Roof Panel Replacement

[legopnuematic]

Any Vo-Tech or community colleges in your area that do auto body?

 

[Ricko1966]

The rest of the cab is cherry - no rust or damage. I believe I know how this roof got so damaged - was a freak thing. I'm just so at the end of the ATM machine that every little thing that continues to pile up is wearing on me. If I knew I could get a GOOD welder to reattach everything for a c-note or 2, I would do it and move on. But cant just throw money at it when literally no one around here knows their arse from a hole in the ground, and if they do, they want the title to the thing to try. Would love to learn but on something less valuable.

I've got stuff I could peddle to offset it, but been no interest above free (Q-Jet, spare parts, pew-pew 'toys', etc).

Thanks fellas.

Do you have any friends that are plumbers? Brazing it would be easy,and easy to learn,just need an oxygen acetylene outfit. Brazed panels were factory and the common repair before migs got so cheap. It's what I learned on,practice on a junk hood or door it's really not hard and brass melts so much lower your chance of burn through is very unlikely.

 

[Sad Sack]

@Doppleganger
I took a MIG welding class at a local community college and was the best $146 I ever spent for knowledge. Class was like 8 weeks I believe, then I rushed out and bought a Lincoln WeldPak 3200 floor demo for $279 and loved it like it was my own child. Don't be intimidated, MIG welding is super easy and fun, easier than removing your first bra in high school with one hand but the happy endings are worth it. Once you get the hang of it, you'll think you're God. Look for Ron Covell "MIG Welding Made Easy", excellent material, dude's a master fabricator too.

 

[Doppleganger]

Any Vo-Tech or community colleges in your area that do auto body?

Only one around (and I've looked) is the local HS - and they are "out of session" til Fall. Always wanted to call the teacher there and as him if he has any autobody savants for hire.

 

[Doppleganger]

Do you have any friends that are plumbers? Brazing it would be easy,and easy to learn,just need an oxygen acetylene outfit. Brazed panels were factory and the common repair before migs got so cheap. It's what I learned on,practice on a junk hood or door it's really not hard and brass melts so much lower your chance of burn through is very unlikely.

I can plumb - sweat pipes no problem but no acetylene setups. I'll have to look into this......sounds interesting. I remember a guy my grandma used - 40++ yrs ago. He would melt a lead mixture on the old sewer line connections.

 

[Frankenchevy]

I’m not sure what the harbor freight equivalent is of a Lincoln pro mig 140, but that is a great size machine for sheet metal work. Go to your local steel supplier and pick up as many scrap pieces of sheet metal in the correct gauge as you can find and practice, practice, practice.

MIG welding is not difficult, it just requires some time with your machine to learn the settings. I’m an idiot and was able to figure it out. You’ll be just fine.

 

[brooksman9]

Might check market place for a used flux core machine. Not as good as a gas setup but it will get the job done. That's what I used on the first Camaro I did. Mostly floors and some lower quarters but it worked and I picked up the used welder for cheap.

 

[Ricko1966]

@Doppleganger
I took a MIG welding class at a local community college and was the best $146 I ever spent for knowledge. Class was like 8 weeks I believe, then I rushed out and bought a Lincoln WeldPak 3200 floor demo for $279 and loved it like it was my own child. Don't be intimidated, MIG welding is super easy and fun, easier than removing your first bra in high school with one hand but the happy endings are worth it. Once you get the hang of it, you'll think you're God. Look for Ron Covell "MIG Welding Made Easy", excellent material, dude's a master fabricator too.

My boy since he was 4 wanted his own welder(seriously) he asked for one for Christmas at 4. I said Vince why do you need a welder? If I break something I can fix it. At 8 I decided he was old enough to learn. We started with some scraps. Not picking on you encouraging others, don't let welding intimidate you. My 8 year old welded a broken creeper back together, better than new.

 

[legopnuematic]

Just thinking out loud here, if you were to work the existing panel, shrinking would be about the last step of the process, it needs to be hammered and dollied/bumped/crowned first before determining if shrinking is needed.

Of course, the double wall construction really makes things a pain, does your truck have a cargo light and interior dome light?

Not the most ideal method, but I have done it with reasonable success on limited access stuff, use the stud welder, weld a stud on a low area, use the slide hammer, not as a slide hammer, but just as a means to grip the stud, pull away from the panel to raise it up, hammer around the stud. Not as ideal as a hammer and dolly on the back, but should help pull the lows up and get the highs down some.

 

[legopnuematic]

Here is a dolly/spoon thing I made up to work the back of the cab on the 79. If you have a dome light/cargo light or cab light holes that can give some access for a tool like this to back up the inside.

Just some more food for thought.

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[idahovette]

@Doppleganger it may be a cheap fix to hire @legopnuematic to come to your house and work this for you????

 

[legopnuematic]

There is always this option:

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[legopnuematic]

How about a stylish vinyl top

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[Doppleganger]

Kind of thinking about this. The way it was originally attached. Cheaper than hiring one of the local sht for brains and I get a tool for keeps.

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[Doppleganger]

Just thinking out loud here, if you were to work the existing panel, shrinking would be about the last step of the process, it needs to be hammered and dollied/bumped/crowned first before determining if shrinking is needed.

Of course, the double wall construction really makes things a pain, does your truck have a cargo light and interior dome light?

Not the most ideal method, but I have done it with reasonable success on limited access stuff, use the stud welder, weld a stud on a low area, use the slide hammer, not as a slide hammer, but just as a means to grip the stud, pull away from the panel to raise it up, hammer around the stud. Not as ideal as a hammer and dolly on the back, but should help pull the lows up and get the highs down some.

It has an interior light - nothing else. I've found with so many oil canned areas, its like a Rubiks cube - you fix 1-2 sides and it makes the remaining 5-6 worse. This one had 11 areas when this first happened. It wasnt a single dent that created 1-2 areas - it was a ripple effect that did the entire roof side to side, almost like a balloon. I dont think its fixable and anyone who -could- would want more than a new roof....probably even another cab would cost.

I'm either going to replace it or part the whole mess out - whichever the money allows. Not going to let it sit for another year. Just need to sell some stuff.