71-73 Roof reskin
03-25-2010, 06:25 PM
#1
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Pickford MI
Posts: 88
71-73 Roof reskin
It appears my vinyl top did more damage than I thought when I bought the car--once the windshield was out I found alot of rot in the center front portion of the roof.
Anyway--Does anyone have photos or a writeup of their reskin??? I can see all the spot welds in the front window area, the back window area and the sail panel seams.
I'm wondering where they are over the doors? Are they only on the drip rails??
I'm thinking when I take the one off the donor I'm going to undercut the drip rail and then grind off from below instead of risking bending the panel.
I was thinking I saw a good write up on here at one time but a site search didnt reveal it. Nor did google.
Musclecar had a good segment on it but you cant buy the panel for the 71-73 of course so i cant look at the new panel to give me an idea how it goes on
Anyway--Does anyone have photos or a writeup of their reskin??? I can see all the spot welds in the front window area, the back window area and the sail panel seams.
I'm wondering where they are over the doors? Are they only on the drip rails??
I'm thinking when I take the one off the donor I'm going to undercut the drip rail and then grind off from below instead of risking bending the panel.
I was thinking I saw a good write up on here at one time but a site search didnt reveal it. Nor did google.
Musclecar had a good segment on it but you cant buy the panel for the 71-73 of course so i cant look at the new panel to give me an idea how it goes on
03-26-2010, 12:14 AM
#3
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Pickford MI
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No-- I've not found any photos yet. Again I"m looking for help above the doors-how they are attached
Yes I have a donor car--I'm not worried about getting the old skin off as I'll drill out the welds then cut about an inch in from the outside area all the way around. Then work at removing the strip that left. Should make it alot easier to remove the remainder of the panel. Again they had a really good show on how to go about it on Musclecar TV on Spike--you can watch it online--not dial up friendly
http://www.spike.com/full-episode/ed...-mustang/35437
Obviously I dont want to frog up the skin off the donor. Thats why I was wondering where or how it is attached--might be that once I remove the bad one I will see. My thought was to drill the spot welds all the way around--then cut off the donor roof with the strip of metal that it is attached to (does that make sense??) They I would be removing the strip from my top and not be prying (bending) my donor top.
Yes I have a donor car--I'm not worried about getting the old skin off as I'll drill out the welds then cut about an inch in from the outside area all the way around. Then work at removing the strip that left. Should make it alot easier to remove the remainder of the panel. Again they had a really good show on how to go about it on Musclecar TV on Spike--you can watch it online--not dial up friendly
http://www.spike.com/full-episode/ed...-mustang/35437
Obviously I dont want to frog up the skin off the donor. Thats why I was wondering where or how it is attached--might be that once I remove the bad one I will see. My thought was to drill the spot welds all the way around--then cut off the donor roof with the strip of metal that it is attached to (does that make sense??) They I would be removing the strip from my top and not be prying (bending) my donor top.
03-26-2010, 02:30 PM
#4
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Marquette Mi
Posts: 3,566
Fastback or coupe? How I would do each is slightly different. The vinyl roof on my Cougar did some damage, the pinholes I welded up, the pits I ended up sandblasting and scraping, and apparently I missed a few pits and got some bubbles in the paint. Not a big deal for me, just annoying. If you are going to put a vinyl top back on it then it opens up a bunch of options because it will cover up quite a bit of mess.
03-26-2010, 05:40 PM
#5
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Pickford MI
Posts: 88
Coupe--And no I dont plan on putting the vinyl top back on.
Sadly I've got more than some pitting here--Its a shame as 95% of the roof is in good shape but pretty much the entire area above the windshield (area about 24 inches wide) is pretty much gone--the part that faces the windshield right above the sealer.
I may make some attempt to patch in an L section first and then decide if I like how it turns out. Guess if it look like **** I can always go back and reskin it--I really wouldnt be out anything.
BTW Nice to see another Yooper on here
Sadly I've got more than some pitting here--Its a shame as 95% of the roof is in good shape but pretty much the entire area above the windshield (area about 24 inches wide) is pretty much gone--the part that faces the windshield right above the sealer.
I may make some attempt to patch in an L section first and then decide if I like how it turns out. Guess if it look like **** I can always go back and reskin it--I really wouldnt be out anything.
BTW Nice to see another Yooper on here
Last edited by Tomahawk715; 03-26-2010 at 05:45 PM.
03-26-2010, 09:43 PM
#6
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Houston TX
Posts: 498
Wow, that sounds like a serious job. I thought you needed help with putting a new roof on your car. I think you need the same book I need on putting the car back together. May I suggest you talk to Don with Ohio Mustang, he parts out these cars all of the time and gave me great info on parting out my part car. I made a small fortune selling the parts I thought no one needed. BTW, I still have 2 good doors and windows etc. LOL Ed
03-26-2010, 10:11 PM
#7
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Pickford MI
Posts: 88
Not really any scarier than doing a rear quarter---heck I think thats harder to be honest.
Not really looking for advice on putting it on--got that covered--looking more for info on ideas for taking the one off the donor. I dont want the donor panel all frogged up. Wish NPD sold the panel for this year--then again they dont sell the skin for coupes for any year--only the fastback.
Not really looking for advice on putting it on--got that covered--looking more for info on ideas for taking the one off the donor. I dont want the donor panel all frogged up. Wish NPD sold the panel for this year--then again they dont sell the skin for coupes for any year--only the fastback.
03-27-2010, 07:26 PM
#8
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Location: Pickford MI
Posts: 88
It actually looks as though there are spot welds above the pinchweld of the drip rails---looking at it from inside--May be a better idea to drill all I can find out and then cut the a pillar and sail panels with the roof supports and remove it that way?? Then work the donor skin off.
03-28-2010, 10:19 PM
#9
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Pickford MI
Posts: 88
Come on----not one person here with a 71 to73 ever had to replace a roof skin??? lol
I better take lots of photos and post them up when I do it. Have to do floors and stuff before then but wanted to start making plans for each project on this thing
I better take lots of photos and post them up when I do it. Have to do floors and stuff before then but wanted to start making plans for each project on this thing
07-02-2010, 07:06 PM
#10
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Pickford MI
Posts: 88
So does anyone have a smashed up parts car they would be willing to cut the section just above the windshield out of?? Upon getting the whole thing stripped down on top I see that its pretty much just the section that holds the windshield--the L section--the actual roof looks good.
What I'd like to do is get get the L section that the windshield sits in and then 3 or 4 inches back on to the front of the roof. My plan is to cut the roof back about an inch and fit the donor piece in--making sure I've gotten rid of all the rust.
Again if this all fails I guess I'm stuck removing my entire donor car skin and moving it over to the car. And obviously I dont want to ruin the donor car skin if this doesnt work. Hoping someone has a car with a back smashed or otherwise unusable rear roof section that could help me out.
BTW I'd post this in the wanted section but I dont have 50 posts yet so I cant lol
What I'd like to do is get get the L section that the windshield sits in and then 3 or 4 inches back on to the front of the roof. My plan is to cut the roof back about an inch and fit the donor piece in--making sure I've gotten rid of all the rust.
Again if this all fails I guess I'm stuck removing my entire donor car skin and moving it over to the car. And obviously I dont want to ruin the donor car skin if this doesnt work. Hoping someone has a car with a back smashed or otherwise unusable rear roof section that could help me out.
BTW I'd post this in the wanted section but I dont have 50 posts yet so I cant lol