[Username1]

I am unfamiliar with what might be in the padding. But it is possible the padding can
hold moisture..... The early 70's cars, like mine, did not have padded roofs.

Vinyl was an option back in the 70's too. There were "packages" like today's DX, LX,
and EX model designation, where the vinyl top was bundled if they had a lot of cars
with bad tops. You know how it goes, cover it up, get it sold, even to give away the top.
And vinyl tops were very popular, people liked them, I really liked the black top on
my bright red car, it looked great together... Seeing so many, made the ones without
it not look as good.... My car the mustang Grand'e had A/C PB PS 351 Auto, they made
all Grand'e with vinyl tops. It was like an upgrade, they probably had the public hooked
on them....

And who would want a Lincoln without a plush vinyl top anyway....?

PS- You know, it's also possible that by the time they built your car, they decided to
deliver a better product than they did in '72, and that the roof is painted on the
outside, and that you only have rust bad along that trim strip..... It's also possible
that that fender was replaced at one time and there is a weld along that line and it
is the source of the rust. The wife's '91 accord had developed a strange rust spot
middle lower part of drivers door, and when I repainted the car, discovered bondo
in that area. Seems like the first owner drove into something, made a small dent,
had it fixed, and in the 20 years we had the car it rusted probably from poor metal-prep.
Also, that repair was done so well that I could not tell anything was done to it all this
time until I sanded it and got it ready for repainting.

.