Thank you. My 67 fastback has an oil canned roof and it needs a new skin and I have been dying to see a roof skin replacement done. Great post. Keep the pics coming.


Good stuff man. Good stuff.

I think this is a sticky worthy thread.

 

so tonight I cut out the rest of the skin to make the new one fit into place. I ground all the rust that I could find on the framework and painted it to avoid any other such problems. Only wish that I could have gotten more of the framework cleaned off behind the rest of the pillars. I am glad that I had enough fore sight to mark the pillar prior to cutting it off. I took a square and used the body line that follows over the door marked two vertical lines and marked them at 5 inches. One line I made go off the corner above the rear window so I had a reference point to go with.

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On the car I cut a straight line at the 4in mark. I got off a little so I am a little short on the drivers side. The angle changes at the rear window so that is what threw me off. I didn't have a second set of hands to set the roof in place for an initial fit. Not a big deal though I can fill that piece in. I cut the replacement skin at 4 1/2in down and used a flange tool. I figured this would give me a little more room for error. Usually i butt weld everything. I put the flange in the skin so that the lip would face down inside the car that way therewould not be a spot for water to set and rust out my replacement panel. I cut a relief cut in the creases of the body lines so I have a little more flexibility with fitment. I will start tacking everything together tomorrow. I have to go buy some more clamps. On a side note I painted the bottom of the skin yesterday because there is no way to paint around some of the roof support if installed first.

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I like using the flanges over butt welding when it is possible. It makes for a stronger joint. I am curious as to why you did not put it on at the factory seams (lead lines)in the sail panels.

 

I thought about going down to the bottom but I didnt' want to mess with all of the lead and I figured this would be just as easy.

 

so tonight I started tacking my roof into place. I used vice grips to secure the panel around the front and rear windows and used ratchet straps to hold it down in the middle making sure it was not too tight as to not buckle my new skin.

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so here is were the problems really start. I found that the rear window is not rolled to the same size as the old one so there is a 1/8 indifference between the two panels. I now have to figure out how to bring the new skin out to meet the old part on the car. I can either place sheets of metal behind the flange that welds in the window frame or I am going to have to fur out the actual body. The problem I see with placing anything behind the flange is that it is not going to let my window seat properly. So it almost looks like I am going to have to do some fabrication on the pillar. BONDO is not an option. If anyone has any better solutions I am all ears.

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Could you do a reief cut a couple of inches long on the outside of the old sail panel and roll the edge to get it aligned. It is just metal you can move it and shape it to make it fit. You should trial fit the mouldings as this is being done to get the desired results. I would do the cut a little past where you are holding the square in the pic.

 

I kinda thought about that as well. I don't know if I want to use the original window surrounds. I am trying to figure out a different way of doing the windows. I am wanting to get rid of the chrome around the windows. I was thinking about powder coating the trim black but haven't decided yet. I also have to figure out what to do with the chrome strips around the drivers and passengers window. I want to do subtle changes that someone is going to have to look to really see. Of course the true mustang purists will notice but I want subtle and clean.

 

Just use the mouldings as a guide to make sure the opening doesnt get to wide to fast. It doesnt have to beexactly like the other sidejust make the illusion that it is.