Carriage top, aka vinyl roof

[Jaskim06]

What year is yours? They don't make one for my 04.

Here you go. I found it and I'm learning this new tech at same time. See what you think. I found 699.00 on ebay but idk about that.

 

[Jaskim06]

What year is yours? They don't make one for my 04.

A ebay seller has them factory style materials for 699.00 says elk on them. The other company has them for limos and it says elk too. Idk if that's the name of the company that supplies the material or its made from elk but for that price of 499.00 like I said I'll stick to the flex seal. I've seen alot of fixed with convertible tops with it, not done like yours but fixing flexing points and works great. Sure beats 1500-2000. See what yall think. I read on another forum a fella was a dealer in the 90s and said if they was having trouble selling the 93 executive series car they'd put on a vinyl roof and it'd sell fast.

 

[Jaskim06]

Believe it or not, I used clear flex seal on mine. Works great.

jkeaton I was gonna use 91% alcohol go clean and prep the top. What did you use?? Thank you

 

[jkeaton]

jkeaton I was gonna use 91% alcohol go clean and prep the top. What did you use?? Thank you

303 convertible top cleaner.

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[Jaskim06]

303 convertible top cleaner.

Thank you.

 

[Jaskim06]

Thank you.

I'm gonna try 99%. Hers why. I decided to go with black instead of clear. What do you think about black instead of that brown color?

 

[Jaskim06]

I'm gonna try 99%. Hers why. I decided to go with black instead of clear. What do you think about black instead of that brown color?

I have a 3 inch roller and pan and tape to tape off everything. I got my sunroof kit ordered. Thinking it'd be way easier to take out sunroof paint the top then put back together but cure time says 24-48 hours, between coats. I got what you did the quart size 32oz.

 

[jkeaton]

I didn't tape anything, including the sunroof. I just took my time with a 3" roller and in some places used a brush.

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[Jaskim06]

I didn't tape anything, including the sunroof. I just took my time with a 3" roller and in some places used a brush.

Great minds think alike. I got same size roller. I'm gonna try black instead of clear. I dont know how it will look. Hope good with Cashmere paint. It says 24 hours between coats did you wait that long?

 

[jkeaton]

Great minds think alike. I got same size roller. I'm gonna try black instead of clear. I dont know how it will look. Hope good with Cashmere paint. It says 24 hours between coats did you wait that long?

I waited a few days.

 

[Jaskim06]

I waited a few days.

Okay thank you. I put some black on a piece of cardboard and taped that to the top to see what it'd look like. I really think it's gonna look great. With the wind at 15mph blowing tree buds, flower petals and random organic spring time things I'm gonna wait to put my first coat on. It did dry very quick. 4 hours and I dint leave any on my finger from really touching it. I'll post some pics when I'm done. Thank you so much for all your wisdom with this issue. You've been a big help jkeaton!!

 

[Jaskim06]

Okay thank you. I put some black on a piece of cardboard and taped that to the top to see what it'd look like. I really think it's gonna look great. With the wind at 15mph blowing tree buds, flower petals and random organic spring time things I'm gonna wait to put my first coat on. It did dry very quick. 4 hours and I dint leave any on my finger from really touching it. I'll post some pics when I'm done. Thank you so much for all your wisdom with this issue. You've been a big help jkeaton!!

Did you have time to check on that site I gave you for your top? They seem to have really good tops. Very good quality and finish. I didnt realize they made so many color options. But for $499 I'd switch colors. $500 installed yourself is a third or 4th of what you and I was quoted for top replacement. I tried to find out where this guy got his tops but he didn't lie so much as double talk saying it depends on the car and year he gets them various places, depending on if customer wants factory style or not. Assuming he gets them from that site or one like it he makes a grand or more for just putting it on. It's just screwed on and you have to take some inside trim pieces off to access them and seal around the door pieces with silicone.

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[jkeaton]

Did you have time to check on that site I gave you for your top? They seem to have really good tops. Very good quality and finish. I didnt realize they made so many color options. But for $499 I'd switch colors. $500 installed yourself is a third or 4th of what you and I was quoted for top replacement. I tried to find out where this guy got his tops but he didn't lie so much as double talk saying it depends on the car and year he gets them various places, depending on if customer wants factory style or not. Assuming he gets them from that site or one like it he makes a grand or more for just putting it on. It's just screwed on and you have to take some inside trim pieces off to access them and seal around the door pieces with silicone.

No! It's frustrating because I enter my vehicle info and it says no products found!

 

[Jaskim06]

No! It's frustrating because I enter my vehicle info and it says no products found!

View attachment 10146

I know the feeling. Change to number displayed go 100 per page. On page 9 at the bottom left.

 

[Jaskim06]

No! It's frustrating because I enter my vehicle info and it says no products found!

View attachment 10146

I did same thing and was like wtf you say you have it but when I enter 07 town car designer it says same. I had to do what I told you in earlier post and found it. The other one I found is on ebay. They have for 07 idk about any earlier. My 99 Cartier has a half top. I'm going to do the flexseal if the wind can ever die down below 5mph and not be blowing all the crap from the surrounding trees, shrubs and cut grass. I'd be very upset to paint it and then have all this trash in it. Thanks to you I'll just do both with flex and when time comes get a new top. Hope this helps.

 

[jylincoln]

Very interesting! I'm kind of wondering what happens with the Flexseal on a very hot day.

(Maybe Phil Swift will find inspiration for a new commercial featuring our Lincoln Town Car's...)

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[jylincoln]

I guess very very few people have eliminated their half-tops and converted their cars back to a (factory) painted roof?

I'm scared to get this started because I don't know what I'm gonna find underneath the top.

 

[Jaskim06]

Very interesting! I'm kind of wondering what happens with the Flexseal on a very hot day.

(Maybe Phil Swift will find inspiration for a new commercial featuring our Lincoln Town Car's...)

Mine sits out in hot sun all day. It's pliable and rubbery. I'm so very happy with it. I've tore off these tops and it's been cutting, grinding, welding bodywork paint etc. It's not worth all the time, and effort. I popped off a small place and stuck a endo video camera inside and mine looks factory new, so no water damage and rust. There's pics of jkeaton and mine on there. I'll get you a close up pic today and post. About kids nap time so time for me to get to replacing door hinge pins. Thanks to the engineers at Ford for using a rivet type pin instead of oh idk a c clip or e clip type pin. I love having no room to work and lots of chiseling and dremmel work!! New ones came with a threaded bottom so you can tighten up a lock nut and be done!! Yes its off topic but I have to vent. Yes I know I can take door off and access hinge and pins but you know all other auto companies I've never had to do all that extra work for a pin and bushing. You can ask jkeaton too. He helped me out greatly with this issue. Thank you again jKeaton. Semper Fi

 

[Jaskim06]

Very interesting! I'm kind of wondering what happens with the Flexseal on a very hot day.

(Maybe Phil Swift will find inspiration for a new commercial featuring our Lincoln Town Car's...)

I was a lil skeptical about flexseal after watching some user videos on you tube but jkeaton posted pics and it looks great. So I did it too. Very happy. I used 2 coats, quart can. Then I went back and got another for doing some sealing of seams on bottom of car and body underneath. I think using flexseal then some fluid film like product will keep the rust and salt at bay. I've had mine done for a month at least. New top is around 400-500 if you do work. Shop is 1500-2000. Flex seal is like 24.99 plus a paint tray roller kit, 4.99. And about 30-45 minutes of 2 days. Easy, cheap and looks and works great. I'm doing the half top on my 99 Cartier. It's bad. But it's red so gonna have to figure that out. Idk if I can get red flex seal and tint to autumn red. I'll snap and post pics this evening.

 

[Brian J. Patterson]

I guess very very few people have eliminated their half-tops and converted their cars back to a (factory) painted roof?

I'm scared to get this started because I don't know what I'm gonna find underneath the top.

Hi, jylincoln and all.

On a 1998-2010 you will find all of the screw holes that held the roof shell to the body of the car. If you're lucky, there will only be screw holes, and not rusted out screw holes. The original paint will likely be almost fully intact, and blendable once the holes are filled in.

For these years, the vinyl is applied to plastic or fiberglass shells that are then screwed to the roof and door tops, etc.

If you go the replacement route, be very careful when removing the shells and trim from the body of the car. Newstalga does not currently offer the shells, and the trim may be even more difficult to get.

Going the Flexseal route should be a good "mid-term" solution for the car at a very economical cost, depending on how bad your roof is right now. @jkeaton and @Jaskim06 are both happy with theirs.

Good luck.