How to Cover a Car Top With Vinyl
Vinyl-topped cars have such a vintage, effortless look about them that you may want to add vinyl to your vehicle. Even if your car has never had a vinyl top, you can still cover your car's top with the material to achieve the same look. To get a professional-looking car top, you need to put in some time and effort.
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Things You'll Need
- Masking tape
- Marker
- Screwdriver
- Vinyl car top
- Contact cement
- Razor blade
- Scissors
Instructions
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1
Apply masking tape to the car to mark off where the vinyl should be cut along the trim. The tape should overlap the bottom edge of the trim by 1/8 inch.
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2
Remove the trim and make a small mark with a marker on the tape at each point where there is a hole for the trim. Make marks for each of the window clips as well as you remove them with a screwdriver.
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3
Make a line down the center of the roof using a pencil running from the front to the back. Draw the same line along the center of the vinyl fabric to make centering the fabric easier.
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4
Lay the vinyl on top of the roof and line up the two drawn lines to center the vinyl properly. Fold the fabric so you can access the entire length of the drawn lines.
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5
Apply a thin line of contact cement along each of the lines and press the vinyl onto the roof. Spread out the vinyl again to make sure it is straight and make any needed adjustments within 5 minutes.
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6
Fold back one half of the vinyl again and spread a thin, even layer of cement onto the roof and the vinyl. You shouldn't put any cement on the parts of the vinyl that won't touch the roof.
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7
Cement the other half of the vinyl for the roof and pull the material tight against the roof. Work quickly to remove any wrinkles or air bubbles before the cement sets.
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8
Pull the vinyl down along the rear pillars and trim it with scissors to shape. The pillars are the angled vertical posts that connect the roof to the car body.
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9
Apply cement to one pillar at a time and to the coordinating section vinyl. Slip the lowest edge of the vinyl onto the bottom of the pillar first and then press the vinyl into place to make the cement bond.
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10
Hold the edge of a razor blade against the vinyl along the edges where it needs to be trimmed and gently pull the excess vinyl to the blade. This will help prevent cutting into the paint onto your car.
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11
Attach all of the pillar sections in the same way. Make sure all of the edges of vinyl overlap the masking tape by 1/8 inch.
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12
Reattach the trim pieces and window clips using the masking tape marks as a guide. Peel off the masking tape when all of the hardware is in place.
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Tips & Warnings
You can follow these instructions for tops with a number of seams. Just make sure you make your center line precise for symmetrical placement of the seams.
Do not spread out your contact cement until you are ready to place the vinyl as it dries very quickly and becomes difficult to work with.
