Vinyl top over epoxy

Dean Jenkins

Promoted Users
I've made the decision to put a vinyl top on the '68 el Camino.
Variety of reasons, most importantly, I like the look.

I'm assuming the best course of action is to leave the top in epoxy, not finish it in base/clear. There is a clean trim line to mask to for that.
Here is a picture.

el camino vinyl top trim line.jpg


Couple questions.

1) Agree with that, or is there a reason to put base/clear under the area that will be covered by the vinyl top?
2) What would be the ideal cure time for the epoxy before covering with vinyl?
3) Has anyone experienced any kind of reaction with vinyl top glue and the epoxy?

Thanks
 
As long as you put on 3 good coats of the epoxy, I can't see any reason for any other top coat. The few times I've used vinyl top adhesive, it seemed to be a fairly mild contact adhesive, very little solvent content to react with the vinyl, So I don't think you should have any issues.
I'm sure someone here has actually done this exact thing.
 
I have done 2 over epoxy... use Weldwood Landau top glue (you can buy it reduced sprayable that will work with a 2.0 and LPHV gun) only or you will be doing it again in a year. I was not fancy... over-sprayed at the line, just scuffed it with 320 grit when I was ready for the top.

34707609_1988429204563426_950061085296164864_o.jpg
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+1 for DAP Weldwood Landau. It is the best contact cement on the market. Just be sure to apply it correctly and let it set the required amount of time before applying the vinyl top.
Cured (SPI) epoxy is about as solvent resistant as anything out there so applying it over epoxy is perfectly fine.
 
+1 for DAP Weldwood Landau. It is the best contact cement on the market. Just be sure to apply it correctly and let it set the required amount of time before applying the vinyl top.
Cured (SPI) epoxy is about as solvent resistant as anything out there so applying it over epoxy is perfectly fine.
Thanks @Chris_Hamilton . What is a good, safe cure time? 14+ days is what I was thinking.
 
Thanks @Chris_Hamilton . What is a good, safe cure time? 14+ days is what I was thinking.
Should be pretty close then, maybe not completely cured though. If you can get it out into the sun for some time, that would be good. Two full days would be ideal. Check with Barry on when it will be resistant as I thought it took a month to be relatively completely cured.
 
From a material science perspective--I wonder if anyone in a hot dry sunny climate has used a hard bond line adhesive like a thin layer of sprayed epoxy perhaps 3-5mils thick to join two materials (steel roof and vinyl fabric that have drastically differing coefficients of thermal expansion) in the desert sun? Especially the vinyl absorbing the heat from the sun first. It will move much more than steel for the same temperature rise. If you have used SPI epoxy primer--I think you have done yourself a huge favor on your roof with this hard bond first layer coating to your steel roof. Something nudges me toward a similar bond for the thin vinyl sheet for a first thought using something like SPI epoxy to bond the vinyl into wet. Especially something with a resin and hardener resulting a chemical reaction rather than just the solvent evaporation of a solvent or water based contact cement. Many of these contact cements get 90% of whatever strength they can achieve within a half hour or less--but I would not use them below 60F and be around 50%RH. The original Barge brand used to make a very under-rated contact cement powerful nasty solvent-based cement loaded with toluene. If the idea works--I hope Barry remembers me................................

It does not surprise me that the posters here from Arizona have had poor experience with a solvent-based contact cement to sticking all over or on the edges. I had a similar failure with solvent based contact cement (one of the expensive industrial 3M ones and vinyl fabric to steel sheet and fiberglass in a boating application) from very hot dry sun exposure at well above 4,000 ft in elevation. A soft bond line like contact cement results in never preventing relative movement between the two pieces being joined when either their moisture content differs (wood veneer to substrate like plywood) or the materials expand and contract and greatly differing rates.
 
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We have put vinyl tops over epoxy for many years.
Also, our epoxy has been used on 100s of maul aircraft fabric over the doping process.
Spray cans of trim adhesive will not last when used on these tops unless the car never leaves the garage.

Back to the question, it's a waste of time and money to coat the epoxy as it offers no additional protection.
 
We have put vinyl tops over epoxy for many years.
Also, our epoxy has been used on 100s of maul aircraft fabric over the doping process.
Spray cans of trim adhesive will not last when used on these tops unless the car never leaves the garage.

Back to the question, it's a waste of time and money to coat the epoxy as it offers no additional protection.
Thanks @Barry . What is the ideal cure time for the epoxy before laying down the vinyl?
I'll try to get it outside, but it's winter in the northwest, rain most days.
 
Thanks @Barry . What is the ideal cure time for the epoxy before laying down the vinyl?
I'll try to get it outside, but it's winter in the northwest, rain most days.
Most shops do it the next day or two, ive always said to do it in 7 days, BUT it is also done over older factory-cured paint and they dont sand; I never heard of an issue if using the upholstery shop-grade sprayed out of a gun.
I dont really know, just going by what shops tell me.
 
As far as mounting I ended up going with these screws from Groundup. https://www.ss396.com/el-camino/KMC-15KWS.html

The end/corner trim pieces were a different story. My mounting posts were toast so I picked up a good used set and had those re-chromed.

I replaced both quarters on mine and had no mounting holes so I trimed the posts off the old end/corner trim leaving a 1/8" sticking above the trim. Attached those to the center sections and had help holding them in the correct postions. Then used a pencil to mark the outline of the trim on the panels. I then put a drop of black lacquer on the end trim post I trim off and transfered those to the panels. After that I marked the location for the screws and pilot drilled all the holes and double/triple checked everything. Then drilled the end trim holes to the correct size for the post and then fitted all of it before painting. So far so good. Going with the Weldwood Landau Top Adhesive. Just my .02

John
 
As far as mounting I ended up going with these screws from Groundup. https://www.ss396.com/el-camino/KMC-15KWS.html

The end/corner trim pieces were a different story. My mounting posts were toast so I picked up a good used set and had those re-chromed.

I replaced both quarters on mine and had no mounting holes so I trimed the posts off the old end/corner trim leaving a 1/8" sticking above the trim. Attached those to the center sections and had help holding them in the correct postions. Then used a pencil to mark the outline of the trim on the panels. I then put a drop of black lacquer on the end trim post I trim off and transfered those to the panels. After that I marked the location for the screws and pilot drilled all the holes and double/triple checked everything. Then drilled the end trim holes to the correct size for the post and then fitted all of it before painting. So far so good. Going with the Weldwood Landau Top Adhesive. Just my .02

John
Thanks! Good tips.
Sounds like the Weldwood Landau Top Adhesive is the "must use," so I'll go with that.
FYI, I'll never order from SS396.com again. Horrible experience and many reviews confirm that.
OPGI is my go to. And the screw in posts are available lots of places.
 
Thanks! Good tips.
Sounds like the Weldwood Landau Top Adhesive is the "must use," so I'll go with that.
FYI, I'll never order from SS396.com again. Horrible experience and many reviews confirm that.
OPGI is my go to. And the screw in posts are available lots of places.
Just an example...I won't use either of those vendors any longer.
 
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