Best material to repair stock 86 'Whitco' vinyl Softop ideas anyone?

It's old.... The duct tape didn't look bad on it, but now it's time for some patches. I need to replace a few snaps too.

I have used this Jeep as my daily driver since 97 or so. The windows only got broken because I used the soft top in the Canadian winter. All the cracks are cold related.

Witco did a pretty good job making that top. I can talk to my passenger and back seat person on the highway with it on, let alone listen to the radio clear.

Mike

"L.W.(Bill) Hughes III" wrote:

I have had some success with iron on patches. If the outside is shiny vinyl, you can put them on the fabric backing instead. You could buy a piece of vinyl fabric from the fabric store, and sew on a patch too. I like to use brightly colored contrasting fabric, when I do this. ;^) There is a lady who makes quilts just down the street, and she can sew anything, even vinyl fabric or bicycle tights.

Earle

I agree on the contrasting patches. :-) The duct tape patches on the shiny black vinyl looked just fine.

I have doubts about the iron on ones sticking to the coarse threads of the backing, plus the holes are chewed edges butt ugly and need to be covered.

Mike

Earle Hort>

I wonder how hard it would be to get venture capital for a company that makes tops that exactly match the surface and grain of duct tape?

Mike Romain proclaimed:

She's probably worried you'll go back to making "nightly visits".

Success!

I had extra material around all along and just forgot about it. I have an extra set of stock soft doors on thanks to Snowboardripper from this group so I took the worst old one and cut the patches out of it's bottom vinyl area.

I cleaned everything with some coleman fuel then buffed it to make sure it all came off and used 'shoe goo' on the patches from the outside. I used clear packing tape to hold the patches down tight while the shoe goo dried. They almost look welded on because the goo did react well and softened the vinyl while it was wet.

Some of the patch edges did want to wrinkle and lift in spite of the tape so once it dried and I removed the tape I ran a small bead of shoe goo on the patches edges and used a wet finger to smooth it down. That covered it really well.

I only had time/ambition to do one horizontal window crack repair which was right on the fold when the door window is zipped open. I figured that would be a good test for the top's roll up window's cracks. I taped the crack with clear packing tape on the outside and used the goo from the inside.

The patches and crack fix has worked well It has been raining hard off and on and no leaks. The window even folds down without bothering the repair.

Now if it will ever stop raining I will do the other couple window cracks and add the replacement snaps and zipper the back window needs.

If I watch out for trees and keep the rubber side down, the top should last a while longer.... :-)

Mike

Mike Roma>