Re-skinning a roof

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draginmopars

draginmopars

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found a wrecked parts Dart, can have the roof off of it.
Does any one have a post showing how they did it.

I don't know, if to cut at the drip rail or just cut the whole roof off at the "A" post and re-attach to the 71

The rest of the 71, is in great shape, just the vinyl top rotted the roof
Don't you know, once we pulled it out of the barn, and started taking parts off it, we find a roof....
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we can do the body work, just not sure,best way to replace the roof

We put a 92 Cummins firewall and floors,
in a 73 crew cab, cause the floors were rotted, (Wasn't that bad to do)

http://ramchargercentral.com/diesel-talk/1973-cummins-hauler/

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My dart had a new top put on it before I bought it and they cut the complete top off at the top of the A-pillars and at the seam in the rear on the outside but the inside they cut it what looks like the center of the inner post.If you need pics I can get some of the rear as I dont have a headliner in yet.
 
mopar410 said:
My dart had a new top put on it before I bought it and they cut the complete top off at the top of the A-pillars and at the seam in the rear on the outside but the inside they cut it what looks like the center of the inner post.If you need pics I can get some of the rear as I dont have a headliner in yet.
Click to expand...

that would be great
i looked at the rear and it looks like it has double bracing in it. (INSIDE)
wasn't sure where to cut
 
Don't cut the pillars!!!

They have multiple layers. It might be faster than just pulling the skin, but you'll have a hard time welding them back on with the same strength that they had. Not to mention you'll need to brace the body so that it doesn't flex while the roof structure is off.

Best way to do this is to get a spot weld cutter and remove the roof skin. It leaves the structural part in place, and the skin is just spot welded on. Yes, it will take longer to cut all the spot welds than go after it with a sawzall, but your finished product will be the same as factory. Welding the pillars and getting everything right is a lot more complicated than clamping the roof skin in place and spot welding it on.

Check out this thread, I put up some pictures of the roof skin I pulled off of a donor car.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=194845&highlight=skin+roof
 
Agree, don't cut the pillars if ya can avoid it. If its too damaged and ya got to cut the whole thing off, brace up the glass openings all the way around.
 
72bluNblu said:
Don't cut the pillars!!!

They have multiple layers. It might be faster than just pulling the skin, but you'll have a hard time welding them back on with the same strength that they had. Not to mention you'll need to brace the body so that it doesn't flex while the roof structure is off.

Best way to do this is to get a spot weld cutter and remove the roof skin. It leaves the structural part in place, and the skin is just spot welded on. Yes, it will take longer to cut all the spot welds than go after it with a sawzall, but your finished product will be the same as factory. Welding the pillars and getting everything right is a lot more complicated than clamping the roof skin in place and spot welding it on.

Check out this thread, I put up some pictures of the roof skin I pulled off of a donor car.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=194845&highlight=skin+roof
Click to expand...

Thanks,

Thats why I come here....

ASK first
We Won't be cutting the "A" post
looks like we,need to start removing spot welds

Thanks again

when we did the truck
the "A" post is a single layer
we cut up the old post, then welded it,
so that it would fit inside the "A" post to make an sliding insert,

001-5.jpg


down
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up
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then drilled mulltiple holes, to weld and secure the insert, inside of the post
in the finished post and last, butt welded the seam

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then ground down the welds/primed
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The way you repaired the a pillars on the truck is similar to the dart as you would need to leave the inner support extending out 1/4" on the pillar and the roof section so the support can be welded and the outer filled in.Seeing your work I think you can handle either way you decide to do it.That being said if your structure is it tacted where I don't believe mine was then skinning it may be the simplest way to go but time wise I think is a wash or maybe faster to replace the top with a solid plan ahead of time.
 
Thanks for all the info 72NuBlu. I will have to eventually do it to my 73 duster and repair a few spots on the inner structure towards the front where the half top was leaking
 
Check this out! It may be what you're looking for. He's done a few videos on the Dart roof project.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsTi_XRri0g"]Fitting Roof Skin for Replacment 1969 Dart MUSCLE CARS & HOT RODS EPISODE 58 - YouTube[/ame]
He also does a challenger roof in another video that may be some help too. you'll have to search his channel to find it.
 
draginmopars said:
Thanks,

Thats why I come here....

ASK first
We Won't be cutting the "A" post
looks like we,need to start removing spot welds

Thanks again

when we did the truck
the "A" post is a single layer
we cut up the old post, then welded it,
so that it would fit inside the "A" post to make an sliding insert,

then drilled mulltiple holes, to weld and secure the insert, inside of the post
in the finished post and last, butt welded the seam

then ground down the welds/primed
Click to expand...

Nice job!

If you did cut the pillars that would be the best way to put it all back together. But I'm sure you figured out that's a bit more time consuming than just cutting and welding the pillars, which is why I recommend just cutting the spot welds.

Cutting the spot welds will take longer, but spot welding the roof skin back on will go a lot faster than taking care of the pillars the right way.
 
I just put a skin on a duster. Spot welds in the drip rail, top of front and rear glass and the top of quarter. . Mig welts are brittle and the crack under stress. That truck had a frame your dart does not. ???
 
Drill the welds out of the skin, panel adhesive it back on. Weld at quarter panel and 'A' pillar seams.
 
The reason we cut at the post on the truck is that
We needed the entire firewall and floor sections.

On the Dart we will remove
the skin and replace
 
I think I would weld subframe connectors under it first, Then cut the entire roof assembly off where the factory welded it on ( A-pillars posts and quarters ).
Hoods, truck lids, roofs, were originally welded together in a fixture to control warping.
I'm afraid a transplanted skin would look worse than the one I removed.
 
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