These samples are taken right from 1970 Dodge color and upholstery selector.
Notice the V1G sample as compared to the V1X (regular vinyl top.)
This sample really shows off the Gator Grain pattern and texture.
Gator Grain (V1G) Top Information
I first learned about Gator Grain (V1G) Tops when I had my first T/A, way back in 1984 when I was a member of the Special Interest Auto Club (SIAC). At that time I "thought" my white T/A had a green Gator Grain Top...but it tuned out to be a boars grain top. After I sold the car and left my T/A days behind me...I kind of forgot about this little known or seen option. Then I purchased the FT6 T/A with the V1G option that I have today. If you have scanned the photos on my FT6 pages you see that my Gator Grain Top is in pretty bad shape...and almost since day one after purchasing this car I've been on a Gator Hunt trying to find some material to replace my top. Along the way I have learned a lot about Gator cars. With this page I'll try and share whatever knowledge I have gained along the way. I hope it is of some use to you. And if I have some of my facts wrong, please correct me and this page so that we all will benefit. cledawgs @ cledawgshome.com (take out the spaces)
Thank you all,
Brian "The Gator Hunter"
Just what is Gator Grain? What does it look like?
Below you will see some samples of the V1G material know as Gator Grain.
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These samples are taken right from 1970 Dodge color and upholstery selector. |
Notice the V1G sample as compared to the V1X (regular vinyl top.) |
This sample really shows off the Gator Grain pattern and texture. |
Now the second most important question. How do you tell if you should have it?
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This Vin tag was spotted on another FT6 (Dark Tan Metallic) Challenger at Carlisle 06 but the Gator grain Top had been replaced with regular vinyl, notice the V1G code in the 3rd line from the bottom, left side. |
Another big questions and one hotly debated among even Gator car owners is what color is a Gator Grain Top?
Answer: Brown/Black....the top material when new had been tinted brown with a dye that quickly faded on cars when they were left out in the weather. This fading of the dye left the tops a "weathered" black.
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Studying these pictures you can clearly see the brownish tint the tops were dyed at first. After exposed to the weather the tops appeared to return to there natural color of black. The back under side should be a white/ bone color canvas and stamped Stauffer chemical in black and a date code of 68 to 69. The below photo shows a great stop of the stamped back side of the top. This top was for a V1G Cuda. |
What cars did Gator Grain Tops come on?
From what I've been able to find out Gator Grain was an option on a small sampling of cars in 1970
DODGE CARS 1970 Dodge Challenger: Challenger - 2.5% or 963 approx Challenger SE - 8% or 489 approx. Challenger R/T - 2.3 % or 314 approx. Challenger R/T SE - 7.5% or 281 approx. Challenger T/A - .01% or 33 approx.
1970 Dodge Coronet: Coronet R/T - 2.6% 56 approx Coronet Deluxe - 0.1% 1970 Dodge SuperBee SuperBee Coupe - 0.6% SuperBee Hardtop- 1.6% 1970 Dodge Coronet 440 Coronet 440 Coupe - 0.4% Coronet 440 Hardtop - 3.7% Coronet 440 Sedan 6cyl - 0.3% Coronet 440 Sedan 8cyl - 1.3% 1970 Dodge Charger : Charger 6cyl - 1.1% or 2 approx Charger 8cyl - 3.9% or 356 approx Charger 500 - 4.8% or 1307 approx Charger R/T - 4.0% or 375 approx |
PLYMOUTH CARS 1970 Plymouth 'Cuda: 'Cuda hardtop - 1% or 167 approx 1970 Plymouth Barracuda: Barracuda Coupe 6cyl - 0.0% Barracuda Coupe 8cyl - 0.8% Barracuda Hardtop - 6cyl - 0.9% Barracuda Hardtop - 8cyl -2.0% 1970 Plymouth Barracuda GranCoupe: GranCoupe 6cyl - 3.3% GranCoupe 8cyl - 5.9% GTX Hardtop 2.8% (approx) 200
Road Runner Coupe 0.6% (approx. 89)
Road Runner Hardtop 1.5% (approx. 351)
Sport Satellite Hardtop 7.2% (approx. 532)
Sport Satellite Sedan 4.4% (approx. 113)
Information was borrowed from SCATPACK.Com
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There may be no way to totally account for all cars with the Gator Grain option. These number are provided for reference only, if I have it wrong, please help me up date the list.
As you see in the numbers, running across a Gator car was a pretty rare event even in 1970, but to see one today with the top intact....well that is next to seeing BIGFOOT. Why? From everything I've been told or read it most likely was because of the material used to achieve the Gator Grain. This material for whatever reason did not/does not hold up to the weather. Below is a sampling of Gator Cars I've come across...and they all suffer from the same fate.
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This pictures is of a Challenger SE car with the top in about as good a condition as mine. |
This picture is of a Charger at the MOPAR NATS 06. The owner painted the bare metal parts of his roof black to match the top...I almost missed it. |
This is a V1G sun roof car...Gator and a Sun Roof. Wow, what you could order back in 1970...try that today! |
What else makes the Gator Grain cars different? Is it just the Gator Grain pattern? Nope the Gator Grain cars (e-body) had a narrower top seam as well. A regular e-body car had wide seams which went from front to back and down the c-pillar. A Gator Grain car had narrow seams front to back and ran parallel to below the rear window and across the vinyl area below the rear window..
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In this picture you'll clearly see the narrow top seams and the gator pattern...looks cool! |
From the side notice the seam stay on the roof running parallel, does not come on to the c-pillar |
Wide seam car, and if you look close you'll see where the wide seam comes on to the c-pillar and down the the lower chrome trim on top of the quarter panel. |
From the back the wide seam is clearly visible stopping on top of the quarter panel where as a narrow seam gator car the seam runs through the rear window and cross the vinyl covered part of the dutchmen panel. |
Thanks to the sites who contributed to this page ...The Challenger T/A Registry and The Trans Am Mopar site.
Thanks for reading......
