S-Bar removal help and vinyl roof

[my66cruiser]

Good afternoon,

I am removing my old and cracked vinyl roof. Can someone tell me how to remove the S-bars and the medallions? Do they just pry off with a screwdriver or do you have to remove the interior trim to get to the back of them? Thanks.

[Darrellinceres]

If the "S" bars on a Landau are like the bird on the Town Hardtop they mount on pins in clips. Sometimes they pop of sometimes the pins break. Like the tail script. The chrome base strips that hold down the bottom of the pillars have nuts on them and you have to pull the back seats and interior trim to get them out and once you’re that far you can remove the panels with the courtesy lights and push the pins through from the back that way they don’t break. I’m painting my 66 Town and had to take all of that off.

[dansbirds]

Dont pry on them they will break the mounting studs. Remove the interior trim as stated and remove the speed nuts. Once you have removed all the outer stainless trim you will see some clips that hold the vinyl roof to the top, there are a couple screw also. On all the tops I have put on I let the new top lay on the roof in the sun to get good and pliable before starting that way you get all the wrinkles out. Where you located? If you are close by let me know and I'll swing by and help you if you want.

[my66cruiser]

Good afternoon,

Thank you both for your advice. And if I need any assistance Dansbirds, I will take you up on your offer but you're pretty far from me - I live on Long Island. Anyway, would you know how to remove the trim over the doors and the trim where the front of the vinyl roof meets the windshield? Do these even have to be removed or not to replace the vinyl roof? As you can tell I have never replaced a vinyl roof before but there's a first time for everything and I am on no time schedule. Thanks.

[dansbirds]

To get the side trim off remove the weatherstrip seal(good time to replace as they get pretty brittle) you will see some screw heads then, it will come off in layers, there is also some black strip caulk in there. Once you get the A pillar trim off the frt windshield you can get the frt center trim off. It is held on with clips and yes you have to get it off to change the roof as the top will wrap over the frt edge of the roof, if I remember there are 2 screws there also.

[my66cruiser]

Once again, thanks Dansbirds. So good to learn from someone who has already "been there...done that" what a great forum. I will set aside plenty of time to tackle this job. Like I said earlier, no deadline. Okay, Spring of 2011.

[Buster53]

Hi , I'm new to the forum, I replaced the Vinyl top on my 66 and the S bars have a self threading 7/16 nuts behind the back of the bars(4). The interior panel where lights are will need to be removed and trim panel that holds it down to remove nut at the far rear. You will need a little help with that one so as not to break S bar where small end is on outside, very fragile. Use help putting S bar back on, these bars are not cheap. While at it if medations need replacing nows the time to do it. Use new nuts when replacing S bar, new ones will not have a sealer on them and will need some type of caulking on back side of nut to seal it up.

[my66cruiser]

Hi Buster53. Glad you replaced your vinyl roof. It must look real nice. Thanks for the tips. Mine should have been done by now but my other car needed some TLC.

Were there any rust holes that had to be addressed in your car or did you just rust paint it first since the rust was only minor surface rust?