1/2 or 1/4 soft top on Eldo

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eldo99er

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Hi,

I just recently bought a 99 Eldorado two months ago (in pearl white, an ETC with white/cream interior) and was thinking of putting on a 1/2 or 1/4 soft top in blue or maroon.

Has anbody done that? If so, how much would this cost me? Before I shop around I would need to know what to expect as a reasonable price.

And what's my best bet for getting it done - the dealer or an independent workshop? Does anybody know a place in Connecticut?
 
CadillacETC1997 said:
why on earth would you do that...
those tops are fugly
Click to expand...

I think they look classy - and it helps to set the Eldo apart from the Japanese and Korean cars as those definitely don't have cloth soft tops at all.

Here's a picture of what I would want my white Eldo to look like:

eldo softtop.jpg
 
Personally I like the look and the Vogue tires go perfect with it. My only problem is how long do they last.
 
To me, a 92-02 Eldo is NOT the kind of car that should have a 'soft' top. A Deville, maybe. It totally kills the sporty look and crisp lines of an Eldo though.
 
tops

Dont go with the softtop,the japanese and koreans are selling lots of cars
without softtop models,maybe they know something?.I used to own a 92 eldo.
Wish I had one again.
 
well in answer to your question i dont know of any aftermarket co that sells them. also i doubt the dealer still has them around as the eldo is long departed. your best bet it find one on a junked eldo in good shape ripp it off and install. i kno the only way they were really held down was with velcrow and such.
 
ALBUNDY said:
Personally I like the look and the Vogue tires go perfect with it. My only problem is how long do they last.
Click to expand...

There are a couple of different rating for the Vogues with the whitewall and gold stripe. One lasts for 80,000 miles and the more performance oriented one is supposed to last 60,000 miles. So basically Vogues last a very long time.
 
thamarkman said:
There are a couple of different rating for the Vogues with the whitewall and gold stripe. One lasts for 80,000 miles and the more performance oriented one is supposed to last 60,000 miles. So basically Vogues last a very long time.
Click to expand...

I wasn't speaking about the vogues. I ment the rag top.
 
If the tops are anything like the vinyl tops used in the 70s and 80s you will not be able to get a junkyard version. The material is glued to the metal, and you pretty much cannot remove it without destroying it. If you REALLY want to get one, find a local vinyl top place and see what they can do.
 
I have to agree with MediumD, nothing like ruining the clean, crisp, sporty lines of an Eldo with the 1/2 Vogue top. Would make it look like one of those
1970's disco era " Superfly " mobiles. Don't do it!!!
 
Okay, so despite most replies warning me not to get the soft top done I am still hell-bent on doing it.

Unfortunately, the local Cadillac dealer said they don't do soft tops anymore. The first time I had asked (before I bought the Eldo) he mumbled something about outsourcing it to somebody, so I guess that connection dried up.

Still, if anybody knows a reputable outfit that could get this done (it's probably a custom job anyway, as Eldos aren't made anymore) in Connecticut or MA please let me know...
 
I tried that link but they don't seem to have anything besides tyres for the 99 Eldorado. They do have vinyl tops for devilles etc., but nothing for the Eldorado.

So I guess my best bet is to ask for a quotation from a vinyl top specialist for a custom job. If it proves too expensive I'll let it go albeit with some disappointment. Or does it really take the 1/2 Landau top kit to do this so that a custom job without the kit would be impossible?
 
So we have found somebody who is a specialist for soft tops.

But he wants about a thousand dollars for getting it done. Is that reasonable? Seems a litte steep to me, I would have thought no more than 800 dollars.
 
You're right, thanks. I've contacted them to find out the price since that isn't listed there. Let's see what they quote...
 
Well, unfortunately they never replied, so I guess I'll just stick with the specialist for soft tops.

So what should I take, cloth or vinyl? Which is better for the car? I'd imagine that vinyl would be better for the body in the long run since vinyl repels water whereas the cloth probably doesn't...? Cloth somehow looks more regal.
 
Well, now I finally did get a response from Vogue. They wrote:

"the 1/2 tops are no longer available, for that mater no tops are availble
for the eldos.
the only thing we carry anymore for the old eldos is the grill.

thanks,

ross at vogue"

So I guess I just have to trust the specialist we found. It's probably a custom job then.
 
I've slowly been gathering things in hopes to do a nice resto job on my 87 eldo, and one of the things was the 1/4 top cloth. My wife was lucky enough to win one off of e-bay that is still new and uncut, but it cost us a pretty penny. If I remember correctly it set us back about $65...lol

Moral of this story, be cheap like me and the wife and shop e-bay, good things come, they just take their sweet a** time.
 
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