putting a vinyl roof on a hardtop

[GDPR]

Firstly, greetings from sunny Bilbao, Northern Spain - out here until Saturday, so only able to check for replys sporadically.....apologies in advance:PI have tosay the I'dlove tohave my Stag here - I think it may cause a bit of a stir as possibly the most stylish car here.......

Anyway - to business

I was reading Practical Classics or something similar on the plane coming out here, and saw a picture of a Dolomite Sprint (I have owned 6 of these lovely beasties) and wondered if I could get way with covering my hardtop, which needs a repaint as the colour is slightly off, with a black vinyl roof?

In my mind it should look great (as it did on the Dolly and on both my 2.5PIs that I had and they are very similar in styling to the Stag), but has anyone else done this and could show me what the Stag looks like with the roof done this way, or knows where a picture is for me to have a nose at??

I could change the colour of the car in any picture with photoshop to java green so that I could get a true impression....

I quite like the idea to be honest, but I could be barking mad......

Russ

[Stagdad]

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Hi

I saw one done at the nationals in the camping area.from a distance it looked like someone had fitted glass sidelights to a soft top and i thought "whaton earth" but when i got closer i could see it was a hard top.all in all didn't look too bad though.

Steve

[redstag]

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Only pic I can find of my car back in the early 80's when it had a vinyl covered roof. Fitted by the previous owner to cover the rust no doubt.

I always thought it looked ok - very 70's.

Pete

[Stagdad]

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The one i saw at the nationals must have been changed in some way because it wasn't obvious that it wasa hard top.it looked more like a soft top with glass,not sure what they had done.

[GDPR]

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That doesn't look half bad - I'll have to wait until I'm back in the UK before I can try and change the colour in photoshop to see if it would work with the green.

Thanks Pete - very much appreciated, and you're right it does look very 70s but that's when the car was made and so only fitting!

Russ

[alan_thomas]

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When I bought my Stag it came with a vinyl covered roof. I thought it lookeda really good professional jobuntil I realised there was precious little steel left under the front lip, window pillarsand under the rear window. Pulled off the vinyl and it was unpainted underneath :shock:just factory primer I think it was like that from new.

- Alan

PS - saved the windows and scrapped the rest!

[redstag]

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Stagdad

I think you may have been looking at a Lenham hardtop.

They made two versions, both fibreglass. One was a full hardtop similar to the original, the other was a targa or surrey type top similar to a TR. The fabric part covered almost the whole top of the roof when fitted so would indeed have looked like a soft top with glass windows.

Pete

[Bob Heritage]

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Stagdad wrote:

The one i saw at the nationals must have been changed in some way because it wasn't obvious that it wasa hard top.it looked more like a soft top with glass,not sure what they had done.

Hi Stagdad,

The top you saw at Nat. Day was mine. It is an original Lenham Targa Top. The back half up to the 'B' post is made of Glass fibre with perspex side windows. The front is mohair which fits the same as a hard top in the front and extends to the rear window, this piece can be removed and fits in the boot. I covered the rear half with an old soft top to match the front as I thought it looked better not being painted car colour. The top was originally made for the owner of Lenham's wife who owned a Stag at the time. Lenham has now been bought out by Rimmers but they do not make the Targa as it was a special. I only use the top for Nat. days as we camp and my daughter and the dog are draft free for the journey and I can have the top open. It then comes off and goes under the trailer tent until it's time to go home. I could have sold the top loads of times and usually get asked about it when used. I will try to find some photos of it some time and post them on the forum.

I also have a vinyl covered hard top perched up on the garage ceiling gathering cobwebs-not seen daylight for years.

Sorry I missed you at Nat day but mine will be the one with the Targa on next year.

Bob

[Stagdad]

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Bob Heritage wrote:

Stagdad wrote:

The one i saw at the nationals must have been changed in some way because it wasn't obvious that it wasa hard top.it looked more like a soft top with glass,not sure what they had done.

Hi Stagdad,

The top you saw at Nat. Day was mine. It is an original Lenham Targa Top. The back half up to the 'B' post is made of Glass fibre with perspex side windows. The front is mohair which fits the same as a hard top in the front and extends to the rear window, this piece can be removed and fits in the boot. I covered the rear half with an old soft top to match the front as I thought it looked better not being painted car colour. The top was originally made for the owner of Lenham's wife who owned a Stag at the time. Lenham has now been bought out by Rimmers but they do not make the Targa as it was a special. I only use the top for Nat. days as we camp and my daughter and the dog are draft free for the journey and I can have the top open. It then comes off and goes under the trailer tent until it's time to go home. I could have sold the top loads of times and usually get asked about it when used. I will try to find some photos of it some time and post them on the forum.

I also have a vinyl covered hard top perched up on the garage ceiling gathering cobwebs-not seen daylight for years.

Sorry I missed you at Nat day but mine will be the one with the Targa on next year.

Bob

Bob

Thanks for clearing that up ,interesting,versitile setup.

Steve

[StagnJag]

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Hi Kryten,

I've just found another one. A yellow stag with a vinyl roof on you tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8qMBVnNlGo) . My father used to have a Mk 2 Escort with exactly the same colour scheme, vinyl roof and all!

Dave

[Stagdad]

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StagnJag wrote:

Hi Kryten,

I've just found another one. A yellow stag with a vinyl roof on you tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8qMBVnNlGo) . My father used to have a Mk 2 Escort with exactly the same colour scheme, vinyl roof and all!

Dave

That link has a problem.

Steve

[stagnut]

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Try this link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8qMBVnNlGo

[mad cyclist]

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alan_thomas wrote:

When I bought my Stag it came with a vinyl covered roof. I thought it lookeda really good professional jobuntil I realised there was precious little steel left under the front lip, window pillarsand under the rear window. Pulled off the vinyl and it was unpainted underneath :shock:just factory primer I think it was like that from new.

- Alan

PS - saved the windows and scrapped the rest!

mine was the same vinyl over primer.

managed to save it but its not perfect

[GDPR]

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My hard top, although not perfect, is salvageable with a little effort. Having seen the pictures kindly found for me, and weighing up the problems that covering it with vinyl might hide until it's too late- rust - I think I may aswell get the thing painted in the right colour.

Does anyone know if repair panels are made for the B post catch leverson the hard top? That is the only real trouble spot on mine - they are quite corroded but don't look that easy to duplicate from sheet steel - I don't want to paint the roof and then find I need major surgery to these panels later down the line......

[DJT]

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No repair panels are available for the hard top. You either make 'em yourself, or pay to get someone to do it for you. See link to pictures on the other thread.

Dave