Carriage top, aka vinyl roof

[Jaskim06]

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.

Here's mine before doing sides. You can see the original color was blah. Ok but not my taste. I love the black. Why black well cause after 7 different stops at various big box store no clear but in a spray can. I've used it before and in my opinion for auto work it's not as easy and nice as on TV. The cans are much easier to work with and I didn't even tape anything off. Sunroof. I did do that. But that's because I wanted to get a couple coats inside where the window rubber seals against the body. Saved the outrageous price of a new gasket. It may look textured but it's smooth. We got a lil shower so the water drops make it look like that. I thought I had pics when it was done. My wife's the smartphone expert. I'll see if she can find them.

 

[Jaskim06]

Here's mine before doing sides. You can see the original color was blah. Ok but not my taste. I love the black. Why black well cause after 7 different stops at various big box store no clear but in a spray can. I've used it before and in my opinion for auto work it's not as easy and nice as on TV. The cans are much easier to work with and I didn't even tape anything off. Sunroof. I did do that. But that's because I wanted to get a couple coats inside where the window rubber seals against the body. Saved the outrageous price of a new gasket. It may look textured but it's smooth. We got a lil shower so the water drops make it look like that. I thought I had pics when it was done. My wife's the smartphone expert. I'll see if she can find them.

I will post better pics in the daytime to give a better idea of the complete finished job. This should last many many years and if and when it starts to deteriorate I will just pull off the top and buff the paint so it all matches. When I do my 99 Cartier in Autum red with a red half top I'll post pics of this. Thanks again to jkeaton for his info, pics and advice on what and how to do this. Saved me alot of work and money and time. Very much appreciated.

 

[jylincoln]

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.

Hi Brian,

Do you need to remove the headliner to get to the screws that hold the fiberglass shell to the body of the car?

Thank you.

 

[Jaskim06]

Hi Brian,

Do you need to remove the headliner to get to the screws that hold the fiberglass shell to the body of the car?

Thank you.

If you pop out the lil black plastic pieces on the end of the metal trim the screws are underneath. Trim runs along bottom of sides and along under the rear window you can see I think 4 or 5 screws holding the bottom. Inside top of doors are the ones holding the door pieces on if you have those depending on a full or half top. The ones up front above windshield are under headliner I believe. Those are the spots I know where they're at. Never had one off a newer lincoln. Just ones in 80s, 90s.

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[Towncarlimoguy]

Here's some before and after. Works for me and like you said, saved me about $2000. It was particularly bad when it got wet, the top was porous, so it would wrinkle real bad and take a couple days to dry out, so this was 50% looks, 50% protection of the metal underneath to prevent (further0 rusting of the roof. I imagine I'll get rid of the car before this stuff wears out. Next Lincoln will not have a vinyl roof.


View attachment 10105

So applying the flex seal ALSO TOOK CARE OF THE top coming up like that?

 

[Jaskim06]

So applying the flex seal ALSO TOOK CARE OF THE top coming up like that?

Yes. I will get a good pic of my roof now that it's a nice day finally! jkeaton has many good pics he supplied.

 

[Jaskim06]

If you pop out the lil black plastic pieces on the end of the metal trim the screws are underneath. Trim runs along bottom of sides and along under the rear window you can see I think 4 or 5 screws holding the bottom. Inside top of doors are the ones holding the door pieces on if you have those depending on a full or half top. The ones up front above windshield are under headliner I believe. Those are the spots I know where they're at. Never had one off a newer lincoln. Just ones in 80s, 90s.

Idk about the ones up front. Mine is sealed up with either silicone or some kind of all weather sealant. It's a great job whoever did it. I'm looking into getting the 05-10 Ford shop manual one of those years to see if it has any info on the screws and locations. But they're from 90 bucks and up for a decent manual. Nicer ones are very pricey where I looked on ebay.

 

[KBoyle]

Hi, Jaskim08 and all.

As for factory fitment on vinyl tops for the later Town Cars, I have been wrong in the past and will probably be wrong again. I'm trying to find references on this, but haven't been fully successful one way or another.

The first "reference" to prove one way or another, which I haven't gathered yet due to cost but others here probably have would be the Lincoln printed dealership brochures for each year. If a vinyl top was available from the factory, at least one car in the brochure for that year will have one.

Your parts supplier listing a "factory" top available for the 2003-2010 model years would strongly suggest that Lincoln had brought them "back" for a few years due to "popular demand." If that's the case, but you still want a "factory vinyl" roof for your 1998, then there is still some hope for you.

And "dealer-installed" does not necessarily equal garbage or even undesirable. After all, if nobody wanted vinyl tops, then the dealerships wouldn't dream of putting them on their cars. They want to sell the cars, after all, and won't do anything to them to make the harder to sell.

In the end, unless you are actually trying to maintain or restore your Town Car to concours standards, it doesn't matter all that much. The dealership tops were common enough that you shouldn't lose points for having one installed if it's in good condition. And a true factory vinyl top, with provenance, will be even better. So, vinyl or steel if you want too, just keep the car itself what a luxury car should be.

This controversy can run both ways. The 1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III came with a vinyl top as standard equipment. However, there was a "vinyl top delete" option that wasn't free, that a little over 700 customers paid for and had delivered. So, if you have the provenance, you can win full points at the concours with your painted roof Mark III.

As a final comment, my 2001 Town Car has a "fabric texture" vinyl top. The top is intact, and looks nice, whether it was installed at Wixom or a dealer body shop in Michigan, where the car was delivered to its first owner. Removing said top isn't at the top of my maintenance list, or even on the first page.

Cheers!

@brian

I wish my Marti Report had this info but it does not. I thought for sure it would. As far as I know the kid I got this car from uncle bought this car brand new. I have all the service records starting with the first oil change at 3000 miles. I remember seeing a shipment of lincolns being unloaded at my local Ford dealership around 2008 while coming home from Marine Corps boot camp, none with a vinyl top and thought that was odd. Growing up they was on every other lincoln, caddy, hell alot of cars. I hope you didn't read that I typed you should know and have the info Brian J Patterson. I was referring to the Marti Report another guy got for his car like mine and myself. He has all the info on all Ford cars ever built since 67??. I had no idea what this was until another member of this fine forum gave me the 411 on Marti Reports. I thought since this is a pretty pricey option that it'd be on the Report but not so. If I put you on the spot or made it sound like you are the holder of all info on tops I am sorry. That was not my intention. I wish that the Report came with all the options pertaining to my Town car since they only made the Designer series for a couple years. Semper Fi

@BrentM1972

Hi, Jaskim08 and all.

As for factory fitment on vinyl tops for the later Town Cars, I have been wrong in the past and will probably be wrong again. I'm trying to find references on this, but haven't been fully successful one way or another.

The first "reference" to prove one way or another, which I haven't gathered yet due to cost but others here probably have would be the Lincoln printed dealership brochures for each year. If a vinyl top was available from the factory, at least one car in the brochure for that year will have one.

Your parts supplier listing a "factory" top available for the 2003-2010 model years would strongly suggest that Lincoln had brought them "back" for a few years due to "popular demand." If that's the case, but you still want a "factory vinyl" roof for your 1998, then there is still some hope for you.

And "dealer-installed" does not necessarily equal garbage or even undesirable. After all, if nobody wanted vinyl tops, then the dealerships wouldn't dream of putting them on their cars. They want to sell the cars, after all, and won't do anything to them to make the harder to sell.

In the end, unless you are actually trying to maintain or restore your Town Car to concours standards, it doesn't matter all that much. The dealership tops were common enough that you shouldn't lose points for having one installed if it's in good condition. And a true factory vinyl top, with provenance, will be even better. So, vinyl or steel if you want too, just keep the car itself what a luxury car should be.

This controversy can run both ways. The 1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III came with a vinyl top as standard equipment. However, there was a "vinyl top delete" option that wasn't free, that a little over 700 customers paid for and had delivered. So, if you have the provenance, you can win full points at the concours with your painted roof Mark III.

As a final comment, my 2001 Town Car has a "fabric texture" vinyl top. The top is intact, and looks nice, whether it was installed at Wixom or a dealer body shop in Michigan, where the car was delivered to its first owner. Removing said top isn't at the top of my maintenance list, or even on the first page.

Cheers!

@brian

I wish my Marti Report had this info but it does not. I thought for sure it would. As far as I know the kid I got this car from uncle bought this car brand new. I have all the service records starting with the first oil change at 3000 miles. I remember seeing a shipment of lincolns being unloaded at my local Ford dealership around 2008 while coming home from Marine Corps boot camp, none with a vinyl top and thought that was odd. Growing up they was on every other lincoln, caddy, hell alot of cars. I hope you didn't read that I typed you should know and have the info Brian J Patterson. I was referring to the Marti Report another guy got for his car like mine and myself. He has all the info on all Ford cars ever built since 67??. I had no idea what this was until another member of this fine forum gave me the 411 on Marti Reports. I thought since this is a pretty pricey option that it'd be on the Report but not so. If I put you on the spot or made it sound like you are the holder of all info on tops I am sorry. That was not my intention. I wish that the Report came with all the options pertaining to my Town car since they only made the Designer series for a couple years. Semper Fi

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[KBoyle]

Hi Guys,
I know this is a super old post, I’m new here but not new to owning a Lincoln Town Car. I’ve owned the same ‘03 since off-lease and a Continental before that. So if you haven’t found the answer already I can solve the mystery! Shockingly a FACTORY top hasn’t been offered since the 1992 ! A Company called “E&G Classics” was the manufacturer of (most) them and were aftermarket. But they collaborated with Lincoln and Town Cars were designed with a top in mind, but it became too costly to offer it as an option. They went out of business in 2014, and Vogue bought them out (another one that roof packages) There were a few kinds the full top was considered the “Presidential” usually sail cloth, and the half vinyl carriage top with the opera light was the “Congressional”, so if you see a Town Car that had “Regatta Edition” “Black Tie Edition” (white/black or black/black( the top was out on aftermarket. In the 90s the those were actual factory Ford color combos. But you name it, theres countless “editions”. (First photo is my ‘03. I had the top replaced in 2015)