Roof Skin Replacement....

[ragtopfury]

We are not doing anything to it until late Spring, but sometimes I just think ahead. It's what I do.
Never being a body man, but having enough amateur skill to be dangerous, answer me this with your thoughts....
The Dart Sport we let my 14 year old son bring home needs a roof. We expected that. The whole front edge of the roof is packed with Bondo. This was NOT a vinyl top car, believe it or not. All along the drip rails and around the rear window are still amazingly solid.
I have already brought home a Duster shell donor carcass.
I imagine the better job in the end would be to re-skin the whole roof, as opposed to making a seam all the way from drip rail to drip rail 8-10 inches back from the front to just replace the front edge. Correct? I mean, keeping the flat roof from warping seems it would be a ***** in my mind.
My only other question is this - After digging out the seam sealer in the drip rail, Do I cut the skin at the blue line, or drill out all the spot welds all the way down both sides?
I had never done full quarters before, until we built Jake's 65 B'cuda in 2013. So I'm not afraid to tackle the roof, just want to make sure I'm go about it in the right direction.

 

[ch1ll]

I have never done a roof, but I have a 68 dart that has a good roof I plan on removing for future use. The car was rust from the top of the wheel wells down. Now I haven’t looked at it all that close, but I plan on drilling out as many spot welds as it takes to get it off more than likely from the inside. The other consideration is the leaded joints on the c pillar and I’m not sure but there may be some at the top of the a pillar. I know there are leaded joints at the bottom of the a pillar. I have taken apart leaded joints once with heat and once with a chisel to get the lead off. Then wire wheeling to clean up the joints to get to the spot welds, they are hard to find under the lead.

You may be best to remove the roof and support structure in one piece at the leaded joints and replace it that way although care must be made to retain the exact shape needed to nest your windshield and back glass. Lots of before, during and after measurements of glass openings need to be taken.

 

[Syleng1]

I’ve done both ways- skin the roof (pITA!)
And cut the A-pillars and C pillars at the same measurements on both cars and drop it on and weld it up. I prewelded inside strips for strength and line up reasons.
Remember to measure twice and cut once.

 

[ch1ll]

Yes, definitely brace with welded straps before cutting off the good roof. I would use L channel like from a bed frame across all window openings at the base and an x from a pillar to opposite c pillar.

 

[Lift&Move]

I too have a similar task on the horizon on my 71 Swinger....
It has rot above the windshield on the drivers side, enough to accumulate water in the floorboard.
I have a donor roof off of a 70 Swinger, but I did not have the luxury of securing the roof for fitment before the cut, but it looks like the kid cut it low enough on the A Pillars (Below the lead I hope).
I plan to replace the entire roof, but I'm apprehensive!

 

[Oldmanmopar]

Check the A-pillars for internal rust. Been there. Plug the bottoms and pour them full of Chassis Saver. and the drain them. Sometimes they are unrepairable and will need to be cut off and replaced. If that's the case there are times to replace the whole roof not just the skin. less welding , Weld the a-pillars right below the drip rail seam. Measure three times and weld once . Some I did I had to remove the drip rail due to rust under the skin. Good luck. Don't rush it and think it through. Plan your cuts on both cars.

 

[ir3333]

Replace the skin by drilling the spot welds and removing the seam solder.I think passing
the grinder down the drip rails helps. There are you tube videos on this and it doesn't look
difficult but i have never done it.

 

[ragtopfury]

Lca's were gone by the time we got there

 

[John Bedore]

Lca's were gone by the time we got there

Thanks anyway. John

 

[kdbunn]

I have done several roofs skins although none on a Mopar a-body. I can't imagine it being all that different as most cars were built similarly in that era. If you do the skin, think you will find it easier to panel cut an inch or two above the spot weld all the way around, remove the roof and then drill the spot welds with a spot weld cutter. Make sure you miss the roof supports. That way you can get your chisel tip under the skin to help you along with the stubborn ones and it makes it easier to stand up inside while you drill. Also, a steel wire wheel on a drill will eat through the seam sealer in the trough quite nicely. A brass wheel will work but may take longer.
If you splice the pillars, you really need to sleeve each pillar about 2 inches inside and above the cut otherwise you will not have the strength you need in a rollover situation. Where I live, it's actually illegal not to do it that way.