[norman warren]

I have just brought a 1986 Fleetwood Brougham sedan (white) with a blue cloth roof. have not seen any others like it either on the road or in the neumerus salvage yards i vist. it doesent have the hardware that the late 70s Pheateon had just the cloth roof, also you Pheateon experts out there-- what is the best stuff to clean and maintain this cloth roof. thank you in advance. Norman. BTW I had a bumper sticker made that says " Life's too short to drive TINY cars" Also the licence plate says: WT WALE

 

[Benzilla]

Cool, post pictures. I've seen a few '80s Broughams with the dealer added cloth top, but since it was dealer added and not a factory option, they're scarce. I use Raggtopp cleaner on my '79 Phaeton's top. Just google Raggtopp and you'll come up with tons of links. Also, never rub the top with any kind of lint producing rag. Use a soft brush to clean, and then I use an 'absorber' to dry it. Don't use terrycloth. If you do get lint build up, use one of those lint rollers like you might use to get pet hair off of your jacket.

 

[norman warren]

Thank you Benzilla, for the info. I will post a picture of it tomorrow, if i can figure out how to add an attachment. again thank you for the info Norman

 

[norman warren]

Ben, here are 2 pictures of the 86 FB with the cloth roof. Norman

 

[norman warren]

sorry pictures did not attach. Will try one more time if this dont work I have no idea.

 

[Cadillac_Fan]

What a great find! A real sharp Brougham - love the vanity plate, too. Do your opera lights work? Do you have the interior reading lamps for the rear seat passengers?

Again, what a prize you've got there. Curious if ASC did the roof? - There may be a sticker on the driver's door which denotes any information to that end.

 

[96Fleetwood]

Very nice!

I wonder if these cloth top Broughams originally came baretop? Or did they have a vinyl top and then it was replaced at the dealership?

 

[77CDV]

Congratulations on your new purchase! I don't usually go for the cloth tops, but the navy over white looks very good and is a fun combination. What happend to the front end?

 

[norman warren]

as to the front end, dont know. I brought it from a tow co. that picked it up after driver was arrested for trying to outrun the state police. The oprea lamps do not work, and it has the reading lamps since it has the D-Elegance option.I have only put 1000 miles on it, after it proves itself dependable, i will go for the detail work. I was told by Benzilla that the top was a dealer installed option. He knows a lot more than me so i must presume that is a dealer job. No drivers door sticker. thanks for the input you all Norman

 

[CaddymanTom]

The FWB's came to the dealerships with the vinyl tops. What the usually did was find one thats top was damageed during shipping (this used to happen alot) Depending on who did the conversion, the top is actually a "shell" that has the cloth attached to it and it fits right on the top. Some dealers,I have heard, installed it right over the vinyl. This usually created some rust issues. I too am not must of a fan of the cloth tops either, but I do like the blue over the white. Good luck with your new toy

 

[Night Wolf]

Heh, welcome to the fabric roof owners club!

Mine too has the same roof, black tho... with an aftermarket moon roof.

I too have been wondering as to how it was done...

Surprisngly the top has fared well... shes an '89 bought from Florida in '98, and been in NY until '06 when it was brought back to FL and now I've got her...

so 9 years of snow/ice.... its still in near perfect condition, but the top has faded... but I've heard of a cloth roof rejuvenator that someone posted in the detailing section (that I can't seem to find) its like a paint, and it just brings it right back to life.

As to care for it? I dunno, I guess just avoid the sun as much as possible.... mines had probably one of the harshest lives, but its still here to tell the story... so if yours is kept in good shape you should be fine

Any car that could survive my mom for 9 years while being a daily driver in New York, when it was already 9 years old, and is still around to tell its tale, is one TUFF car!

The wrap around chrome stuff... it was loose, so I took it off, breaking more palstic clips... well, I've replaced them all with good clips... and now that trim just dosn't want to stick to the clips and to the car... its quite a pain int he butt...

 

[norman warren]

Again thanks for the comments, my white wahle has 158000 miles on it and does not burn any oil so whoever had it before me took care of it.