another slicktop project thread

[tjltd]

after lots of thinking i had to take a difficult decision, original full vinyl or slicktop, you can't appreciate very much the vinyl crackin' in the pic but believe me it was gone, my mayor concern was rust underneath, anyways i took the decision and decided slicktop, i started taking the old vinyl and as you can see removing the original base coat, glue, paint etc, i wanted to leave the bare metal so i could do any of the rust repairs needed. I will start updating my progress and i would appreciate any tips, comments or ideas along the way.

when i took the vinyl of and saw the brown roof i thought it was rust, but fortunately it turned out to be the base coat the roof had from the factory, used a sander and paint remover for that process

[Cable Guys FGMQ]

Looking good so far Rafeal keep up the good work ..

[tjltd]

Thanks Regis, thought i shared with the rest of the community

[gadget73]

So you're gonna be putting that back on once you're done right? Full tops are rare, especially on a Vic.

[tjltd]

i really really would like to install another vinyl top, i love how it looks and as a purist i wouldn't like it any other way but i guess i would rather save the roof, its not that rusty but i guess with time it would get worse even if i prepped real well the metal there's always the risk...

in any case i need to prep real good the roof so i will be posting pics of the job in progress and the finished primed roof

[bowman83merc]

if you prep it good and repaint it then get the new top i don't see why it won't last another 28 years. If its not rusty now what would a new top change on how fast it rusts.

[Cable Guys FGMQ]

Your welcome Rafeal & also thx u for putting it on my FGMQC site..

[hav24wheel]

Is that "C" pillar seam already filled? Its hard to tell lookin at the pic on my blackberry.

[tjltd]

Is that "C" pillar seam already filled? Its hard to tell lookin at the pic on my blackberry.

yes it is, I'll try and take a better pic this weekend i already used rust converter and I'm ready to begin filling some minor rust pits. btw love your car!

[87gtVIC]

sweet!

[hav24wheel]

Thanks, how are u filling the holes left from the trim? Or are u leavin the trim on there?

[gadget73]

I wonder if its not something to do with the full top vs half top thing. Maybe the full tops were finished as a slicktop, and the vinyl was added on after the body was completely finished? The half top cars had that ugly seem in the C pillar with no filler. Clearly those were slated to be topped cars before the body was fully finished.

[tjltd]

Thanks, how are u filling the holes left from the trim? Or are u leavin the trim on there?

like gadget said the full vinyls came with the almost slicktop treatment, they have some seams in the C pillar but didn't came with the holes for the half roof trim, i only need to fill some minor rust pits and smooth out the seams

[Grand Marquis GT]

Slicktop that sucker, hell yeah!!

[tjltd]

thanks Tom , gonna have some new pics next week i promise, i just didn't had that much time to work on the LTD this week, but i did managed to use the rust converter