View Full Version : vinyl vs. cloth top


easyErc
02-08-2007, 03:34 PM
i noticed for 2007, the covert is available (as an option) with a cloth top. can anyone explain the difference (advantages or disadvantages) of having the cloth top versus the vinyl top. also, based on the info at fordvehicles.com, the cloth top is only available in black. can anyone confirm that? thanks in advance.

Leadfoot
02-08-2007, 04:12 PM
I wonder how they waterproof the fabric and how to keep the fabric from falling apart from the UV rays of the sun? I live in the South where humidity is a big problem and would think that the cloth would rot.I personally would go with vinyl.

TPony
02-08-2007, 08:46 PM
I thinkthe cloth top is more expensive than the vinyl. Not sure. All I know is thatconvertible BMW, Mercedes or jag....they all have cloth tops....makes you wonder.

Valcore
02-08-2007, 09:06 PM
I live in FL and i also don't know how a cloth top would do down here... I like my vinyl top, with the right conditioner it has a nice deep color.

TwotoneVert
02-11-2007, 11:55 AM
Cloth is lessdurable as well. I know the price of replacing my top increased 400.00 when I told him I wanted vinyl replacement and not cloth, because I thought about the cloth option and changed my mine. Glad I did.

BatStallion
02-19-2007, 12:49 PM
maybe they are offering the cloth top as a lower cost option and its possible that some people like the textured look of a cloth top...just my 2 cents

carockwell
03-05-2007, 02:41 AM
Cloth tops are more durable than vinyl tops, that is why they come as an extra cost option. The outer cloth is very sun resistant and the inner rubberized cloth provides the water resistance. The inside layer is for soundproofing. You will find that the vinyl top starts to craze and crack in the sun before the cloth top needs replacing.

PAINTEDPONY
03-16-2007, 11:44 PM
I saw aGT today at my local dealer, the cloth toplooks and feels amazing!

93 FHP SSP
03-17-2007, 12:41 AM
I have a cloth top on my 92 GT Convert. I love it. It easier to take care of and looks great.

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Jens07stang
04-30-2007, 08:21 PM
I too have the cloth top on my 2007 and love it. It was a $200 option and well worth it IMHO. I've heard that they last longer and won't crack like the vinyl. 93FHPSSP, just curious if you've ever had to replace it yet?

In any case my car is really quiet with the top up, not that I've recently sat in a vinyl top to compare. I can put one rumer to rest though, the cloth top does not attract fiber like someone I was talking to thinks. I don't know where they got that idea from, but that is simply not true. I've hadmy car now since July '06 with no problems whatsoever. The black cloth I have is very rich looking and has a very deep black color that gives a good contrast with my vista blue.

HDFINDER47
05-01-2007, 01:17 AM
My '07 Alloy has a cloth top. I can confirm that it is very quiet, looks and feels good and waterproof (and more expensive). The only drawback I can think of is that it seems to attract cat hair, etc.. But I just use a common lint roller and it looks like new - takes about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes tops and I don't have the problem when it's covered or on the road. The newer vinyls are also very good.

95 comvert
05-01-2007, 03:49 AM
i second the higher price thing. I am in the process of getting prces to replace mine and the cloth is $200 to $400 more and ALL of the shops I talked to recommended the cloth top. And they said I can get the cloth in saddle, black, or white.

Margarita Girl
05-02-2007, 05:02 PM
My friend has a cloth top on his VW Cabrio and it looks great. A much deeper black than my vinyl. Seems thicker somehow, like it has depth. A drawback is it takes longer to dry.

If I had the choice back in 2005 I would have taken cloth.

MystichromeCobra969
05-08-2007, 07:50 PM
The first Ford in recent history to come standard with a cloth top from the factory was the 2002 Thunderbird. Then, when the Terminator Cobra debuted in spring 2002 as a 2003 model, the SVT Cobra convertibles came standard with a cloth top. Thus, the cloth top was viewed as luxury item as the 2002-05 Thunderbird, the 2003-04 SVT Cobra convertibles, and the special edition 2004 40th Anniversary Mustang convertibles (both V6 and GT) came standard with them. The cloth top is of premium quality, as it is the same material that is used on the Jaguar convertibles. It is sun and water resistant. It will last longer than a vinyl top, as cloth has the ability to breathe better and expand and contract better (when it gets hot or cold) than a vinyl top.

Thus, it became an extra cost option on the 2007 Mustang, as the Shelby GT500 comes standard with a cloth top.

MUSTANGRIDAH4LIFE
05-15-2007, 04:11 AM
cloth all the way.

Mez
05-15-2007, 05:27 AM
Booo .... suck it up and take care of your vinyl tops .. nothing looks better than a clean car with a shiney vinyl top .. the cloth just doesn't add that luster and it looks blah ..

Chef
05-21-2007, 12:49 AM
the gt500 has cloth (it is taken from jaguar) with all the plastic on our cars, who cares?