Learn me vinyl roofs

So the new-to-me Cadillac has a vinyl roof on it, and it's showing some signs of distress. The vinyl is in good shape, with no rips or tears anywhere. But there's some rust underneath and it's bleeding through.

I know the best solution is to peel that cover off, fix the roof and either recover it or paint it body color.

But in the meantime, what are my options? Dye? Paint?

I know from experience that unholy terrors lurk underneath that vinyl.

I wonder if Plasti Dip paint would work?

Ugh, nothing to offer help-wise, but that is the double-edge sword that is vinyl roofs. They look great on some cars ('68-'69 Chargers, GM A-bodies, these big Cads) but they frequently hide horror shows.

Please remove it as soon as you can. I saw many accidental convertables  when I lived in Florida that were at least 30 years younger than your car. The stain several inches up worries me the most. The vinyl works like a battery plate seperator between the trim and the steel. The trim loves to receive from the body I see moisture on the car in this photo, so the electrolite is present too.

Hack off roof, make it a convertible. Or a roadster. Or a Phaeton. Or a removable-hardtop shooting brake.  

"Some" rust. lol

I know that the best option is to remove it and sort out the roof.  I'm looking for something I can do in the meantime before I get to that, because my goal is not to immediately tear this car apart and then deal with a repaint.

This car will not be seeing any more moisture and lives in a desert climate. That photo was taken after it spent the night outside on the trailer after I bought it home. I'm pretty confident that it will not progress any further anytime soon.

SEM vinyl dye.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Look at the trim on your green 66. I know some Cadillacs without vinyl top had different trim. Might want to save that in case you go no vinyl top later on. 

There's no trim, actually.

Removing the trim on the blue car, patching the holes and dealing with rust would mean a repaint, and that's not where I want to go right now. 

Javelin said:

SEM vinyl dye.

Thank you. 

Keith Tanner said:

Javelin said:

SEM vinyl dye.

Thank you. 

This is the correct answer.  I painted the rear non matching seat in my 47 Willy’s and it has held up great and you would never know I did it.

cdowd said:

Keith Tanner said:

Javelin said:

SEM vinyl dye.

Thank you. 

This is the correct answer.  I painted the rear non matching seat in my 47 Willy’s and it has held up great and you would never know I did it.

Will this hold up to UV exposure?  I've used it with success on 80s Japanese interior bits, but nothing that was exterior..