A vinyl top fails from underneath, where you cannot see it.
The padding under the covering holds water against the roof skin. By the time the vinyl splits at a seam, the question is not the vinyl — it is what the water has been doing to the metal.
Monroe, NCServing Charlotte, Union County and the SC border townsMon–Fri 9:00–7:00 · Sat 11:00–5:00 · Sun closed
The covering is the symptom. The padding is the cause.
A vinyl roof is a covering bonded over padding on a steel roof. The padding soaks up water and holds it against the metal, so the roof rots from underneath while the top still looks passable from the pavement. The split you can see at the seam is usually the last thing to happen, not the first.
Why patching it does not hold
- Re-gluing a lifting edge can buy a season if the material is still soft. Once it has gone hard, it is a recover.
- A patch over the split hides the one place you could have seen what the water was doing underneath.
- Leaving it because it is only cosmetic is how a covering problem becomes a roof skin problem.
- Cutting around the mouldings leaves an edge you will notice every time you walk up to the car.
Stripped to the metal, then re-covered
The same car at three stages. The middle picture is the part nobody sees and the part that decides how long the new top lasts.
What comes off
- Old covering and padding stripped back
- Mouldings and trim removed, not cut around
- The roof skin uncovered so it can be seen
The metal gets checked
- Rust found and dealt with here, not sent out
- Skin cleaned back to a sound surface
- No new top goes on until it is right
New covering fitted
- Grained vinyl matched to your paint or interior
- Wrapped properly around opera windows and quarters
- Mouldings refitted once the top is on
The work, either side of the job
Every photograph was taken at the shop in Monroe.
After
After
Vinyl and padded tops out of this shop
Photographed in the bay at 4209 W Hwy 74, Monroe. Full vinyl roofs, landau and half tops, and padded cabriolet-style roofs.
Nobody has ever left this shop a bad review
5.0 on Google. Every word below is copied straight off the profile.
“I had Auto Tops and Trim replace the headliner and center console leather in my 2008 Honda Accord. I was very happy with the quality of the work and would recommend using them.”
“Fantastic service. The job was done quickly, while I waited. The price was cheaper than what most people were charging here locally.”
“Mr. Hopton restored my sunroof shade back to new condition. He even allowed me to watch the process. I recommend him 100% for all of your reupholstery needs. Thank you!”
“Excellent work. We drove an hour to get our sunroof fixed and we were very happy with the service. Highly recommend!”
“Excellent service and great prices I'll take back my car all the time”
“Great auto shop”
“Good work”
Monroe, NC — and worth the drive for this one
A vinyl top is specialist work: the old covering comes off, the steel underneath gets checked for rust, and the new material is bonded and trimmed by hand. Very few shops still take it on, so cars come to us at 4209 W Hwy 74 in Monroe from Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, all over Union County, Concord and Gastonia, and from Rock Hill and Fort Mill in South Carolina.
- Shop
- 4209 W Hwy 74, Monroe, NC 28110
- Hours
- Mon–Fri 9:00–7:00 · Sat 11:00–5:00 · Sun closed
- Phone
- (980) 385-8101
Answers first
Where are you, and do you cover Charlotte?
Is a vinyl top the same job as a convertible top?
Is there rust under my vinyl top?
Can a vinyl top be repaired instead of replaced?
Can you match the colour to my paint?
How long does it take?
A picture of the roof and anywhere it has lifted or split, plus the year, make and model, is usually enough for an estimate.
- Free, and no obligation
- Nobody will chase you afterwards
- If the metal needs looking at in person, we will say so
4209 W Hwy 74, Monroe, NC 28110
Mon–Fri 9:00–7:00 · Sat 11:00–5:00 · Sun closed