5 GT Turbo 11 years later silver bullet comes home

[Turbell]

I have faith in you.....well.....some.
I'd get some body solder and aim just to tack it, join the dots over a good period of time, but keep air on it, move about, bash some 22mm copper pipe flat and prop it under where you are tacking, then lead load seam.
I watch with considerable interest.

 

[Duncan Grier]

Alas no access for some copper to back of roof section, will look into body solder as not something I have any knowledge/ experience of

 

[Duncan Grier]

Couple of power hours earlier and almost finished the passenger side....ran out of sanding belts and with home DIY jobs to get done play was stopped, but you get the idea of end look I after

 

[Duncan Grier]

Power hour earlier, nothing exciting but last section done. Need to go round and fine tune, but can now start overthinking the next wave of joy

 

[Duncan Grier]

Can you guess what I am thinking



Kind of just found a settling little bit warmer than you would think and some rapid trigger on/off just went for it, would need to go a bit more controlled for a few less pin holes but no movement

 

[Steve Swan]

The patch is free to move wherever it wants, the roof, however is fixed and a much larger area, There's a reason why seasoned pro's don't do this type of repair.......

 

[Duncan Grier]

100% would not do if a pure floating join and have 3 plans in mind if I do go for the impossible join there is help......these pics help with where my brain was going



Room with glue out for decent wedges of copper

Or

Fill the wedge and use my spot welder



Or a gurney flap to the leading edge of roof from my novice efforts

I do also have a gift back from the cage install damage to roof done



Which as I cant add video please refer to the below board game pop effect

 

[Duncan Grier]

With thoughts of potential roof replacement needed I settled to the fun job of starting to take out the rubber seal and get it ready for whatever I do with it before play was time over

 

[paulseabrook]

With thoughts of potential roof replacement needed I settled to the fun job of starting to take out the rubber seal and get it ready for whatever I do with it before play was time over

I'm in the process of replacing roof skin, I've removed the old one and currently waiting for the new one to be welded on. It's not that difficult just got to have patience great build thread btw

 

[DaveL485]

The patch is free to move wherever it wants, the roof, however is fixed and a much larger area, There's a reason why seasoned pro's don't do this type of repair.......

There's a reason I drove a 749 mile road trip to France to buy a whole R21 roof and replaced the whole roof skin instead of welding up the sunroof hole on my Quadra...

Theyre not actually that bad to remove if you take your time. And can find a replacement, obvs.

 

[Duncan Grier]

Yeah tbh the cut and patch is the obvious 'sensible' way @DaveL485 and use what I need from the spare I have.

My worry is also repairing the damage that was done to my roof, while it might need shrinking to get an acceptable level to use filler to finish? That is still heat though and a skill in its own right.

I have nothing to compare but while that section proper pops in and out now I would say the roof has a very lifeless feel to it if pressing the centre of it.....could be due to no roof lining or result of the other bit?

Anyone got a 5 with no headlining in to let me know?

Super frustrating as other than the rust section the roof was fine before sending off for the cage and extra pain I have now to resolve or fund getting fixed

Getting another roof an option also just more of my labour and logistics of getting

 

[DaveL485]

I have nothing to compare but while that section proper pops in and out now I would say the roof has a very lifeless feel to it if pressing the centre of it.....could be due to no roof lining or result of the other bit?

Anyone got a 5 with no headlining in to let me know?

The 9 was the same with no roof liner... roof was wibbly wobbly jelly. Much better with a roof liner stuck to it.

 

[Duncan Grier]

That sounds positive, thanks Dave

 

[Duncan Grier]

Very little free garage time lately

But managed a couple of hours late yesterday and get head back up to speed with next steps

Decided to start removing spot welds in the screen cradle......which for the top half I did was more die grinder ball than drill

Started the same on the donor screen while removing the lovely windscreen adhesive

With decision still not made I removed the paint and cleaned up to assess the merits of patch v full cradle as per pics you can see the good, the bad and the ugly - welcome any opinions on it as there pro's & cons to both solutions imo (would not be able to use spot welding machine due to cage annoyingly )

My view on the roof section atm is patch what is needed and see how it goes, replacement roof the contingency but rather not have to

 

[Duncan Grier]

Anybody got experience/advice on separating the brazed section?

I only have MAPP blow torch, no oxy

 

[Turbell]

Mapp should do it, my Father uses mapp to braze carbide tips into tools, but there are different braze metals, different heat ranges, I would think panel braze would be at the lower of these??
I'd separate as much as you can , so it's ready to part , so you can give braze joint some heat whilst you prise it, so it lets go and gets gone asap.

 

[Duncan Grier]

Thanks @Turbell

Your view/experience based on pictures full cradle replacement or patch?

@Steve Swan same question

Or anyone else as if im left too long you never know what I will do lol ..... Thankfully doing hall wooden flooring today so not gone near it.....yet

 

[Turbell]

If you can hold your water for a week or so I'll pass some of your pictures onto panel beater contacts and get some feedback on probable pros and cons, likelihood of success depending on plan of attack.
First issue I see is roof skin overlaps screen surround, so order it happens versus amount of roof skin you remove matters, problem, as you are aware is the amount of roof skin that needs attention.....if it were just part under the seal , I'd be going for keeping the roof curvature in place ( double curvature, so hence has stiffness) and letting it in , two or three sections perhaps.
It's a brave repair, big boy pants time, most would say no, full skin.
I would absolutely prep it, gloss black it after , roll a light over it from every angle if I cut and shut it.

 

[DaveL485]

Its bad enough to make me want to say change the roof but also good enough to make me say patch it up.

I realise that isnt much help.

 

[Steve Swan]

I'd agree with Turbell. My instinct tells me to keep the upper repair part as small as possible, nearer to the roof curve, but much harder to flange the edge for joining. Although flanging the edge may buckle the panel all over the place anyway.