3/4 canopy top question!

flapenguin · Post by **flapenguin** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 1:37 am

I am trying to finish a 1971 383, 4-spd Road Runner "pilot car." It is serial#100056, first 383 4-spd built at the LA plant. Highly optioned car (fender tag shows front/rear spoilers AND louvers), also had 3/4 canopy vinyl top. The car no longer has the vinyl top and I am unable to tell where the seams lined up on the roof, so the question is: Given that both 41 and 45" seams were availabel that year, how would I go about choosing a seam width for the top (to order from legendary or whoever..). Thanks for any help....THE FLorida penguin in Tallahassee

landon1 · Post by **landon1** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 3:06 am

I was wondering about that too, but I'm not sure. Maybe since it's a pilot car, there could be some old pics around somewhere. I kind of figured that the tops were just randomly placed on cars without documentation of what they were, like the trunk mats- I guess they came in different colors and styles, but you can't tell which one came in a specific car, unless you have it. Maybe someone with more historical background ifo would know. I was going to go seamless for a smoother look,since that is one of the pattern options, but sometimes the seams look good.

flapenguin · Post by **flapenguin** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 4:09 am

I wasn't even aware there was a "seamless" version of the top...I have submitted my car infor to the Chrylser Historical Society and I'm hooping they will have something to send me about the car...it may shed some light on this for me, otherwise I will have to just choose one , I guess....

1972RM23 · Post by **1972RM23** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 11:27 am

The top is seamless but the seams are on the 'a' pillars ...about a quarter way down from the top of roof.
Let me see if I have a close up shot.
Steve

flapenguin · Post by **flapenguin** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 12:33 pm

Legendayr does not offer a "seamless" top for that year, only 41 and 45" seams, so maybe I am not understanding your reply...I see that is a 72 RR...maybe the tops available changed from 71? Or does the 41/45" seam refer to something related to where the seam is on the A-piller? Sorry for the stoooopid questions, I am dense! But thanks for helping...Marty

landon1 · Post by **landon1** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 2:09 pm

i know paddock does and I just looked at my legendary catalog. it's item numbers VTL804RX(C)NC/P and VTL804X(C)NC/P. The first is for a semaless top and no pillar post, the other is for a seamless top with pillar post. In the side bar it says they came either with or without a pillar post. The ones with a pilalr post had the vinyl running all the way down to the bottom of the windshield. The tops without didn't run all the way down, so I assume there must have been a piece of trim to wrap from the roof rails to the windshield?

i've never seen trim, or a vinyl top like that, but I guess they make them.

Post by **Eric** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 2:20 pm

My experience with Legendary has been that they don't always know what they're talking about! When they first came out with the upper door panels, they refused to believe that the panel with the color inserts was correct for a delux interior roadrunner....their book told them it was only right on a Satellite

BTW, welcome to the 'nest Marty!!!

1972RM23 · Post by **1972RM23** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 4:18 pm

Here are the shots from my cars canopy vinyl top.
Hope they help.
Seam is 21 inched up from top of door/fender.
Steve

flapenguin · Post by **flapenguin** » Sun Feb 05, 2006 6:12 pm

Hey eric, I knew I'd find you in here! Thanks guys for all the help....Steve, that looks very much like the vinyl top on my 73 Camaro (are you allowed to say curse words on here?) was that the original top on your RR or had someone put that on before you got the car? I will try and contact a few more people and get some more input....curioser and curioser, said Alice.....Marty

1972RM23 · Post by **1972RM23** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 11:46 am

My top is original .... that's the factory way to install a canopy vinyl top on 71-72 B-bodies.

road chicken · Post by **road chicken** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 5:06 pm

1972RM23 wrote:My top is original .... that's the factory way to install a canopy vinyl top on 71-72 B-bodies.

No need to look further. Steves is the real deal.

flapenguin · Post by **flapenguin** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 7:55 pm

I think I'm finally narrowing this down...thanks steve for that great photo, I see now what it 's supposed to look like...But one more question: After calling Layson's and finding about 47 different canopy tops available (all different colors, I guess), they DO have 2 different ones for my car that seem correct...3/4 front, w/ center deck, pillar seams AND either 40" center deck width or 45" center deck width...

OK, I give, what or where is the center deck, how do I measure it, which is correct for a 1971 pilot car out of LA? Sorry for being so dense, I need help!

Marty

flapenguin · Post by **flapenguin** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:41 pm

OK, I just talked to the guy at Layson's and I Am a dunce...The center deck is the roof top, and there is a canopy top that is available such as the one pictured on steve's car, smooth center deck, pillar post seams. I guess the only obscure info would be related to what was avaialble at each plant, even tho canopy tops WITH seams were available that year. I doubt that I'll be able to determine which 3/4 canopy top was originally installed on my car unless I can track down the previous owners, so that may be my next step, but given my self-imposed timeframe, I will probably go with the pillar post seam, no seam on top look, as I have now seen two factory examples....Thanks again..Marty

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