipowner Lorentzen's magnificent Humber Super Snipe. With its panoramic windows, it looks American but is British. You can see that inside it is the British school that applies. There were several nice Amcars, too. Some came and some left. The Chevy Parkwood is not something you see every day. This 1959 model is the Belair station wagon. It has 3 rows of benches, 2 facing forward and one facing backwards. I think it is possible to cram 9 people into this cruiser.

Save the vinyl roof!

I also stop at this 1969 model Catalina. I'm sure I've seen this before, but I can't remember where or when. I like the color combination, silver with black vinyl roof. From my own experience, I know that rust can easily appear under the vinyl roof. This roof appeared to have been re-laid in recent times. Vinyl roofs were a popular option in the late 60s and right up until 1980, especially on American and American-inspired models such as Ford and Opel, - and all the Japs models sold in the United States. I don't see a comeback for vinyl roofs on new cars, but I hope that old car owners take the time and money to replace existing vinyl roofs. I'm sure they can still be obtained from one warehouse or another.

Saab Sport

In the 60s, a red Saab 96 Sport was a real dad racer. The 850cc two-stroke produced 56 HP and had a separate oil tank for the two-stroke oil. Externally, it stood out with decorative rings on the wheels, additional decorative strips at the bottom of the sides, as well as "Saab Sport" on the boot lid. In the USA, the Saab Sport was marketed under the exotic name "850 Monte Carlo". The standard model had 42 horses in 1966. The new front, the "long nose", came in 1965. That was the kind of car I learned to drive in. Four gears on the steering wheel and freewheel. In the turns, all you had to do was steer and give full throttle, - even when you came in a little too fast. Did you hesitate, it went straight ahead, thank you and goodbye...

One should perhaps be careful in choosing the most beautiful Cadillac. In my opinion, the 1964 Cadillac Deville has the finest proportions and fins that are just right, without being vulgar – well, maybe a little…

And as for the exhibition inside the hall, it was fantastic. Several great Corvettes, some extremely rare cars, some with local history, some fun, not to forget the MC department.

Lots of lovely nostalgia.

Tønsberg Motorshow

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Vinyl roof – a little over the top?