Roof panel replacement?

[rs74]

Been looking for a good thread that has details for replacing the outer roof panel. Something landed on the cab of my 84 before I got it and it needs fixed. Not sure how hard replacing the panel would be or just trying to see what the bodyman can make of it. The back panel strip that is between the back glass and the upper roof panel is rolled a little bit too.

[79Betty]

Could cut at the top of the windshield seems... My guess is that would be easiest. GO CONVERTIBLE!! Lol. (Wish i had the cash to buy your parts dually btw)

[rs74]

Originally Posted by 79Betty

Could cut at the top of the windshield seems... My guess is that would be easiest. GO CONVERTIBLE!! Lol. (Wish i had the cash to buy your parts dually btw)

Is it more work than its worth to put a new panel in? Not sure how it is all put together. I assume there are some pinch welds under the rear seam.

Just sold the C&C yesterday. Trying to buy another RC K30 dually pickup.

[RandyP]

Unless you can find a new roof skin, why even think about it? If you're thinking of trying to put on a used roof skin and you do not consider yourself a fairly talented body man, then start looking for a complete cab to replace yours with. That would be the simplest for you.

If you can locate a new roof skin, then it's a matter of separating the old and putting the new on with a combo of welds and glue. You basically have 3 pinch areas and one seam. Would take a professional body man roughly 2 or 3 days to do it. Would take an amateur anywhere from a week to 10 years.

[f.monroe]

You can cut the roof off of a nice cab and graft it on yours. I have seen it done a few times. The body shop cut the A and B pillars about 4-6 inches below the roof and the bad cab the same place . Then he set the new roof on and welded around the perimeter , ground it smooth, and you could never tell it had been worked on.
Frank

[rs74]

I am wanting to avoid putting in a new cab. I am already doing that for my short bed and it is a pain. Not including trying to find a good cab in these parts. I thought I remembered seeing a thread on hear somewhere that showed their process but can't find it now. Anyone have a link or photos of one being done?

[79Betty]

There's a lot of em in the 67-72 pages. I'd just follow what they did. Go slow n do it right.

[rs74]

Originally Posted by 79Betty

There's a lot of em in the 67-72 pages. I'd just follow what they did. Go slow n do it right.

Thanks!

The guy who bought the K30 parts trucks lives just an hour from you in Williams.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by f.monroe

You can cut the roof off of a nice cab and graft it on yours. I have seen it done a few times. The body shop cut the A and B pillars about 4-6 inches below the roof and the bad cab the same place . Then he set the new roof on and welded around the perimeter , ground it smooth, and you could never tell it had been worked on.
Frank

Yep -

plus - this might be a good time to do a mild "top chop".

K

[RandyP]

OK, you realize doing that method you're only welding the outside, you can not weld the inside inner structure. Or, Keith, are you suggesting there is not any inner structure inside the pillars?

[AspecialZ]

I did this last year, I used the factory pinch line in the rear of the cab, drilled out all the spot welds (you'll need a few of these, I broke a few from Eastwood) Gently cut the corners where the factory braze is located and you can remove the skin. I purchased a flange punch from Harbor Freight to help save time and drill bits. Then You have to do the same with your donor truck. I plug welded the front after grinding all the metal smooth and sprayed with weld through primer to make sure no rust would show up later down the road. I then plug welded the inside holes and tacked all around the back of the cab, removing the factory line where the roof was mated on. All in all...2 weekends, about 15hrs for me off and on.

[esbstuff]

Its really not that hard to do... Check out this link for further details...

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=572601

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by RandyP

OK, you realize doing that method you're only welding the outside, you can not weld the inside inner structure. Or, Keith, are you suggesting there is not any inner structure inside the pillars?

The A pillar is just a hollow "tube", created by the out and inner panels.

(there may be an expandable sealer "plug" in there, to help control wind noise).

Simillarly, the B pillar is hollow and is formed by the outer A surface sheetmetal and the inner panel.

So - the intent is you weld all the way around the outside periphery of the A pillar and B pillar.

K

[RandyP]

I guess I'm just stuck on newer car designs. Everything these days that we work on of course has layers upon layers of inner structure and such.

Still, the thought of trying to separate a used roof and install it makes me shiver. Cutting at the posts and putting it all in would be the only way to go from a professional point of view.

Thanks for answering that Keith, my books are extremely vague with pictures on these trucks and I just could not remember what was there when we made the old '73 in to a convertible before hauling it to the crusher.