I have the standard grade vinyl soft top from Victoria British and it is
still going strong after ten or eleven years. The rear window has shown
no sign of yellowing or cracking.
But...
...the total time the soft top has spent out in the elements is probably
less than six months. I have always had a tonneau cover which I use
exclusively outside of the rainy season (here in No. CA), and then I
bought a hardtop which I now use in the rainy season. So the soft top
basically rides around in a bag in the boot all summer and hangs in the
garage in the winter. So your mileage will definitely vary.
No soft top will last very long constantly exposed to the elements. It
will either mildew or the stitching will rot (in wet climates) or fade,
shrink, and the window turn yellow in sunny climates.
In B.C., I would think you would get maximum wear out of a less expensive
soft top if you also purchased a tonneau and used that whenever possible,
keeping the soft top out of the sun. My experience with a canvas top on a
friend's Midget was that the tan fabric was susceptible to staining
(birds, etc.), and it didn't hold up that well in daily use, summer and
winter.
My 2¢
Oh, and about the tach -- they all do that <g> (I'm sure you've heard
that before)
Susan Rutherford had this to say:
>Listers,
>
>I have learned lots through the list and would appreciate your thoughts on
>1) soft tops and 2) a problem I am having with my tach.
>
>The vinyl top for my 1970 B has shrunk to the point of being useless and I
>am wondering whether to replace it with vinyl or whether to spend the extra
>and get a "double duck" top or a "mohair" top. All are available locally
>to me (Vancouver, B.C., Canada), with the latter two costing substantially
>more.
>
>In terms of makes/suppliers I have reviewed previous discussions on the
>list and have seen some satisfaction with Robbins as well as a British
>company named Prestige. However, I am still not resolved vis-a-vis vinyl
>versus other materials. My questions are:
>
>1) How fast does the vinyl wear out/shrink? i.e. how frequently does the
>vinyl need to be replaced?
>2) Are owners of the more expensive tops satisfied that the top was worth
>the extra money, as compared to the vinyl? How quickly do these need
>replacing?
>3) What can be done to make the tops last longer (aside from the obvious of
>storing inside out of the sun)?
>
>Tach: my tach is constantly going wild - never stays put on one value.
>Any ideas?
>
>Thanks in advance!
>
>Susan Rutherford
>1970 MGB Roadster
>
--
Max Heim
'66 MGB GHN3L76149
If you're near Mountain View, CA,
it's the red one with the silver bootlid.
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