Roof Panel Replacement

[Doppleganger]

Has anyone ever done this - drilled out the spot welds and replaced it with a new AMD panel? Everything online is either pre-SB or so cobbed with "donor" panels, it almost looks worse. I had extensive oil canning in mine. All came out - the 5-6" above each door and above the windshield are untouched. Its everything in the middle. I have measured the whole top and think the deepest any filler would be is maybe 1/8", so not ruling that completely out yet.

Just wondering what was involved. I called one shop and the guy said he doesn't think his guys have the skill to do it (at least he admitted it). I doubt anyone in this town has the skill to do it. It doesn't help my name isn't Allstate or State Farm either.

Weather is going to be like Dagoba here: 1000F with high humidity the next week or so, so I have time to think about it.

 

[Ricko1966]

Doesn't look worse than skinning a door,which we used to do nbd. Do you have some junk doors or can get some. If I teach you how to take the skin off a junk door. You'll then know what it takes and if you have the skill to take off the roof panel.

 

[legopnuematic]

@Tank6x2 did a roof skin on his truck. New AMD panel.

 

[Grit dog]

Has anyone ever done this - drilled out the spot welds and replaced it with a new AMD panel? Everything online is either pre-SB or so cobbed with "donor" panels, it almost looks worse. I had extensive oil canning in mine. All came out - the 5-6" above each door and above the windshield are untouched. Its everything in the middle. I have measured the whole top and think the deepest any filler would be is maybe 1/8", so not ruling that completely out yet.

Just wondering what was involved. I called one shop and the guy said he doesn't think his guys have the skill to do it (at least he admitted it). I doubt anyone in this town has the skill to do it. It doesn't help my name isn't Allstate or State Farm either.

Weather is going to be like Dagoba here: 1000F with high humidity the next week or so, so I have time to think about it.

Yikes, man. That’s allota work if 1/8” of bondo cures it.
Idk how thick the bondo ended up on my hood, but had an oil can low spot that I mudded up. Probably 6” dia to the feather edge. Came out fine. Can’t see it. And about 10000x easier than taking the roof off.
Spot on the roof I didn’t touch. Can’t see it from the ground. And you got a K20 as well so no one will see it anyways.

 

[Tank6x2]

Pg 32/33 of thread

https://www.gmsquarebody.com/threads/from-the-ground-up-resto-mod-stormin-norman.18170/

 

[Tank6x2]

Has anyone ever done this - drilled out the spot welds and replaced it with a new AMD panel? Everything online is either pre-SB or so cobbed with "donor" panels, it almost looks worse. I had extensive oil canning in mine. All came out - the 5-6" above each door and above the windshield are untouched. Its everything in the middle. I have measured the whole top and think the deepest any filler would be is maybe 1/8", so not ruling that completely out yet.

Just wondering what was involved. I called one shop and the guy said he doesn't think his guys have the skill to do it (at least he admitted it). I doubt anyone in this town has the skill to do it. It doesn't help my name isn't Allstate or State Farm either.

Weather is going to be like Dagoba here: 1000F with high humidity the next week or so, so I have time to think about it.

Oil canning, heat a !small! spot and cool off with a wet rag or pneumatic air gun until cool to touch canning will disappear

 

[Doppleganger]

Oil canning, heat a !small! spot and cool off with a wet rag or pneumatic air gun until cool to touch canning will disappear

Thats the way I got rid of the oil canning - iirc I had 8-10 areas. Used a stud welder. Once I did the center section of the roof, the sides firmed up and were fine. The center literally looks like a lunar surface though.

The stickler with mud will be if the contour of the roof is maintained. I personally think if I start from front to back - down the middle - I can work my way out to the untouched sides.

I saved all your pics of the spot weld areas - if I could weld, I'd be more tempted to just do it. I thought about the height and no one seeing it, but it will never be easier to do (if I have to) than now.

Pics look fine but if I posted the pic of the middle area (in shadows to show it all) its awful. I'm terrified to even touch it.

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[Rickf]

Anybody ever try one of those shrinking discs?

 

[CalSgt]

Anybody ever try one of those shrinking discs?

Yup, they are great for shrinking down high spots and dealing with oil-canning panels. There’s a bit of a learning curve with them though.

@Doppleganger if the panel feels somewhat solid, I wouldn’t hesitate to spread filler if it were mine. You seem worried about the factory contour but so long as the transition is smooth and there isn’t an inch of filler up there no one will ever know.

 

[Ricko1966]

Yup, they are great for shrinking down high spots and dealing with oil-canning panels. There’s a bit of a learning curve with them though.

@Doppleganger if the panel feels somewhat solid, I wouldn’t hesitate to spread filler if it were mine. You seem worried about the factory contour but so long as the transition is smooth and there isn’t an inch of filler up there no one will ever know.

We will,and we'll have pics to prove it.

 

[Doppleganger]

I've got some of that Rage Ultra Extra bondo - has a working time up to 40min. I would say in the summer heat, its at least 12-15min. When the weather here dries out some, I'll try a section and see how it looks.

If I knew how to weld, or had $ to blow (to pay someone else to fix it if it goes sideways) I would probably swap it out. I have a pic of the roof where the shadows show everything.....and its fugly.

 

[CalSgt]

I've got some of that Rage Ultra Extra bondo - has a working time up to 40min. I would say in the summer heat, its at least 12-15min. When the weather here dries out some, I'll try a section and see how it looks.

If I knew how to weld, or had $ to blow (to pay someone else to fix it if it goes sideways) I would probably swap it out. I have a pic of the roof where the shadows show everything.....and its fugly.

lol, if it’s over 80 degrees mix that sh!t on your way to the panel and get it down quick. I suspect it goes off like the rage gold does, if so get a few good swipes to smear it good and walk away.

I have a tendency to over work it, when it starts to go off and you’re trying to work it it will induce a crazy amount of pin holes

 

[Grit dog]

lol, if it’s over 80 degrees mix that sh!t on your way to the panel and get it down quick. I suspect it goes off like the rage gold does, if so get a few good swipes to smear it good and walk away.

I have a tendency to over work it, when it starts to go off and you’re trying to work it it will induce a crazy amount of pin holes

No, that ultra extra has a significantly extended working time. If I was doing large areas like skimming panels or first round of dings and repairs it would be really nice.
I’ve never used it before though. Says you can mix with regular Rage to adjust the workability time.

@Doppleganger your roof may be worse than I was assuming but imo if there’s no ugly high spots, lay some bondo and get to sanding.
Obviously less or thinner filler is better but it’s not necessarily a problem to smooth panels with filler.
think about it like this. If body filler doesn’t get it as straight as you’d like, you’re only out a little bondo, time and sandpaper. But if it works then you’re way ahead of the alternative.

 

[Grit dog]

As an extreme example, back in the day, one of the crew “trucks” was this old Ramcharger. It was somehow much cleaner and nicer than a 10-15 year old Dodge would typically be in the rust belt. It was repainted as the boss had all his trucks painted to match for a while (brand recognition lol).
One day it got in an accident. Crunched the rear half pretty good. What I saw blew me away. The entire rig (or large portions anyways) has been skimmed or completely skinned with bondo and sanded perfectly. This was not noticeable prior to the accident. And it had been that way for at least 5 years of daily year round use and abuse including snow plowing.
Just an idea of how well a good bondo job can hold up. Not recommending just evidence.
Point is, your truck project which has been a significant undertaking with a long ways to go will presumably be cared for MUCH better than that old Ramcharger. It’ll be fine, and you can move forward with progress instead of taking a step backwards and considerably more expense.
Similarly the blue truck when I was stripping the old paint I got into a patch of bondo previously unnoticed but it’s a fair size area on the front fender. At first I was gonna tear it out and redo. Then I thought better of it and left it. I did drill into it in a few spots to make sure someone didn’t throw a half inch of mud over a dent.
I left that presumably 20-30 year old bondo there and just skimmed it again to fix my exploratory work and the gouge I put in it.
Not a problem 4 years later.
And in fact that one spot took a direct shot from the butt end of a golf club handle flung about 100’. (Long story….kids buddy a couple years ago). Hit hard enough to dent the fender in the same area and put a hairline crack in the antique bondo. That was a couple years ago and it hasnt gotten worse.
Just trying to give you some confidence to get off TDC on this issue in the spirit of restoring your truck. You’ve gotten wrapped around the spokes a few times in the last few years on this truck as I recall. It’s not helping you get it completed.

 

[Doppleganger]

So today I go out to look this mess over again and find more oil canning towards the front. I think to make this work (with filler) I would have to really pound the center down to get it below the natural arch of the roof so it might cover it with filler. Going to work it again in the evenings to humor myself and see if it can still happen. Plan B is to swap the roof and use 3M panel adhesive since no one in a city of 700k knows how to weld. This was the plugging of 1 firewall hole.....by a 'welder with 40 yrs experience". $200.

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Rant over. Someone come buy this heap. lol