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THE LOBBY A gathering place. Introductions, sports, showin' off your ride, birthday-anniversary-milestone, achievements, family oriented humor. |
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#1
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Half Vinyl Top on T 37
Has anyone seen a half vinyl top on a T 37 or lemans or similar? My son was talking to a fellow that showed him pics of a T37 he had in the early 70's. It was only a couple year old used car at the time. It had a half vinyl top. I thought it was very odd, I have seen full tops but typically only seen the half's on eldorados and such. I am sure it was very low production with that roof.
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#2
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Half on the driver side or the passenger side?
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#3
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Half vinyl tops were not a factory option on mid 60's to early 70's GM A-body's.
What your son was presented was pics of a 1/2 top put on by a local vinyl top/sunroof business fairly early in the 70's. Over the years, I've run across such 1/2 vinyl top installs but more often on '71-72 Skylarks & Cutlass Supremes.
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#4
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fashion is so weird...at least it wasn't woodgrain
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Esquire '74 T/A 455 Y-code SD clone previously on Dawson's Creek: '74 T/A 400 '81 AMC SX/4 '69 FB 350 |
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#5
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My old Buick GS Stage 1 car had one.
Like this one; https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-pr...uscle-machine/
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https://www.flickr.com/photos/197745168@N07/ "There's nothing more unsatisfying than watching an electric car go down the dragstrip." |
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#6
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I think one of my college classmates had a 1973 Le Mans Sport Coupe with the Landau vinyl top similar to this 1976:
https://1976lemans.blogspot.com/ His was dark green with the black top and window louvers - nicknamed "The Armadillo". My 1969 Buick Skylark was affectionately referred to as "The Tuna Boat". https://www.flickr.com/photos/autohistorian/50722433772 Strange how I always wound up driving when there were six of us going out.... |
#7
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This was an earlier car, and the vinyl was on the back half. I grew up in that era and have no problem with vinyl tops, I like them on some cars. On this one it doesnt particularly look that good IMO. I would not be surprised if its aftermarket. Thanks.
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#8
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Picture of Kenny Gregrich's 72 LeMans Sport. I believe it was his grandmother who bought it brand new, and now he has it.
KennyG from the old ClassicalPontiac page.
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'73 T/A (clone). Low budget stock headed 8.3:1 455, 222/242 116lsa .443/.435 cam. FAST Sportsman EFI, 315rwhp/385rwtq on 87 octane. 13.12 @103.2, 1.91 60'. '67 Firebird [sold], ; 11.27 @ 119.61, 7.167 @ 96.07, with UD 280/280 (108LSA/ 109 ICL)solid cam. [1.537, 7.233 @93.61, 11.46 @ 115.4 w/ old UD 288/296 108 hydraulic cam] Feb '05 HPP, home-ported "16" D-ports, dished pistons (pump gas only), 3.42 gears, 275/60 DR's, 750DP, T2, full exhaust |
#9
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Looks like a factory type stainless trim in the back. Is that vinyl or painted?
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72 lemans,455 e-head, UD 255/263 solid flat,3.73 gears,,,10" 4400 converter,, 6.68 at 101.8 mph,,1.44 60 ft.2007 (cam 271/278 roller)9"CC.4.11gear 6.41 at 106.32 mph 1.42 60 ft.(2009) SOLD,SOLD 1970 GTO 455 4 speed #matching,, 3.31 posi.Stock manifolds. # 64 heads.A factory mint tuquoise ,69' judge stripe car. 8.64 @ 87.3 mph on slippery street tires.Bad 2.25 60ft.Owned since 86' |
#10
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Quote:
Aftermarket vinyl tops, installed on a whim, are another story. In the late 60's to early 70's, such tops were a popular addition @ new car dealerships to make a sale, & even as an aftermarket addition a few years later in the mid '70's. On the '68-72 A-body 2 door Pontiacs with a full aftermarket vinyl top, the edge molding was typically a one piece plastic semi-hoop. This is unlike the factory stainless pieces & chromed potmetal corner pieces. Very easy to spot a full vinyl top aftermarket style. This style of chromed plastic edge molding would get a yellowish cast to it within just a few years. With an aftermarket vinyl top, even on cars that have spent their entire existence in fairly dry climates, its fairly common to find rust damage to the roof & catwalk. Ocassionally, it will also rear it's head on the A & B pillars of the car. A view that several of us have come to is the common spray on glue of the time interacted with the original lacquer paint, eventually creating trapped rust. Peel off the top, & one will see the damage. Years ago this opinion was further confirmed when i brought up the aftermarket vinyl top subject with one of my friends who has done high quality metalwork & bodywork for over 45 years. Like myself, he has had his hands on a ton of A-body's of this era. The particular car that am dealing with this issue has been well stored indoors since the mid 80's, & had been stored under a carport throughout the 70's when it was not being wrenched on or raced. All it took was the original owner having an aftermarket vinyl top installed in late '74 (at his wife's desire) to start the rust process. The damage evident by the mid 80's was rust pocks in the B pillar area of the roof skin, above & below, the leaded seam of the passenger 1/4 panel. Nothing a lot of labor, a roof skin, & nos 1/4 panel couldn't solve, but an absolute frustrating ordeal. Buyer beware on vinyl top car purchases.
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Buzzards gotta eat... same as worms. |
#11
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Vinyl. I've seen it in person.
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'73 T/A (clone). Low budget stock headed 8.3:1 455, 222/242 116lsa .443/.435 cam. FAST Sportsman EFI, 315rwhp/385rwtq on 87 octane. 13.12 @103.2, 1.91 60'. '67 Firebird [sold], ; 11.27 @ 119.61, 7.167 @ 96.07, with UD 280/280 (108LSA/ 109 ICL)solid cam. [1.537, 7.233 @93.61, 11.46 @ 115.4 w/ old UD 288/296 108 hydraulic cam] Feb '05 HPP, home-ported "16" D-ports, dished pistons (pump gas only), 3.42 gears, 275/60 DR's, 750DP, T2, full exhaust |
#12
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OPH is dead on... at my GM dealer, when the Nova Concourse Landau showed up, people wanted that look on a Pontiac. We had some Phoenix with odd partial tops too.
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"The Future Belongs to those who are STILL Willing to get their Hands Dirty" .. my Grandfather |
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