I suppose anything is possible, but it sure seems like a ton of delicate, easy to screw up work. I recently purchased a 68, lots of rust around the base of the windsheild I knew about---but lots hidden under the trim that I didn't. It's bad, the worst case of cancer I've ever seen on an otherwise straight and complete car.

I have located a donor car with a perfect roof for $300 bucks. (the rest of the car is history, wrecked)

Is it feasable, or should I scrap the 68 and continue searching for another project?

I have seen this at my local resto shop. The owner of the shop passed away last year. I'm sure it's not as easy as it looks, but doable.

If it was me I'd really plan it out, measuring over and over.

With the glass out, it can't be too heavy, but this is likely a 2-3 person job so you don't wack it on somehting.

Chris, it is really no big deal. Let me put it this way I chopped the top (basically the same thing) when I was barely two months into my 16th year!
There is another team chevelle member that is planning the same thing so watch the forum and we can kill two birds with one stone.

First off, are you SURE that the whole roof needs to be replaced or can you just replace the top skin? graemlins/waving.gif

What does the base of the ws have to do with the roof? Is it just the pillars.Thats what i need to replace too.

Thanks for the replies! smile.gif


MARTINSR --- Actually, the roof itself is pretty straight except for a .45 caliber bullet wound above the passenger drip rail. It's the "ledge" that the windsheild sits in that's completley rotted away. In fact, if I were to drive the car right now, I am fairly sure the roof would "bow" up, somewhat like a convertible top does when the windows are rolled down.

The only thing holding the windsheild in when I got the car last weekend was the steel left at the base of the windsheild, and about what must have been 10 lbs. of white "tub & tile" silicone around the windsheild. In fact, I think the fact that they used RTV silicone to repair a leaky windsheild caused the majority of the damage over time. :(

After more inspection of the car last night, I realized they had done the same to the rear window as well, although the damage isn't near as extensive.

For a visual of the damage, look here: Look at pics 6 & 7 (http://community.webshots.com/album/65657451Fmprhf)
<edit> Make that "mcv-006s and -007s". (the white car ;) )

Tell me what you think. The cars been sitting for the past 10-12 years. It started as a family project, that stopped after they saw the rust around the base of the windsheild. Little did they know, the really bad stuff was underneath the silicone that had been squeezed in years before. :(

http://members.aol.com/smartasreality/images/chop005.jpg

http://members.aol.com/smartasreality/images/chop018.jpg
if i can do this, you can do it.

HOLY COW!!!!

That is insane,(I am AMAZED, I just called everyone in my office to come look! :D :D :D ) how long did that take??? smile.gif

the roof alone took me about 6 months on and off among other projects. now i have a fiberglass removable hardtop for it! graemlins/thumbsup.gif :cool: graemlins/beers.gif

What kind of splice did you use for the a-pillars? Do you have any pics of that pillar area?

Buddy you done mo work than I would uv. THATS CRAZY MAN.......but I'll bet it looks really :cool:

thanks ,but mike, i still have all the pieces i took out. you can come look at them.

FO, (if I can call you that smile.gif ) Cool stuff, what did you do with the tempered glass on the sides and rear?

Me at 16 years old, Yeah I know cool pants smile.gif
http://members.aol.com/buickfam/topchopping.jpg

If you have the tools and knowledge,why not? MARTINSR's pics reminds me when I was 17 in the mid 70's(did'nt have the cool pants though!)and brought home a 65 EC that had a tree fall on it in a windstorm. Landed right at the top of the windshield and crushed the A pillar on the right side. Dad was not pleased when he came home from work and saw my new purchase in the driveway. Bought all the stuff needed to fix at a wrecking yard for $50 and a couple buddies from high school helped me cut the roof off and weld on the new one. This was done with a gas welder and coat hangers for filler wire. Turned out pretty good and dad was impressed. Sold the car to a school mate and he drove it for a few years before he sold it.
Bottom line is-measure twice,cut once,pay attention when welding the new one on. Oh yeah. Measure some more and don't hurry. Now if the metal is gone at the base of the pillars and you have nothing to weld the new one to;this opens up a whole new can of worms. Can put in some reinforceing to attach to but at this point may ask if it's really worth it.

martin, i cut the front. i went thru several befor i got the procedure down. the back, i bought a sheet of scratch resestant glass coated plastic and cut it out. the sides, i havenot completed yet. i have tied controled sand blasting and tile cutting disc cutting even plasma cutting to a sheet of metal behind the glass but it just popped and shatterd. i am going to heat form plastic i think. if i can get backon hatproject. i have been distracted by all this wagon obsession of mine. haveyouheard of a way to cut or make curved side glass?

ps. in the pic of the chopped chevelle that is my son helping me hold the roof pieces up while i welded them in place with homemade adjustable stilts.

Oh yes, it is feasible, and has been done before. You need to take lots of measurements before you make your first cut though. Get a tablet and draw pictures and make measurements. The main concern is to take 'X' measurements at the windshield and back glass openings, and you want to be sure to take your measurements from the exact same spots on both pieces. An 'X' measurement is done as follows: Let's start at the rear of the car. Looking at the back glass opening from over the trunk lid, take a measurement from the upper left channel to the lower right channel. Repeat this step by taking the measurement from the upper right to the lower left side. Be sure to mark the spots where you placed the tape measure and measure the new roof in the exact same location. Now move the front and repeat the process for the windshield opening. It also would hurt to take longitundinal measurements of the openings as well at about three locations. One down the middle and one each to either side. In fact, take as many measurements from as many locations as you feel you'll need. Take measurements between the bottom of the door frame and drip channel, and in the side glass opening.

When you go to remove the donor roof, make your cut at the bottoms of the sails and door posts as close to the fenders and quarters as possible. When you remove the roof from your car, cut it off as close to the roof as possible. That way, you can avoid the mistake of cutting too much of your sails or posts away and having to fabricate or jury rig pieces to fill the gaps. You'll end up with extra sail and post material! From this point, it will take some meticulous measuring to figure how much to cut off the sails and posts to fit the roof to your car. I'd use as much of the donor posts and sails as possible, preferring to to trim the posts and sails from your car as needed to get the winshield and back glass openings back to the original measurements. Don't be afraid to to remove the roof and reinstall it several times during this process. When you start getting close to your original measurements, trim the posts and sails in very small increments. Don't remove huge chunks of material. Align the creases and bends in the sheetmetal and use clamps to hold everything in position while you tack weld it in place. Don't be afraid to tweak the metal a bit, since there may be some slight misalignment of the posts and sails, even though the 'X' measurement and any others you may have taken are all right on the money.

This is how I was taught to do it, others may have another way of doing it. It's up to you to choose the way that's easiest for you.

It is taught in your typical autobody classes to do everything you said Randy, but there is one thing you left out. That is making templates of where to cut. You make templates from poster board in the door jambs and window openings using a consistant point on both roofs as a reference point to place the template. You then can transfer the cutting point from on roof to the other.


FO_, I have heard of cutting them with a Laser, but have no first had experiance. You may want to give this guy a try http://classicglassltd.com/default.htm.
graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I like the template idea, because the way I was taught involves a lot of trial and error when fitting the new roof to the car. Of course, I'm sure that's why my mentor left the posts and sails on both the car body and the new roof, to play it close to the vest and allow room for error. It was meticulous and often times crude, but that was Herbert's approach.

If you get the time, could you post some pics of how to set the templates up? (Don't go cutting the roof off of your car :eek: , just give us a little demonstration of how to go about placing them and marking them. This is interesting stuff, and I'm always interested in different ways of doing the same job.)

Originally posted by MARTINSR:
FO_, I have heard of cutting them with a Laser, but have no first had experiance. You may want to give this guy a try http://classicglassltd.com/default.htm.
graemlins/thumbsup.gif thank's i will.
pete

opps, it sais this page can not be displayed. is the error on my end?

The period at the end of his sentence got added to the link.

http://classicglassltd.com/default.htm

Tim.

;) thanks

i called them. they said side windows can not be cut.

FO_FDYFO man that is a kill velle. at last yeas super chevy at maplegove there was a 70 velle w/ a chapped top and billet grill. it was sweet.

Perhaps it would be easier to just remove the top and make it a convertible.

Just a thought.

Chris R.

I had exactly the same problem with my 68...I was aware that the windshield had be leaking when
I bought the car..My plan was to replace the windshield and have it resealed. I asked the glass man to do it at my house. Came home one day and the old windshield was gone and in its place was his business card. I didn't need an explanation. I was shocked that after he removed the lower chrome trim there was NOTHING to seal to..It was rusted out from one side to the other between the windshied rest clips. I mean it was gone!!!
Man I was so bummed I didn't even look at the car for 2 months. Anyhow I had done some interior work on a 56 nomad for a guy I work with and he owed me a favor. I knew he was pretty good with metal and I asked him to look at it. He thought he could fix it. He did not use a donor car but rather cut and shaped in new metal. I was extremely please with how it turned out. He also finished it out with alumilead (sp). He charged me $200 parts and labor and I had the car back in 2 weeks. He said it was alittle tedious but not too bad. All the work hides under the chrome trim anyhow. The new windshield looks great and doesnt leak a drop graemlins/hurray.gif

So I know it can be done maybe without a donor car. I wish I had taken before and after pics.