Lancer and roof replacement

[iTurbo]

I have a Shelby Lancer that survived a major hailstorm back in '04. I've fixed most of the damage, but the roof is still really bad. I've already replaced the hood, windshield and some trim etc. I have a lead on a good hatch door so I'll be replacing that soon too.

What is the right way to fix the roof? I think it is bad enough that the whole panel will need to be replaced. The hail was nearly baseball size.. I would like to repaint the car someday but don't want bondo everywhere. Is it even possible to replace the roof panel?

http://www.turbosedan.com/jerm/imcarpix/121503/DSC00416.JPG

[135sohc]

Reskinning it is most certainly possible but its gonna be $$$ and finding a clean donor is another challenge.

Are their any 'older car' type body shops around you ? not someone who's running an insurance claims financed type operation. They'd probably be more interested in taking on something like this and helping you.

[iTurbo]

Well I'm taking a trip out of town with a truck to (hopefully) pick up a hatch door off another Shelby Lancer that a guy is parting out. Maybe I could get the roof too....any idea where to cut to get the panel off without ruining it?

[TurboRon25]

Did you try dry ice on a hot summer day?

Ron

[BadAssPerformance]

Ouch... Talk to one of those paintless dent repair guys, they have some tricks.... like ice, lol...

[shelbyconcepts]

I'm with JT on this one......Go to the painless dent guy first.... Remove the headliner before you take it to him though... Most of that should come out.... Way cheaper and easier than skinning a roof...

If you can't find anyone that wants to try... and you know that your going to repaint the roof... Try using a stud welder. See Harbor Freight for a cheap one. The way it works is you grind off the paint in that area and weld a brass stud to the center of the dent. Then gently use a slide hammer attached to the stud to pull the dent out. Go SLOW!.... Practice on some scrap sheetmetal first! .... Then dolly it flat.... I seem to remember the TV Show Muscle car had a episode on this... See if you can find it on U-tube...

Lastly, if that that doesn't work you need to do the roof and it's a major under taking .... The front windshield will be removed and all the spot welds drilled out with a spot weld drill (see Eastwood for the drill or any good body shop supply house) Then afterward the new panel can either be glued in with 3M panel glue or re-spot welded. I think last week or the week before, Muscle car did a roof on a Mustang this way...Another U-tube or power block search!

I vote painless before anything else!

Tim

[1966 dart wagon]

I would have PDR take a look at it(paintless dent repair) then whatever they cant get out just use a stud gun (like explained above) to pulll what other dents there are, just be careful you have to push down on the stud gun to make it make contact, which can sometimes bent the metal, then heating it up makes it move = WARPING/oil can, which then you have serious problems, and alot of work ahead of you(well for the untrained). Ive fixed alot of roofs on cars like that, buy doing these methods, normally not using PDR , Its very fixable and if you can get the dents out close there will be very little mud/filler (NOT bondo...sorry pet peeve that's the ---- brand anyways..) Filler isnt bad, when applied right and doing everything right, people seem to see mud on a car and go OMG:confused: Which is entirely not the case, how do you think most show cars are made that straight.

Good luck with repairing it, its not that hard just time consuming

Just noticed you may/will repaint the car, if your repainting the car why PDR it, its only the cheaper rout if you DONT want to do this, plus you'll do it yourself = cheaper:thumb: and if it was an ins. job they would more then likly fix all the dents w/o PDR since there are so many dents thats alot of time

[iTurbo]

Cool, thanks for all the suggestions. So should I even bother trying to get the roof from the other Lancer? Sounds like I might be better off fixing mine then? That would be great...I would love to paint the car gloss black.

[4 l-bodies]

Jeremy,
I also vote to fix not replace the roof. A long time ago a very good bodyman told me that a car is usually never the same after the roof has been replaced. Do that as a last resort.
I once had a car that had much smaller hails dents but had many more. Like several hundred! Every single one was removed by the same guy using no filler. Just lots of heat from fine grit grinder. The small ones will lift right out on the newer cars. It really wasn't any cheaper fixing instead of replacing, but I was glad to save the roof. Roof was probably the straightest part of the car after that.:nod:
Todd

[coronet2fast]

yep i would go with the dent monkey as we called them. i worked at lexus and we got hit by hail badly. they did all of our new cars. looked as good as new after. the guy i know has a gift, if the paint is good he will fix it.

[spoolinhard]

If you decide to reskin the roof, there is a much easier way to do it, fiberglass evercoat makes some really great sheetmetal glues, you wouldnt have to worry about welding and it, just clean the old roof off, prep it and glue on at factory seems.

[iTurbo]

Thanks guys. I found a shop in Rapid City that specializes in PDR repair so I'll check them out first. Should I remove the headliner beforehand?

[86Shelby]

Yes, may as well get all that stuff out of the way to they don't charge as much labor.