Thread: pics of work on roof need some advice

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I finally had a few hours to day to get the roof off the car... found the viser to be welded to it so a new visor is needed .. also found a couple problem areas... around the front corners ... half way up the drivers side , and a little on the passengers side close to the front... I think that they can easily be fixed once the new donor roof is installed... also there is a piece of metal on top of the windshield that covers the wood in the front of the car... this piece is in pretty good shape but there are about 8 screws underneath of it that look like they were randomley put in of course this will be covered by the visor so should I just leave as it is? One other thing the metal supprot in the middle has been raised about 1/2 an inch I presume I should put this back in its original location? then I will probably need to make a relief cut on each side to let the body down back to the correct height? I can see welds there so obviously who ever put that roof on made cuts to lift it correct? Any advice or help on what should be done next would be great..

any advice on what to do next will be appriciated

thanks.
simon

Think I'd be for getting all the uglies cut out of the corners and getting some good solid metal in there before I started skinning the top....

Will you be using a ribbed or flat roof skin??? What are you planning on using for bracing from side to side to support the skin???

I usually get all the edges and the existing portion of the roof all straightened out, stripped, and prepped (no filler yet) , install the roof supports, then lay out a skin with poster board sheets cut to fit and taped together.... This will give you the opportunity to get a visual on the roof contours and basic shape before you start fitting the metal....
Much easier to cut and fit a piece of posterboard then sheetmetal!!~!!

are you refering to the uglies in the front corners? If so should I just start stripping down to metal and removing all the "uglies" I have plenty of sheet metal from the old roof... I could use that to make any repairs... well as far as braces, the guy I bought the car from gave me all newroof ribs and side rails.. so I guess I will use them since they are brand new... I will be using a ribbed one... I know alot of people don't like ribbed on model A's , but I don't mind it and think it will add some strength to the roof...I am going to have to work out how far on the front to cut the roof since I am going to have to flatten the ribs out at the front then I have to figure out how to mate it to the new visor. any ideas on that?

I like the ribbed roofs on everything!!! May not be the best for the aesthetics, but it sure makes for a much stronger roof that will retain it's shape and contour much better!!! Yup, I meant the uglies in the front corner.... I like to make sure everything else on the top is in good shape before the skinnin' begins... As for the visor, guess it depends on what you have and how far off it is from being the correct fit now!!! I do think I'd leave it off til the rest of the roof is in place.... I usually just make my own visors when I need one, mainly cuz most of the aftermarket one's I've seen aren't even close to the right fit!!! Exception being, the kewl one that Tom Flynn has for his T, it fit great!!!!

Ribbed roofs look great I think.


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Are you gonna use a wood kit or brace with steel? Mine was pretty rough so I ended up welding the visor to the roof in one piece and then welding up the front part to the bottom of the visor. I have a little pocket in the top for my rag top to slide into just so ya don't wonder what it is.

Sean

Okay after seeing those pics.. it looks like the original body actually has the wood exsposed in the front corners... so these are probably pieces that the previous owner put in... no Idea why they are so rough .... how far down towards the doors does the original body go , or should I not worry about it and just cut the "uglies" out weather original or not and weld in patches made from my old roof skin?

thanks for the help guys,
simon

A friend of mine is doing a '31 Model A truck using the wood kit and keeping it pretty original, I think they're the same on the front. He has a lot of good pictures you can see here:

http://www.vintagerods.ca/showthread.php?t=476&page=4

Might be some help for you. You may have to sign up to see them, I can copy some if you need them.

Sean

Sean ,

thanks, yes you need to sign up to see the pics.... I tried to see them but I am not a member... If it is not too much trouble could you copy some?

thanks
simon

He's got some good ones, these should help:

Sean

My buddie Steve has a 29 in his shop right now and I've been keeping an eye one him.
He's got one that is being totaly restored, and the wood in roof has been giving him fits.
I'm gonna have to show him this thread, thanks guys Kurt

great pictures.... that is what a thought ... the corner is bare down to the A piler.. that is where my ugly metal is... i guess who ever put the first roof on filled that in with some junky metal I will replace it with some from the roof I took off I now have plenty

thanks
very much
simon

Okay I got a new visor today... I am going to have to fabricate a few corner pieces to fill small gaps in the visor... not to mention they need replacing as well... the "uglies" ... I also found that the roof ribs that were giving to me with the car are too long... I got hold of the person that sold me the car and he gave me the number to the place he got them and since they are unused in prestine condition they will swap them for me but it will take a couple of weeks... so I will get to work on some of the other body work and stripping the car down... I have one question though with the roof since I am using a ribbed roof I am going to have to cut and bend the ribs down to make it look like the back of the roof... the question I have is should I then use a small strip of sheet metal between the roof and the new visor to mate them together? or are there any other suggestions out there??

thanks,
simon