'68 T-Top storage bags

[Dave F.]

After going through my old interior inventory I found the storage bags for my T-Tops. The good news is they are in tact with no thread or fastener issues whatsoever. The bad news is they are really dirty, stained, and a little surface mold here and there (but not in the stitching). I thought about putting them in the washer using cold water/gentle cycle but thought again and decided to ask if anyone here has a better idea. How do I restore these? Thanks in advance for your time and advice.

Dave

[Terry M.]

Re: '68 T-Top storage bags

Generally the date codes inside the bags are water soluble. Washing with a lot of water is a bad idea, unless those codes are already gone.

[Dave F.]

Re: '68 T-Top storage bags

Generally the date codes inside the bags are water soluble. Washing with a lot of water is a bad idea, unless those codes are already gone.

Great point on the date codes - thanks! I wonder if dry cleaning would compromise the codes?

[Kevin G.]

Re: '68 T-Top storage bags

Dave,

If you don't mind me asking, what color are your T Top bags? I've read that early production cars came with color coded or color matching with interiors but have never seen anything other then black? As more cars where produced they would run out of the colors and supply all with black. Any truth to this?

Thanks,

Kevin

[Dave F.]

Re: '68 T-Top storage bags

Dave,

If you don't mind me asking, what color are your T Top bags? I've read that early production cars came with color coded or color matching with interiors but have never seen anything other then black? As more cars where produced they would run out of the colors and supply all with black. Any truth to this?

Thanks,

Kevin

Mine are black, but so is my interior. As for date codes, mine are so water stained, dirty and cruddy I can see no codes anywhere inside, flaps or pocket areas, even though they appear to be old enough to be original.

[Kevin G.]

Re: '68 T-Top storage bags

Thanks Dave. Perhaps Terry might check back on your thread. The date codes are on my bags but faint. The ink they used was slightly heavier toward one side, like the stamp was not held flat.

[Dave F.]

Re: '68 T-Top storage bags

Thanks Dave. Perhaps Terry might check back on your thread. The date codes are on my bags but faint. The ink they used was slightly heavier toward one side, like the stamp was not held flat.

Kevin,

Where are the codes located on yours? The only thing I can make out on one of mine is the Virgin Mary

[Kevin G.]

Re: '68 T-Top storage bags

Kevin,

Where are the codes located on yours? The only thing I can make out on one of mine is the Virgin Mary

Dave, Let me try to get a picture for you, I don't remember the exact location of the stamping off hand. OK?

Kevin

[Reba W.]

Re: '68 T-Top storage bags

The stamping was done with a changeable roller dater, like the one that library books were stamped with back in the dark ages or companies once used to stamp paid receipts. i. e. August 5, 2008
All I have ever seen was done in red ink, and it was not waterproof.

[Alan S.]

Re: '68 T-Top storage bags

Hi Dave,
You also asked about cleaning the bags. I guess I would clean them in the same way I'd clean the rest of the interior vinyl parts. People always say to start GENTLE and see how that does and then slowly move to more aggressive cleaners. I don't think I'd go near the washing machine or dry-cleaners.
My 71 bags have a very good stamp in 1 of them and not even a hint of a stamp in the other. The 1 bag has a logo, T/S in a partial rectangle, and next to the logo is a date stamp NOV 24 1970 . The ink is red. The date stamp looks like the library stamp I remember from years ago as Reba posted. The stamp happens to be about 3 inches from the corner snap on the flap part of the bag, but I can imagine them 'wondering' around.
Regards,
Alan

[Richard F.]

Re: '68 T-Top storage bags

My 68's have stamped very faintly inside in a couple of places, a hexagon, or a diamond (I don't remember for sure, and the car's not here) with fairly large "5-68" inside. It's definitely not like the full date as seen inside of the door panels.

[Dave F.]

Re: '68 T-Top storage bags

Hi Dave,
You also asked about cleaning the bags. I guess I would clean them in the same way I'd clean the rest of the interior vinyl parts. People always say to start GENTLE and see how that does and then slowly move to more aggressive cleaners. I don't think I'd go near the washing machine or dry-cleaners.
My 71 bags have a very good stamp in 1 of them and not even a hint of a stamp in the other. The 1 bag has a logo, 'T/S' in a partial rectangle, and next to the logo is a date stamp 'NOV 24 1970'. The ink is red. The date stamp loos like the library stamp I remember from years ago.

Thanks Alan.

I was kind of joking about tossing them in the washing machine but if you saw these you would agree that something needs to be done. Turning both of them inside out I now see on one (only) a very faded, wide-spread reddish smear that may be indicative of a stamp long ago that unfortunately was lost to exposure to water over a long period of time. Whatever, no stamp remains and now I just want to clean the inside of these bags so I can store my tops in them.
As I hinted at before, what mainly exists are blotches of moldy dirt/grime (along with water spotting/marbelling) partially impregnating a now yellowing white worn canvas-like interior of the bag, and the smell is old mold. The outside of the bags wiped off nicely with a damp towel. Sorry for all of the run-on adjectives, but my camera is dead and the charger is nowhere to be found.

Any suggestions for cleaning would be greatly appreciated!

[Kevin G.]

Re: '68 T-Top storage bags

Dave, took a few pictures for you just for future reference. Reba and Alan nailed it!

Regards, Kevin

[Dave F.]

Re: '68 T-Top storage bags

Thank you very much for the photos Kevin. I saved them in my "bucket list" folder. The date stamp would be easy to recreate but the logo......probably not so easy. Now I know what they look like though! Thanks again!

[Richard F.]

Re: '68 T-Top storage bags

Okay, you've made me go to my car and get my t-top bags if only to prove to myself that my alzheimers is still more-or-less under control. Here is a picture of my admittedly dirty 68 bag, I also checked in the judging guide, which calls for velcro closures (as mine are) until mid-69, and dates similar to the one I am including.